Title of Document: NOT LEADING LADY MATERIAL

Megan Morse Jans, Master of Fine Arts Dance, 2015

Directed By: Professor Karen Bradley, Head of MFA Dance Program; Head of Dance Performance and Scholarship, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

This thesis is a reflection on the creation, cultivation, process and performance of Megan Morse Jans' original work Not Leading Lady Material, an interdisciplinary dance-theater piece presented in a style evocative of the cabarets of the Weimar Republic. The performance included song, storytelling and dance, and thematically explored intimacy, identity, and social/political disruption all while eliminating the fourth wall and inviting the audience on a journey through personal narrative. This paper examines the navigation and weaving together of different expressive disciplines, as well as the challenges presented in the performance of both original and copyrighted material. The result was a dynamic performance that engaged the audience in an evening of laughter, participation, and vulnerability.