Theses and Dissertations from UMD

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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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2011 - 20172

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Author: search.filters.author.Warheit, Emily JaneSubject: search.filters.subject.Theater

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    Forum Theatre as Theatre for Development in East Africa
    (2017) Warheit, Emily Jane; Frederik, Laurie; Theatre; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Theatre for development (TfD) includes a variety of performance practices that aim to communicate or foster dialogue in a development context. Forum Theatre, developed by Brazilian Director Augusto Boal as part of his Theatre of the Oppressed movement has become one of the most widely used forms in TfD. This dissertation looks at the use of Forum Theatre specifically in public health-focused programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uganda and Kenya. The appeal of Forum Theatre for addressing development issues stems from its participatory nature, particularly as it aligns with current trends towards community involvement in development. However, power imbalances inherent in foreign-funded projects, public health communication theories modeled after advertising, and the realities of life- and livelihood-threatening conditions on the ground all work against the liberatory potential of the form. The focus of Forum Theatre is on identifying and combatting oppression; in developing communities, what oppressions can theatre projects initiated from the top down by USAID actually address in practice? This study is a multi-sited exploration of the organizations and individuals involved in the funding, planning, and executing of two forum theatre projects promoting global public health goals. Through interviews of stakeholders and organization publications including training manuals and project reports, I examine how the organizations involved implement, evaluate, and justify the effectiveness of the use of theatre in their work. Despite the popularity of theatre for development in Sub-Saharan Africa, many development professionals, particularly in the US, have limited knowledge of how to use theatre in their programs. This study has the potential to improve the understanding of the use of Forum Theatre for both development professionals and theatre artists, allowing for more effective application. It will also place theatre for development in its context in the complicated web of the development industry, illuminating how TfD projects are planned and funded for an audience of theatre scholars and practitioners.
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    THEATRE PRODUCTION AS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: THE SUMMER MUSICAL PROGRAM AT THE SITAR CENTER FOR ARTS EDUCATION
    (2011) Warheit, Emily Jane; Meer, Laurie F; Theatre; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Recent scholarship on educational theatre has tended to focus on process-oriented drama and on programs that deal with participant's personal identity. These programs have become regarded as the standard for drama that benefits both children and the community. However, programs like the summer musical at the Sitar Center for the Arts, though not based in the work of applied theatre theorists, have notable educational effects for participants. The Sitar's Center's theatre program is highly product oriented and focuses on the Western theatre cannon, specifically Eurocentric musical theatre, making it traditional in structure and aesthetic in focus. In this study, I utilize educational and performance ethnography to examine the effects of the theatre program and the ways in which it helps fulfill the greater mission of the center. In addition, I explore the relationship between more traditional programs and applied theatre methods in contemporary theatre education.