http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75070 2026-04-11T04:43:24Z 2026-04-11T04:43:24Z Moore, Cali Elizabeth Tuggle Whorton, Rachel http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75334 2025-09-02T21:14:27Z 2019-07-01T00:00:00Z

Title: My Other Job Authors: Moore, Cali Elizabeth; Tuggle Whorton, Rachel Abstract: Actors in New York City are rarely just actors. Due to the mercurial, enigmatic nature of the profession (and, of course, the cost of living there), actors are more-often-than-not employed in at least one other job: their survival job. But which is an actor’s primary job—the one that pays the bills or the one that feeds the soul? At what point does an out-of-work actor stop being an actor and start being a waiter, bartender, or babysitter? What makes actors choose to pursue an acting career in the first place; and what, if anything, might cause them to leave acting behind in pursuit of greater stability? These are just some of the questions posed to 5 real working actors based in New York City. The realities of an acting career are often glossed over for flash and fame, but show business is just that—a business—with all the strategy, politics, and compromises the word suggests. Using the actors’ own words, My Other Job asks audiences to think a little more deeply about the lives of these active artists—their struggles, humor, grace, and determination—as they divulge very personal, very real stories about the business of pretending.

2019-07-01T00:00:00Z Humphrie, Jamila Schorr Lesnick, Emily http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75333 2025-09-02T21:13:30Z 2019-07-01T00:00:00Z

Title: How We GLOW Authors: Humphrie, Jamila; Schorr Lesnick, Emily Abstract: Ethnodrama alleviates the burden on young people to explain to others the words and meanings that define their identities and sexualities. Our play, How We GLOW, explores, the ways lgbtq+ youth craft their own identities and communities, building from the past and utilizing new modalities like social media. As co-researchers, collaborators, and partners, we combine theoretical study with daily work in schools. The desire to connect with youth on their own terms drove this research. As adults, being in GLOW, a gender and sexuality student discussion group which stands for Gay, Lesbian or Whatever, offered opportunities to not only support lgbtq+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and beyond) youth, but to explore new labels and terminology and understand the issues that most impact lgbtq+ students. The question of identity labels, and how students (dis)connect on and offline, emerged from informal discussion with young people and were the questions that helmed our research. Too often, research about youth imagines young people, rather than listening to them and their stories directly. Not only did this form allow for those sharing their stories to feel empowered, but as the play grew and we produced it for over 20 schools, we saw the power of this piece in audience members seeing themselves in the stories.

2019-07-01T00:00:00Z Murray, Thomas http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75332 2025-09-02T21:12:29Z 2019-07-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Right of Way Authors: Murray, Thomas Abstract: This is an ethnodrama sourced almost entirely from interviews, transcripts, and media imagery. In 2017, the script was workshopped through regional partnerships with Theatre in the Square (Marietta, Georgia) and Forum Theatre (Washington, D.C.) and was sponsored by Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts and the Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology. Working with spatial audio engineer Tanner Upthegrove, we crafted an environmental sound design that could efficiently differentiate the various locations in the script.

2019-07-01T00:00:00Z Burch, Darci http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75331 2025-09-02T21:11:40Z 2019-07-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Ethno-Actor: Encompassing the Intricacies and Challenges of Character Creation in Ethnotheatre Authors: Burch, Darci Abstract: This article addresses a current gap in the research of ethnotheatre productions, specifically involving the role of the actor. Actor coaching and character creation varies so vastly from traditional theatre that the role of the actor is changed. The author proposes a new term to encapsulate the role: ethno-actor. The ethno-actor is challenged to create a portrayal that maintains the dignity of and respect for the interviewee while maintaining room for new discovery of knowledge and understanding. The ethno-actor is charged with the ability to have empathy for the person/role they perform in order to truthfully render the performance of the individual. The main difference between traditional acting and ethno-acting is that more attention is paid to ethical considerations, aesthetic challenges, and empathy-based creation (faithful rendering) throughout the character creation process.

2019-07-01T00:00:00Z