Date of Graduation
2001
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MFA
College
College of Creative Arts
Department
Acting and Directing
Committee Chair
Jerry McGonigle
Committee Co-Chair
Phillip Beck
Committee Member
Jay Malarcher
Abstract
This thesis traces an actor’s journey of their craft throughout the process of William Shakespeare’s Richard III. The thesis begins with the manner by which the actor researches the play. The research informs the actor’s choice as to what character he/she will audition for. It then traces the audition preparation and the casting. The research is then reviewed and revised based on the casting of the play. The actor then creates a character biography in order to understand the complete set of given circumstances surrounding their character. The text analysis assists the actor in discovering information about the character specifically related to the author’s text. This is done through the use of scansion and scoring the text. The thesis continues to track the actor through the entire rehearsal process, culminating in the performance of the show. The emphasis is placed on the discoveries that are made throughout the process.
Recommended Citation
Cercone, Sean T., "An actor's process of performing the Duke of Buckingham in William Shakespeare's "Richard III"." (2001). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 10547.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/10547