Date of Graduation

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MFA

College

College of Creative Arts

Department

Acting and Directing

Committee Chair

Laura Hitt

Committee Co-Chair

Lee Blair

Committee Member

Jules Malarcher

Abstract

This paper is a reflection of my experience performing the role of Sara Jane Moore in the musical Assassins. To work through this role and honor the simplicity of the comedy, I needed to divulge my insecurities that stem from my past musical theatre and comedic experiences. Working through my past and my time here at WVU, the realization of how personal tensions affected my work made the role of Sara Jane Moore the most challenging experience of my graduate school education. The increased awareness of my resistance to new acting and voice techniques allowed me to grow and develop, so that I began to implement them. Additionally, I started to have a greater appreciation for my pre-graduate performance skills. This allowed me to integrate the past and present skills with greater ease in my stage work. Throughout this paper I reflect on my training in WVU's MFA Acting program, my challenges with comedic and musical theatre roles, and the thesis role that I had previously assumed I knew.

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