Seen and Not Heard: The Use of Stage Directions in 20th and 21st Century Queer Theater
| dc.contributor.author | Peri, Rachel Roth | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2020-09-29T22:08:32Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2020-09-29T22:08:32Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020 | |
| dc.description | 57 pages | |
| dc.description.abstract | This project focuses on the impact that stage directions have on pieces of queer theater. How do the grand visions of playwrights transform as they are translated onto the stage? What insights do stage directions provide that dialogue alone cannot capture? This thesis examines stage directions as a unique form of text, informed by queer theoretical frameworks surrounding failure and performance. Unlike the text in a novel or in a poem, stage directions exist in a limbo between text and metatext. When reading a script, an actor or director can use stage directions as context or as information on how a line should be delivered. However, stage directions are distinctly separated from the actual text of a play by parentheses or italics. In addition, they are not part of the dialogue, so stage directions are not read aloud in a staged play. They are meant to be seen on a stage instead of read. This means that reading a script is a unique experi-ence. Some authors employ stage directions as an emotional road map for actors, the stage direction dictating how the actor should deliver a line. Other stage directions, af-fective ones, attempt to establish an atmosphere for a scene. Others still direct physical action, allowing for emotions to be expressed through movement. Regardless of which kind of stage direction is employed, they all serve to develop the emotional richness of a scene. Even if a director or an actor decides to disregard stage directions, they inform the first impression of a scene. Through close reading, I will analyze the ways in which stage directions work to represent the emotional and physical realities of queer characters, sometimes provid-ing more insight into these realities than dialogue alone can accomplish. In addition, I will compare the written world of stage directions with the performed world of a staged play. Many plays feature stage directions that are ultimately ignored as the text is trans-lated to the stage. I will explore some of these changes as I have encountered them, dis-cussing the differences between the script and what I saw during productions. I hope to introduce stage directions as a rich text that contributes to the nuance of a script. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/25797 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | |
| dc.subject | Queer Theater | en_US |
| dc.subject | English | en_US |
| dc.subject | Queer | en_US |
| dc.subject | Theater | en_US |
| dc.subject | Stage Directions | en_US |
| dc.subject | Performance | en_US |
| dc.subject | LGBT | en_US |
| dc.subject | Playwright | en_US |
| dc.title | Seen and Not Heard: The Use of Stage Directions in 20th and 21st Century Queer Theater | |
| dc.type | Thesis/Dissertation |