My overall goal of this project is to translate my creative vision and design for the Queen of the Night from the opera The Magic Flute into a fully realized, ready for stage costume, built to fit a model.
In preparation of building my design, I worked on developing my sewing skills, and audited a class on opera costume design. Through reading and listening to the opera, and compiling visual research to inspire color palette, shape, and texture, I completed a rendering of the costume. I have swatched fabrics and mapped out the design on a dress form that I intend to drape, pattern, stitch, and construct, as well as a wig.
Through my primary focus in theater is hair and makeup, through working on the shows at UMass, and through opera, I have become more aware of how Hair and Makeup and Costumes teams work together. Learning how costumes are built for theater helps me be more aware of the logistics when I am working with wardrobe teams backstage. It informs me of conversations a costume designer and hair and makeup designer might have when designing or are in tech for a show. Having recently been introduced to opera, I want to build on that experience while challenging myself to learn more about costume construction by building a costume from start to finish.
We Are Like This: Verbatim Theatre and The Laramie Project
Presenter: Maura Martine Ronan Faculty Sponsor: Tom P. Geha School: Greenfield Community College Research Area: Theater Location: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: Concourse [B10]
I am conducting a research project on the art form of verbatim theatre. I will explore the process of constructing a verbatim play and the unique way verbatim plays tell their stories. Verbatim theatre is a powerful tool for expressing humanity as it uses the real words of real people. Specifically, I will research Tectonic Theater Company's process of creating the verbatim play, The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman. Concurrently with this research, I am assistant directing Greenfield Community College's production of The Laramie Project. My research into the history of verbatim theatre and The Laramie Project will inform our theater's production, as well as, my hands-on experience assistant directing will inform my research. In addition to writing a research paper on this topic, I am filming and editing a series of weekly videos documenting our rehearsal process, similar to the documentaries regarding Mathew Shepard's story. Filmed interviews and documentaries were an important part of creating The Laramie Project, and my own docuseries of GCC Theater's production will reflect that. Theatre is and has always been a powerful medium of storytelling and a beautiful reflection of humanity. Verbatim theatre brings a uniquely human and raw aspect to storytelling that I will explore throughout my project.
The Beauty of a Piledriver: The Art of Professional Wrestling
Presenter: Ryan Darling Faculty Sponsor: Kelly C. Morgan School: Fitchburg State University Research Area: Theater Location: Poster Session 4, 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: Concourse [B11]
Professional Wrestling is an art form that has a unique place in our culture. Throughout its history, pro wrestling has not often been regarded as art because of its significant connection to making money, and it is not treated as a sport because of its scripted nature. With this project, I intend to go to bat for professional wrestling because I believe that wrestling is something that anyone can find some interest in, as it has connections to every medium of storytelling, so it can resonate with everyone. For my research, I will go through pro wrestling history in America from its carnival days to the present. I will go through the techniques used by the people who create wrestling and explain what those choices do to get across characters and stories. I also want to show the varied styles within different cultures around the world and how styles can even differ from wrestler to wrestler based on where they were trained. Lastly, I would like to address some aspects of wrestling that are controversial even within the wrestling community, the main ones being Deathmatch and Comedy wrestling, because these styles are not given as much respect. I hope to open people's eyes to pro wrestling because it has brought so much joy to me and millions throughout the world.
