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MacBheatha
Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Restricted Thesis: Campus only access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Leadership Studies
Abstract
This project began as a way to explore combining physical theatre and classical text.
Physical theatre is an approach to training, composition, and performance that focuses on movement and spatial relationships on stage, and how they can be used to develop a story. I began my study of this theatrical style under SITI Company, training with the Suzuki Method and Viewpoints Technique. Over the past year, my movement research has expanded under the coaching of Dr. Kristin Bezio to incorporate acrobatics and aerial silks. This semester, I directed a cast of thirteen students in an original production, titled MacBheatha, featuring a performative exploration of the many narratives surrounding William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. We compared Shakespeare’s story of a tyrannical King to our research on the historical figure of the medieval King Macbeth, two character studies which provide very different stories. Around them was woven an account of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, the initial event that provided Shakespeare inspiration for his play. We applied a multitude of physical theatre practices to a combination of modern text and Shakespearean verse to create an hour-long performance that investigates our representation of truth and fantasy. What follows here is a reflection on these theatrical theories, dramaturgical research, the process of creating MacBheatha, and the values of leadership that bind all these narratives together.
Recommended Citation
Wiljanen, Alana Christine, "MacBheatha" (2017). Honors Theses. 1000.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1000