Identifier

etd-03172013-162846

Degree

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Theatre

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The thesis assignment began with one simple question, “Can we conceptualize, compose, and create a one-man show, where we hold an audience’s attention, for no less than 30 minutes?” We were encouraged to find a piece that we could live with over the course of the next 9-12 months. Not wanting to carry around some heavy emotional weight, and knowing that I can’t take anything seriously for more than a month at a time without making fun of it, I went in the opposite direction of drama and dove head first towards the land of comedy. From the moment that I entered LSU, George Judy, the Head of the MFA program, insisted to our ensemble that the theater is a safe place to do dangerous things. Wanting to take full advantage of the graduate school safety net, I took the leap. From the beginning, I set out to create and execute a show that could have a life beyond the LSU Studio Theater. My first swing was a 30 minute filmed sketch comedy pilot. This first iteration of my show was crushed by the weight of its own technical demands. What I ultimately created is a show that I can take to any major comedic market and perform a set multiple times a week with minimal production requirements. One man, one microphone and dozens of joke. Over the course of the next subsequent months I conceived and wrote stand-up and sketch comedy material. Some of it was horribly offensive; a lot of it was quirky, and throughout I discovered a strong comedic voice, which I suspected was always inside me. This thesis paper will document the process of creating a one-man show, and serve as the final step in three years of intense classical acting training.

Date

2013

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Judy, George

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1485

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