Teaching Scene Study to Actors of Specific Playwrights’ Scenes as an Exploration of Contextual Impact on Young Artists: The Plays of Tom Stoppard

Date of Award

Spring 5-13-2026

Access Restriction

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Theatre Arts

School or College

College of Communication and Fine Arts

First Advisor

Kevin Wetmore

Abstract

techniques they learned in high school and from their basic undergraduate acting classes to scenes from playwrights chosen by professors. Most college students are not required to undertake any research activities like reading peer review journal articles or playwright biographies to better connect them to their scenes or to the playwright. I believe that a full understanding of a character analysis would require students to take additional steps, like a research component, which would be appropriate in an educational environment. This paper and my objective are based on an advanced scene study class with undergraduates who will work with particular playwrights to dive deeper into character and scene analysis. Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a good example of a playwright whose text is rich in existential questioning, “We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.” His use of comedy through British wit as a survival tactic provides an opportunity for a young actor to investigate unknown genres and unfamiliar characters. Students engaging with historical events and complex text, possibly from another culture, could help them to be more curious about their creative process. I would require them to work in pairs in scenes, monologues, radio drama and review journal articles which could include biographical relevance of the playwright. It would be a required assignment associated with specific scene studies. My hope is that students will be more invested in knowing a deeper sense of empathy for a particular character through their own research methods and that they find that deeper connection to the material and its playwright. This is a valuable tool for their artistry during and after their college experience.

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