Giving Voice to the Hero Within: The Combination of Two Methodologies for Training the Actor/Performer-- The Use of Ritual Poetic Drama Within the African Continuum and Archetypes for the Actor/Singer As Explored in the Performances of A Thousand Faces: Every Day Heroes A Deconstruction of The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

Author

Olisa-Mequella F. Enrico-Johnson, Virginia Commonwealth University

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/8SZZ-MM91

Defense Date

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Theatre

First Advisor

Noreen Barnes

Second Advisor

Janet Rodgers

Third Advisor

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates

Abstract

Joseph Campbell tells us that if you look closely at all cultures you find the story of “The Hero's Journey”, the vehicle for my thesis project, a devised theatre piece titled A Thousand Faces: Everyday Heroes. Though the subject of A Thousand Faces is the exploration of “The Hero's Journey” the foundation of the work is the application of the pedagogical principles of Ritual Poetic Drama Within the African Continuum (RPDWAC) as outlined in the practices of my mentor Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Assistant Professor of Performance at Virginia Commonwealth University Theatre (VCU). I apply RPDWAC pedagogical principles to Archetypes for the Actor/Singer (AFAS), a training methodology developed by Frankie Armstrong and another of my mentors, Professor of Voice and Speech and Head of Performance at VCU Theatre, Janet B. Rodgers. This paper outlines the process and performance of a class that combined these methodologies.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

May 2010