DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/S6SE-MQ46
Defense Date
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts
Department
Theatre
First Advisor
Dr. Keith Byron Kirk
Second Advisor
Dr. Jesse Njus
Third Advisor
Neno Russell
Abstract
The feature film, "Welcome to The Show," is a narrative centered on four best friends in their last year of college together, who are mysteriously invited to an “interactive theatre adventure in three acts,” simply called The Show. What transpires is an exploration of Theatre as an act of manipulation; the strength and fragility of friendships; the power of words; an ode to Lewis Carroll, Antonin Artaud, and Samuel Beckett; and an intimate view of the shedding of innocence. It’s a surrealistic exploration of a very real city – Richmond, Virginia. The films starts as a comedy and ends as something quite different. The film does to the audience what The Show does to the characters. The Show is a repeatable act, but uniquely specific to each participant. “Who is the audience and who is an actor? Who invited us, and why?” are questions rippling through the story, yet are left unanswered. The meaning of the film is whatever the viewer decides. By design, it’s possible to interpret it on many different levels, even the reality that the film presents. Whatever someone thinks is true, they are correct.
Rights
© Dorothy Barton
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
4-9-2020
Included in
Acting Commons, Film Production Commons, Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Screenwriting Commons