Research Papers on Theater

Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.

  • Macbeth and Doctor Faustus

    A 10 page paper which examines how the character of Doctor Faustus is not a character we can sympathize with or even pity, unlike Macbeth whom we can pity and have sympathy for. No additional sources cited.

  • Lorraine Hansberry and Langston Hughes

    A 3 page paper which compares Langston Hughes’ poem “A Dream Deferred” with Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” No additional sources cited.

  • Two Playwrights Look at Death

    This 5 page paper examines the way in which Arthur Miller handles Willy Loman’s suicide in “Death of a Salesman” and compares it to the way Marsha Norman deals with Jessie’s death in “’Night Mother.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Willy Loman and Exhaustion

    A 5 page paper which examines the sources of exhaustion experienced by Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” The paper discusses how these forms of exhaustion play a part in his depression and suicide. No additional sources cited.

  • Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and its Tragic Hero Willy Loman

    This is a 5 page paper discussing the concept of Willy Loman as a tragic hero. Arthur Miller’s character Willy Loman in his play “The Death of a Salesman” comes across as a tragic hero. As the tragic hero, Loman is both the bane yet the central axis of his family with whom he is unable to connect and form significant relationships. Loman’s own delusions lead to much of the tragic perception of him as it appears only Willy is unable to see how unrealistic his perceptions of his life and success really are. While Loman eventually commits suicide in a last attempt to provide money which will lead to his son Biff’s success, Loman again becomes the tragic hero as his death does not live up to his original delusions but instead favors his family with “freedom”; something they had all wished for while Loman was alive. Tutorial language is inserted throughout in square brackets to assist in writing. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Two Prominent Cult Movies

    This 6 page paper presents a comparison of the cult films, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Plan Nine From Outer Space. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Flawed Characters in Death of a Salesman, Antigone, and Oedipus

    A 7 page paper which examines the character flaws possessed by characters in the plays Antigone, Oedipus, and Death of a Salesman. bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

  • A Review of the 1965 Film The Greatest Othello?

    This 4 page report discusses Sir Laurence Olivier's 1965 film version of Shakespeare's "Othello." The film is something of a hybrid in that it is actually a filming of the stage production by the National Theatre of Great Britain. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Tennessee Williams' Cat On a Hot Tin Roof Play and Film Versions

    A 5 page essay that compares the Tennessee Williams play with the 1958 film version. The writer discusses how the homosexual element was downplayed in the film, and how this effected the overall thrust of the play. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Comparing Stage and Film Versions of Othello

    This 8 page paper compares and contrasts the stage versus film version of Othello. Parker's adaptation is utilized. Examples are given from both text and film. Quotes cited from movie/play. Bibilography lists 3 sources.

  • A History of Performance Art

    (10 pp.) Performance art is a confrontational art experience, whether one chooses to say that the art form begins in the sixteenth century with Comedia del Arte political street theater, or the recorded fistfight that broke out in the beginning of the twentieth century. Both forms were Italian, and both began with audience participation in the performance itself. Yet the form continues to make its own history today. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Haunting and its History

    7 pages. This paper examines the history of amusement park haunted houses, as well as those that become popular during the Halloween season. A history of Halloween is given which will help to explain why people enjoy being scared out of their minds and even pay to do so. Bibliography lists 15 sources.

  • Theater History

    This 10 page paper discusses the history of the theater. Specifically, the play "Oedipus The King" is used to illustrate the humble beginings of the theater. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • English Drama and its History

    A 5 page paper which examines the history of English drama up to 1600. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • 20th Century British Theatre History

    This 28 page paper examines the development of the theatre in England during the twentieth century. The paper considers the different styles seen, looking at realism, abstract, suggestive and interventionist theatre. This is considered in time order and also incluides elements such as the ay staging took place, lighting and general technology impacted on production. The paper then examines the way in which social constraints impacted on the way the theatre developed including the censorship laws and the reaction to those censorship laws. The final paper of the paper speculates the cycle is turning full circle with the rebuilding of the old Globe theatre in London. The bibliography cites 15 sources.

  • Literature and the Theme of Appearance versus Reality

    A 6 page paper which compares and contrasts “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker as they touch on the theme of appearance vs reality. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Employees and Management in the Plays How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Death of a Salesman

    A 6 page examination of management and employees in the play "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

  • Homosexuality and Family Acceptance

    A 6 page essay/research paper that looks at Gloria Feliciano's play "Between Blessings," which is a poignant account of a twenty-eight year old Puerto Rican son, Diego, finally telling his proud, macho, traditionalist father that he is gay. In this work, Feliciano's use of language and dramatic devices serves to expand the scope of the play beyond the immediate domestic situation between father and son and, in so doing, brings up issues of culture and religiosity, specifically the stand of the Roman Catholic Church on homosexuality. This factor of the play is achieved by framing the confrontation between Diego and his father within scenes that feature a family friend, Father David, a priest who is also homosexual. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Female Psychology in the Plays of Tirso de Molina

    A 14 page research paper that focuses on female characterization in the plays of Tirso de Molina (1572-1648), a playwright during the Golden Age of Spanish theatre. Examination of a variety of Tirso's plays demonstrates that--in regards to his portrayal of female characters--he was limited by the cultural standards in which he lived. In other words, women in Tirso's plays are largely relegated to subsidiary roles, which substantiate the prominence and importance of men as the pivotal focus around which everything in Spanish society revolved. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Sexuality and Gender in David Henry Hwang’s Madame Butterfly

    In seven pages this paper analyzes Hwang’s 1988 play by examining how social constructivism contributes to attitudes about sexuality and gender as represented by the relationship between French diplomat Rene Gallimard and cross-dressing Chinese opera star Song Liling. Three sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'The Music of the Night' from Phantom of the Opera

    A 4 page research paper that analyzes "The Music of the Night" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. The writer relates the lyrics and structure of the song to the manner in which Webber uses it to underscore the characterization, set the mood and subtly propel the plot. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Relationship Between Music and Magic

    This 5 page paper traces a brief history of magic, and some of the music magicians use in their acts. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Tony Awards Contest Between West Side Story and The Music Man

    This 9 page paper theorizes about the causes and factors which allowed The Music Man to garner Tony awards over West Side Story which was also produced during the same year. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Overview of the Entertainment Industry

    A 6 page paper that offers a general overview of the entertainment industry. The largest conglomerates are identified and discussed along with their major diverse interests. Issues facing certain segments, music, films, Broadway, and movie theaters, are also discussed. Data included. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Lerner and Lowe's Brigadoon

    A 3 page essay that offers suggestions to a student on how to analyze a video of this production, in regards to the music. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • Production of 'Aida' by Giuseppe Verdi and Reaction to It

    A 5 page essay that discusses the writer's reaction to a production of Verdi's Aida. The impact of the set decoration, the pageantry and the drama of the narrative are discussed as well as the music. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Aristotle, Avenue Q, Joe Turner's Come and Gone

    A 3 page essay that discusses Avenue Q, a Broadway play that is as study in pop culture. Aristotle's six elements of drama are plot, character, diction, music, thought and spectacle (McManus, 1999). While Aristotle wrote in relation to the ancient Greek theater of his time, his observations are still extremely applicable and can be used to address the dramatic elements of modern theater. For example, they provide a framework for analyzing the contemporary plays Avenue Q and Joe's Turner's Come and Gone. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Medieval Drama and Its Messages

    A 14 page paper discussing the means that medieval guilds used to promote political and religious ideology using plays as the medium. There was only a single church, and it sought to provide plays to act out important events described in the Bible. Plays grew in scope and size and were obliged to move outdoors where laymen took over the production duties, those laymen generally were members of the various guilds operational in local areas. Guilds were dedicated to business among the merchants and high quality among the craftsmen, and their leaders came to be highly involved in local politics. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

  • Drama and Religious Education

    An 8 page research paper that examines religious education as taught through children writing and producing their own plays. Today, religious educators face a formidable task, as it is their goal to present the Bible and its stories in a way that is not only memorable to children, but also meaningful. This description relates a method for accomplishing this task that utilizes the dramatic arts. Specifically, children were instructed within the context of a religious education class on how to write, produce and star in their own play productions. Analysis of this method shows it to be effective and innovative in regards to teaching children biblical truths. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Sexuality and Gender in David Henry Hwang’s Madame Butterfly

    In seven pages this paper analyzes Hwang’s 1988 play by examining how social constructivism contributes to attitudes about sexuality and gender as represented by the relationship between French diplomat Rene Gallimard and cross-dressing Chinese opera star Song Liling. Three sources are listed in the bibliography.

  • Haunting and its History

    7 pages. This paper examines the history of amusement park haunted houses, as well as those that become popular during the Halloween season. A history of Halloween is given which will help to explain why people enjoy being scared out of their minds and even pay to do so. Bibliography lists 15 sources.

  • Laura, In Williams’ Glass Menagerie

    A 3 page essay that discusses the character of Laura from Tennessee Williams’ poignant play “The Glass Menagerie.” There are a number of similarities between Laura Wingfield and the small glass animals that she collects. As with her small glass animals, Laura is fragile, both in health and temperament. Also, like her animals, which are a beautiful expression of art, Laura herself has an ethereal beauty. This metaphor also connects Laura with nature as the shapes of her glass suggest the natural world, which is distant from the play’s urban setting. As this suggests, the glass menagerie itself can be viewed as a metaphor for understanding Laura’s inner nature and Romantic beauty. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Honesty in “The Crucible”

    A 5 page paper which examines the theme of honesty in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Madame Butterfly and David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly

    A 5 page paper which examines why David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly uses the original Madame Butterfly opera as a significant element in his rendition. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Analysis: “Six Characters” Author

    This 4 page paper discusses Pirandello’s play (“Six Characters in Search of an Author”) with the idea of speculating about the nature of the author (not Pirandello but the author of the play the characters inhabit); the relationships among the characters, and what the Six Characters tell us about writing (creating) in general. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • The Power of Language in "The Tempest" and "The Birthday Party"

    This 3 page paper discusses the way Shakespeare and Pinter use language in their plays "The Tempest" and "The Birthday Party." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Review of A Christmas Carol

    A 3 page review of a production of A Christmas Carol. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Macbeth and Doctor Faustus

    A 10 page paper which examines how the character of Doctor Faustus is not a character we can sympathize with or even pity, unlike Macbeth whom we can pity and have sympathy for. No additional sources cited.

  • Event Management - Using the 5 W Model

    This 4 page paper uses Goldblatt’s 5 w’s of why, who, when, where and what to examine the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, focusing on the 2011 event. The bibliography cites 8 sources.

  • Tragic Hero Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    This paper examines Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman, and attempts to determine if Willy Loman fits the profile of the tragic hero. The paper also discusses the play as a good example of a tragedy, as defined by Greek philosopher Aristotle.

  • "Death of a Salesman" as an Analogy for the Death of the American Dream

    This 5 page paper discusses the way in which Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" can be seen as analogous to the death of the American dream. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Two Playwrights Look at Death

    This 5 page paper examines the way in which Arthur Miller handles Willy Loman’s suicide in “Death of a Salesman” and compares it to the way Marsha Norman deals with Jessie’s death in “’Night Mother.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Modern Vampire

    This 5 page paper discusses the evolution of the vampire from the cruel bloodsuckers of legend to the suave, even romantic, anti-heroes of today. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Soprano

    An 8 page essay that examines how Ionesco's play The Bald Soprano demonstrates how Ionesco parodies theatre in general as well as society. The writer discusses the play's stilted, nonsensical dialogue and how this "works" within the framework of Ionesco's satire. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Willy Loman's Nightmarish American Dreams

    (5 pp). Much of the Arthur Miller's play The Death of A Salesman, looks at the loss of one man's idea of the American Dream of success, or 'making it.' It occurs to Willy Loman that he is not making it, as he thought he would, neither are his sons. Loman was so busy focused on himself and his first son, that not much thought is given to his second son, Hap. Happy, who hardly follows the nature of his name, will be the focus of this discussion.

  • A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Money's Influence

    A 5 page paper which examines how money often influences decisions and actions in this popular play about African-American life during the 1950s. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

  • Cormac McCarthy: “The Stonemason”

    This 3 page paper discusses Cormac McCarthy’s play “The Stonemason” and whether or not Ben is naïve and living in the past. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • The Titanic

    A 4 page discussion and examination of the film Titanic and a discussion of its possibility as a play. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • The Lawyer from Springfield

    This 3 page paper discusses the play “The Lawyer of Springfield” and answers two questions that it raises about theater and humanity.

  • David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly

    A 5 page paper which examines the focus on gender, sexual, national, and cultural identity as it is presented in David Henry Hwang's "M. Butterfly." No additional sources cited.

  • Salem Witch Trials and The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    A 5 page paper which examines “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller and the Salem Witch Trials. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

  • The Cherry Orchard by Chekhov and Stage Props THE USE OF THEATRICAL DEVICES IN CHEKHOV'S THE CHERRY ORCHARD

    This 3 page paper discusses the use of stage props to further the symbolism of the character. The character chosen is that of Lopakhin. Examples given from the play. Bibliography lists 0 sources.

  • The Crucible: Minority Opinion

    A 4 page paper which examines what society’s attitude should be concerning minority opinion as it relates to The Crucible by Arthur Miller. No additional sources cited.

  • The Crucible and the Issue of Pride in the Play

    This 3 page paper discusses the issue of pride as embodied in the character of Reverend John Hale in Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Senator Joseph McCarthy's Trials and The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    A 6 page paper which discusses the similarities found in “The Crucible” and the McCarthy Trials. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Filming Video Underwater

    A 5 page paper that provides an accurate account of the impacts of water depth on color, images, and light waver consumption/scattering in underwater video processes. This also outlines some of the current technologies being used for underwater video recording. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • The Stronger by August Strindberg

    This 5 page report discusses who is the stronger character in Strindberg’s play “The Stronger.” “The Stronger” is a three-character one-act in which the central character never appears, and one of the two female rivals for his love says nothing. The entire action of the play takes place over only a 15-minute period. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Man and Woman in A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

    This 5 page paper explores this landmark Ibsen play, where deceit and scandal bubble beneath the surface of the classically repressive domestic situation of Torvald and Nora, who, in order to save her husband's life commits forgery. The basic difficulties of relationship between a man and a woman are as relevant now as they were in 1879.Bibliography lists 4 sources..

  • Actors of the Italian Renaissance and Their Status

    A 5 page paper which examines the popular status of Italian Renaissance actors. Commedia dell'arte was separate from amateur drama because of the high level of performances. Every aspect of the drama was top of the line from the scripts to the costumes to performers, who might play the same role throughout their lives. Although the older form of this street theater had originated with morality plays, these comedies were very different. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Postmodern Playwright Marina Carr

    This 15 page paper of post-modern playwright Marina Carr examines her recent successes, as well as the real and perceived background of being Irish. While the historical bridge with the mythic has protected the imaginative Irish, it has now also provided a unique bridge to their participation in the creative global world. Carr reflects the intensity of our modern world through the disguise of her Irish one. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

 

Most Relevant Research Papers

Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.

 

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