Undergraduate Research in Theatre

Undergraduate Research in Theatre: A Guide for Students supplies tools for scaffolding research skills alongside examples of undergraduate research in theatre and performance scholarship. The book begins with an overview of the necessity of framing theatre as undergraduate research and responding to calls for revolutionizing the discipline toward greater equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dedicated chapters for the research, skills, and methods employed by each theatre area follow: scripted theatre; devised and new works; applied theatre; scenic, costume, sound, and lighting design; and theatre theory and interdisciplinary studies. Throughout the book, undergraduate research activities are demonstrated by 36 case studies authored by undergraduates from six countries about diverse areas of theatre study. Suitable for both professors and students, Undergraduate Research in Theatre is an ideal resource for any course that has an opportunity for the creation of new knowledge or as an essential interdisciplinary connection between theatre, performance, and other disciplines.

Michelle Hayford, PhD, is Director and Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Dayton. She is coauthor and coeditor of Performing Arts as High-Impact Practice, published by Palgrave MacMillan (2018), and Arts and Humanities Division editor of the journal SPUR: Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research.

1 Overview: the necessity of framing theatre as undergraduate research; 2 Literature reviews; 3 Performance studies, paratextual sources, and research topics; 4 Human participant research in theatre; 5 Research methods and assessment practices in theatre; 6 Copyright, collaborative work, and citing sources; 7 Dissemination of research in theatre; 8 Scripted theatre performance and production; 9 Playwriting and devising; 10 Applied theatre; 11 Scenic design; 12 Costume design; 13 Sound design; 14 Lighting design; 15 Research in theatre history, theory, and interdisciplinary studies; 16 Online resources