I have a cast! And we go into rehearsals in two weeks…how are we here already?
Just in case any of you were wondering, here’s what the whole “thesis” thing is about. This is a breakdown of what is entailed on the academic side, which should go hand-in-hand with my production process:
My research around Nora is being used to support my directorial approach to a full production of the play in November 2015 as a part of Baylor University’s Mainstage season. In 1981, Bergman created a mammoth theatrical “Project” while in exile in Germany. He adapted and staged productions of Nora (Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House), Julie (August Strindberg’s Miss Julie), and a stage version of his own film Scenes from a Marriage. My supporting thesis document combines both descriptive and analytical methodology, and is composed of historical research, play analysis, and a documentation of the production process of Nora, as presented under my direction. Chapters are divided into: 1) a practical and theoretical understanding of Ingmar Bergman, his theatrical career, and his reductivist treatment of Ibsen’s work in both his 1981 “Project” and his 1989 re-staging of A Doll’s House; 2) a comparative analysis of Ibsen’s A Doll House and Bergman’s Nora, with a consideration of the changes in regard to adaptation theory; 3) an outline of the conceptual idea and its influence on the design aspects for my production of Nora, 4) an in-depth investigation of my directorial approach, with special attention to rehearsal and performance strategies with actors; and 5) a postmortem identifying the successes and deficiencies of the 2015 production.
Wish me luck – and I’ll let you know when you can get tickets!
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