Doctoral Projects in Progress in Theatre Arts, 2002

This is the fiftieth annual report of dissertations in progress in the theatre arts in the United States. The success of this report continues to depend upon prompt and accurate replies from the graduate departments of theatre, speech, English, and others, and their cooperation in this regard is gratefully acknowledged. Any graduate department that is not annually receiving requests for information for this report is invited to contact the compiler in order to be added to the mailing list.

This listing is limited to dissertations in progress in the United States. The format employed here is adapted from that used by Frederick M. Litto in his American Dissertations of the Drama and the Theatre (1969). The graduate departments were asked to classify each dissertation by its subject matter according to the geographical divisions proposed by Litto. In the cases of England and the United States, they were further asked to assign each to an arbitrary time period as indicated below. Within each of these subdivisions, entries are alphabetically arranged according to the surname of the researcher.

Several of the survey respondents have commented that the continued use of Litto is outdated, since the book was published in 1969 and is now out of print. The nature and scope of theatre dissertations have certainly changed. Many of the topics are inter-disciplinary, the geographical divisions of the world are continually changing and new topics relating to performance theory, gender issues and inter-cultural concerns have emerged. We concur with our colleagues and are planning on a revision of the process in the next issue. We invite suggestions for how we might go about this important revision.

Each entry includes the following information: the researcher's name, the title of the project, the institution, the academic department within that institution, the faculty supervisor, and the expected year of completion.

Volume 1, Number 1 (1949) of the Educational Theatre Journal contained the first bibliography of research projects in progress, compiled by James M. Klain. Albert E. Johnson took over responsibility for the series in 1955 and Philip G. Hill continued the project from 1976 until 1997. Irregularities in the early years resulted in this being the fiftieth such report. The present compiler may be reached at The Department of Theatre Arts, Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC 29613 or by email at doug.cummins@furman.edu.

AFRICA

Zenenga, Praise. Theatre as a Tool for Non-Formal Education in Post-Independence Zimbabwe. Northwestern. Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama. Sandra L. Richards. 2004.

England

Medieval

Butler, Michelle. Direct Address in Early English Drama: Reconstructing Dramatic Theory. Duquesne. English. Anne Brannen. 2003.

Renaissance

Byrne, Peter. "I [am/and] I": The Problem of the Autarch in 17th Century Drama. California, Irvine. English & Comparative Literature. Victoria Silver. 2003.

Marty, Paulette. The Entertainment at Kenilworth: An Intersection of Traditions. Wisconsin-Madison. Theatre and Drama. James Moy. 2002.

Schmitz, Johanna. Desire for Authenticity: Millennial Reconstructions of Shakespeare's Theatre. California, Davis. Theatre and Dance. William B. Worthen and Karen Shimakawa. 2002.

Wilson, Gregory. Theater, the Court Masque and Liminality. Brandeis. English and American Literature. Thomas King. 2002.

Williams, Christine Marie. Provincial Pastimes: A Study of Dramatic Activity in English Parishes. Bowling Green. Theatre. James Forse. 2002.

18th Century

Dominique, Lyndon J. Stages of Abolition in Eighteenth-Century British Literature 1688-1808. Princeton. English. Claudia Johnson and Jonathan Lamb. 2003.

Sweeney, Christopher S. The Drama is a Haunted Ruin: Satire in the Necromantic Theatre. Rochester. English. Hal Gladfelder. 2003.

19th Century

Prichard, Carla Coleman. Dangerous Terrain: Victorian Anxieties and the Female Performer in the Novel. North Carolina-Chapel Hill. English. Laurie Langbauer. 2003.

France

Adyanthaya, Aravind S. Pathologizing Giles: Discursive Bodies in Thomas Simon-Gueullette's Parades and 18th Century Parisian Fairgrounds' Spectacles. Minnesota. Theatre Arts and Dance. Michal Kobialka. 2003.

Schmitz, Catherine Lerat. D'objet à sujet: Théâtre féminin et changement social de Colette à Chedid. (From Object to Subject: Feminine Theatre History...