ABSTRACT A Director’s Approach to Dancing at Lughnasa Heidi Breeden, M.F.A. Mentor: Marion Castleberry, Ph.D. This thesis details the production process for Baylor Theatre’s mainstage production of Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel, directed by Heidi Breeden, in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts in Directing. Dancing at Lughnasa is a somewhat autobiographical memory play, featuring strong roles for women and requiring advanced acting skills. This thesis first investigates the life and works of Brian Friel, then offers a director’s analysis of the text, documents the director’s process for the production, and finally offers a reflection on the strengths and opportunities for improvement for the director’s future work. A Director's Approach to Dancing at Lughnasa by Heidi Breeden, B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of Theatre Arts Stan C. Denman, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee Marion D. Castleberry, Ph.D., Chairperson DeAnna M. Toten Beard, M.F.A., Ph.D. David J. Jortner, Ph.D. Richard R. Russell, Ph.D. Accepted by the Graduate School May 2017 J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School. Copyright © 2017 by Heidi Breeden All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... viiii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. ix DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER ONE: Playwright and Play............................................................................... 1 The Life and Legacy of Brian Friel ................................................................................ 1 Overview of Friel’s Work ............................................................................................. 14 Influences .................................................................................................................. 15 Themes ...................................................................................................................... 18 Writing Style ............................................................................................................. 23 Dancing at Lughnasa .................................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER TWO: Analysis of Dancing at Lughnasa ...................................................... 34 Genre ............................................................................................................................. 34 The Play ........................................................................................................................ 39 Given Circumstances ................................................................................................ 39 Dramatic Action ........................................................................................................ 42 Characters ..................................................................................................................... 45 Michael ..................................................................................................................... 45 Chris .......................................................................................................................... 48 Kate ........................................................................................................................... 52 Maggie ...................................................................................................................... 54 Agnes ........................................................................................................................ 56 Rose........................................................................................................................... 58 Father Jack ................................................................................................................ 60 Gerry Evans .............................................................................................................. 61 Symbols ........................................................................................................................ 63 Music and Dancing ................................................................................................... 63 Harvest ...................................................................................................................... 64 Themes .......................................................................................................................... 65 Mood and Tone ............................................................................................................. 68 CHAPTER THRE: Design Process .................................................................................. 69 The Director’s Vision ................................................................................................... 69 Designing Memory ....................................................................................................... 70 Scenic Design ............................................................................................................... 72 Challenges ................................................................................................................. 72 iv From Research to Design .......................................................................................... 73 From Design to Execution ........................................................................................ 77 Costume, Makeup, and Hair Design ............................................................................. 81 Research .................................................................................................................... 81 Design and Execution ............................................................................................... 82 Lighting Design ............................................................................................................ 87 Sound Design ................................................................................................................ 89 Prop Design ................................................................................................................... 93 CHAPTER FOUR: Work with Actors ............................................................................ 100 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 100 Auditions and Casting ................................................................................................. 100 Rehearsal Preparation ................................................................................................. 106 Table Work ................................................................................................................. 107 Blocking Rehearsals ................................................................................................... 111 Working Rehearsals .................................................................................................... 114 Technical Rehearsals and Performance ...................................................................... 119 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 123 CHAPTER FIVE: Reflection .......................................................................................... 124 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 124 Audience Response ................................................................................................. 125 Successes................................................................................................................. 126 Casting .................................................................................................................... 128 Time Management .................................................................................................. 129 Leadership ............................................................................................................... 130 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 132 APPENDICES Appendix A: Plays by Brian Friel ............................................................................... 134 Appendix B: Design Images ....................................................................................... 137 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 158 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure B.1. The Mabee theatre ........................................................................................137 Figure B.2. The Fairy Thorn by Paul Henry ....................................................................138 Figure B.3. Preliminary scenic design sketch ..................................................................139