Abstract:
This thesis investigates and articulates the process of directing a Shakespeare performance to create inclusive, ensemble storytelling. Interpretation and production of a play for public viewing was an integral part of this work which represents the culmination of ongoing study in the areas of performativity, race and gender theory, somatic release, body-conscious casting, and observations about connections between performance and neuroscience as manifest in actors in rehearsal and performance. This thesis may also serve as resource for directors engaging in training in group dynamics, body politics, devised choreographic work, and experimentation with parallel structures of storytelling at play in a single narrative.
