Building layers of communities : a director's approach to Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth.

Date

2011-05

Authors

Hibbs, Shelby-Allison.

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Worldwide access

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Abstract

Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth offers a cross section of myths and significant pieces of human history in the context of New Jersey in the 1940s. Wilder uses a "play within a play" approach to present the Antrobus family as they endure monumental natural and man-made disasters. This thesis provides an example of a director's process with this challenging play through an ensemble-oriented and improvisational rehearsal process. This study provides a selective biography of the playwright, containing elements of Wilder's history associated with the themes and relationships in The Skin of Our Teeth as well as a full analysis of the play. The remaining parts of this thesis include the production's conceptual inspiration, a narrative of the rehearsal process, and a reflection of the completed production at Baylor University Theatre including production photos.

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Keywords

Directing., Theatre production., The Skin of Our Teeth., Thornton Wilder.

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