Authenticity on the stage: a journey

My thesis is based off my three years of training in the University of Iowa’s MFA Acting program. In this thesis I lay out a step-by-step process on how I approach a role in a theatrical play. My process is based in bringing my own authenticity onto the stage using the vessel of the character. Using empathy and answering a specific set of questions as specific as possible, I use mnemonic devices like music or pictures to help me truly believe in the given circumstances of my character. Resulting in a truthful, authentic, and moving performance.

Using experiences from classes and productions throughout my time here at the University of Iowa Theatre Department, I explain how I discovered this process for myself and why it works for me.