Thesis Defense: Trauma in the Acting Process: An Examination of The Mountaintop and Implementation of Black Acting Methods for Sustainability

Announcing the Final Examination of Ms. Anita Bennett for the degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN THEATRE

This thesis is an examination of my acting process for The Mountaintop, the highs and lows, and practices I personally used for sustainability: practical applications of the actor tool kit, honoring my voice through authentic storytelling, and incorporation of spirituality. While there are a few resources, such as Sharrell Luckett and Tia Shaffer’s Black Acting Methods, that attempt to give Black actors the tools to thrive in liminal spaces, I argue that those methods need to be implemented in creative spaces for Black actors and all that are involved in the process. My journey in this thesis is to explore areas of trauma in my acting process, the practices effective for sustainability, and how the implementation of Black Acting Methods can empower the actor in the acting process.

Committee in Charge: Chloë Rae Edmonson, Holly E. McDonald, Belinda (Be) Boyd