Date of Award
12-2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts in Theatre: Acting
Department
Theatre
First Advisor
Larry Quiggins
Second Advisor
Nick Kelly
Third Advisor
Donna Northcott
Abstract
Acting as the major antagonist for the first half of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt Capulet provides a unique challenge for an actor. The character's rage easily threatens to be static unless the actor can find appropriate justifications for his actions. Facing difficulty with limited textual background information, a performer undertaking the role must develop Tybalt's sense of self by drawing not only from Shakespeare's work, but also from the setting chosen by the director. This thesis examines how the character of Tybalt was developed to fit an adaptation of the play set during the Hatfield and McCoy feud in post-Civil War America. In explaining my process of modernizing Tybalt for this production, I strive to answer the question: Who is Tybalt Capulet? What events led him to become this increasingly violent person; and what purpose does he serve within the play? This thesis reveals a character possibly well removed from Shakespeare's original vision, but nonetheless fleshed out and validated within the world of the production in which I played the part.
Recommended Citation
Weber, Andrew J., "Playing the Prince of Cats: A Retrospective on the Process of Being Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet" (2013). Theses. 1595.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/1595
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