Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2006, Theatre Arts

The thesis documents the author's process of developing an educational live wildlife show. Three main aspects of the process are examined in three of the five chapters: writing the show script; the actor's performance process; and the tasks of training and handling live animals in a show. The first chapter introduces the thesis by describing how many wildlife shows and spectacles in twentieth century America have evolved from mere human entertainment to tools used to educate the public about ecological natural history. Finally, Chapter Five summarizes the previous four chapters and makes a case for the important role that educational wildlife shows play in the field of environmental conservation.

Committee: James Slowiak (Advisor) Subjects: