Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Villada, Diego

Area of Concentration

Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies

Abstract

This thesis is an investigation into my own creative process based on a case study of theatrical properties (props) manufacturing of one chair. This thesis is also a study into Disney’s ability to invoke nostalgia and to create an emotional attachment to fictitious worlds. For my prop design and creation, I began with research into nostalgia marketing, emotional branding, performance studies, Disney heritage, and prop development. Through my research I discovered what nostalgia is used for, what questions need to be asked when applying emotion and nostalgia to your work, and how Disney answers those questions in their own manner. With this knowledge, I utilized my prop and designer skills to recreate Gaston’s tavern chair from the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast and used it to create a scene for two different people to experience in hopes that I could invoke the Disney emotion and nostalgia for the animated film. To compare these falsified memories to real ones, I intentionally chose one person who is familiar with the film but not the parks, and one who is familiar with the parks but not the film. The latter would assumedly have real memories from the parks, while the first had the falsified ones from the movie. My argument is that even if the nostalgia is falsified, it carries the same emotional value as if those memories were real, particularly in terms of Disney, who has spent many years building up their name to ensure that they can invoke these feelings. The entire thesis is treated as a praxis documentation of my artistic process and case study in terms of having two different people discussing their experiences, but all this work is anecdotal. Human emotions are a grey area of study. There will never be a black and white answer for anything. The research and studies that I have done only apply to the two specific people I worked with as well as my own personal thoughts about prop making and on how the overall experience went.

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