Date of Award
5-16-2025
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Annie Wiegand
Second Advisor
Ethan Sinnott
Third Advisor
Kristen Harmon
Abstract
Imagine a world without emotions. Ghosted is an eleven-part dark comedy script inspired by The Giver, Clue, Knives Out: Glass Onion, and Inside Out. The script explores the consequences of a dystopian, government-controlled society that has eradicated emotions in the name of order. The script blends dark comedy with elements of Theatre of the Absurd to highlight the farcical nature and danger of emotional suppression. Drawing on research in emotional psychology and emotional dysregulation, Ghosted presents emotions as incorporeal “Emotion Ghosts” that possess five volunteers and unleash unpredictable chaos. When one volunteer ends up dead, the remaining members begin to spiral, and suspicions set in. As the whodunnit unfolds, the story reveals how emotions are essential for judgment, decision-making, connection, and growth. Without a full range of emotions, individuals become unstable, and the illusion of control begins to fracture. Ghosted illustrates that suppressing all but one emotion at a time is not a path to peace, but a descent into chaos.
Recommended Citation
Bronson, Courtney, "A Study into the Psychology of Emotions, Dark Comedy, and Theatre of the Absurd: Ghosted an Original Script" (2025). Undergraduate University Honors Capstones. 122.
https://ida.gallaudet.edu/honors_capstones/122
Comments
This capstone resulted in a creative product. As a result, due to the request of the author, the creative product has been removed from this capstone.