Intro to Theatre Exam #2 Study Guide

Which of the following accurately reflects the directorial concept?

Develop a controlling idea, vision, or point of view appropriate to the play; A way to embody the spine in the production and apply a particular style

What are some advantages associated with the proscenium stage?

It allows for stunning visual effects while concealing how the scene changes happen, and creates a strong central focus

This refers to a set design that should develop and adapt as a performance progress rather than function independently of the actors

Kinetic stage

The first theatre practitioner to put together a system of acting that could be taught to others in order to reproduce truth on stage was

Konstantin Stanislavski

Which of the following modern acting teachers stressed the emotional recall as the most important part of their teachings?

Lee Strasberg

Which of the following are essential tools of the costume designer?

Line, color, fabric, accessories

In noncommercial theatre, this person is charged with the maintenance of the theatre building, overseeing marketing, and managing all budgets

Managing director

_______ are an aspect of costuming is over 2500 years old and were used in the classical Greek theatre?

Masks

Sound reproduction that is called for in the script, or noises of everyday life t hat are heard as background, or produced by mechanical or human means to create a sound associated with the play

Motivated sounds, sound effects, environmental sounds

Sound reproduction that is called for in the script, or noises of everyday life that are heard as background, or produced by mechanical or human means to create a sound associated with the play

Motivated sounds, sound effects, environmental sounds

Why is it helpful to remember that the director stands in, or serves as a substitute for the audience?

Other than the critic or reviewer, only the director sees the production from the audience's point of view

Which of the following are examples of nonrealism?

Symbolism, fantasy, musicals

How does this photo reflect acting in everyday life?

Cheerleading requires acting skills similar to on stage acting; Everyone pictured has a specific role to play

An example of non-theatre structure which already has a space for performance and viewing and could be used as a found space with almost no architectural alteration is

Church; warehouse; brewery

Which of the following require an actor to pay particular attention to vocal training?

Classic plays, breath control, projecting the voice without amplification

Which of the following tools of a costume designer can separate characters, help the audience understand mood and tone, and show character development?

Color

Which of the following are examples of a costume embodying a symbolic or abstract idea?

Death dressed in black with a scythe, an angel dressed in white

This gives visual and aural life to the production by creating an environment in which to place and play

Design

downstage

The area of the stage that is the closest to the audience

upstage

The area of the stage that is the farthest away from the audience

How do the hairstyle and wigs tell us that the stepsisters in this photo of Cinderella are comical?

The fantastical shapes of the wigs, the sheer size of their hair, the contrast with Cinderella's hairstyle

Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight

The most widely used fixture, it creates a bright, hard-edge spot or softened focus that can be hung from almost any position in the theatre

stage left

an actor standing on the left side of the stage but is on the audience's right

stage right

an actor standing on the right side of the stage but is on the audience's left

From the audience's perspective, we should

be conscious of the specific aural and visual signals that are continuously being sent (by the scenery)

In order to help an actor with his or her through line of a role Stanislavski suggested that the actors split the play into smaller units called

beats

Meyerhold

biomechanics

Determining the movement of the actors on the stage is called

blocking

The design work of creating a total environment means

building an entire theater space out of a gymnasium or warehouse including seats; goes beyond scenery and special effects to design an entire theater space, rearranging seats, and orienting the stage to the audience

When an actor is focused on a particular area of the stage, an object, or another person this is called

circle of attention

Lecoq

clowning

Copeau

commedia del arte

When actors are working as a unit aware of and in conjunction with their fellow actors this is called

ensemble playing

The following are examples of specific theatrical performances that require specialized actor training beyond realistic training

experimental theatre, avant garde theatre, pantomime, and musical theatre

Much like a painter has paint, _______ has been described as the costume designer's medium

fabric

One way to implement the director's concept is to

find a central or controlling image or metaphor

A single unit of canvas stretched on a wood frame painted to look like a solid wall is called a

flat

The area from which scenery can be dropped from above the stage is called a

fly loft

In theatre lighting, _______ refers to the fact that beams of light are aimed at a particular area

focus

When we see how a character is dressed on stage we immediately

form our opinions, infer things about them, mentally categorize

The _____ _____ is that opening in the proscenium arch that is transparent and allows the audience to look in on events happening on the stage

fourth wall

The designer will create this to assist the director, actors, and stage technicians with the locations of furniture, walls, windows, doors, and other scenic elements

ground plan

A strong scene design

harmonizes with other elements of the production; sets the tone and style of production; informs the audiences as to where or when the action takes place

The audience becomes aware of the environment of the performed event by noticing

if it is an indoor or outdoor space; if the space is formal or informal; whether it is a large or small space

When we take on the characteristics of another person for amusement or to tell a story it is called

imitation

paint charge artist

in charge of painting the setvb

Identify the three main challenges of acting 1. believable, truthful acting, 2. advanced vocal and physical skills, and 3. _______ or synthesis

integration

A property of stage lightning is brightness or

intensity

The scene design concept

is a unifying idea carried out visually; should complement the directorial concept; is arrived at in consultation with the director

Which of the following are true of makeup?

is applied to the face and body, used for special ethnic features, includes paints and powders

Sound amplification in theatre is sometimes thought to be controversial because

its detractors believe it is often overdone with the sound being too loud, mechanical, or artificial

A _______ _______ is a plan that shows the location and color of each lighting instrument as well as the kind of instrument needed for the task and the area on the stage in which it is focused

light plot

The purpose of this plan is to show the location, color and type of every instrument used in the lightning design

light plot

These are the key design elements that together help to create the mood and style of the production

lightning, costumes, scenery

In an effort to enhance the visual world of the play by revealing the shape and form of three-dimensional objects, the lighting designer

lights the performers from the side, top, and behind

The cut of the fabric for a costume is called

line

A rustic, dust saloon, a messy bedroom, a hot and humid courtroom, a dark palace or forbidding forest help indicate to the audience

location and period

Stanislavski recognized the ____ ____ could activate an actor's imagination and transport him or her to new places, times, and situations based on his or her belief

magic if

Blocking off the balcony, altering the decor of the space to add light and color, or closing off the rear of the orchestra are all ways that scenic designers can

make a formal space more informal

scenic charge artist

makes sure that sets are built and painted

What is a related element of costume design that is applied to actor's body, most often the face, and aids the performer in fully creating a character?

makeup

The _____ _____ is associated with noncommercial theatre, whereas the _____ us the person chiefly responsible in the commercial theatre

managing director, producer

This lighting design collaborator is responsible go the preparation, hanging, and focusing of the lights and all accessories

master electrician

often found climbing on catwalks and ladders in remote areas of theatre, the _______ _______ is responsible for the preparation, hanging, and focusing

master electrician

In those productions specifically created for non-theatre spaces, audiences

may be placed in the middle of the action of the performance; may move about from one location to another

The art of _______ is the art of making women's hats

millinery

Blending sound by balancing all the elements from the various microphones with the master sound recording in order to achieve an overall balance of sound is called

mixing

A musical in which characters sing and dance; a play like Shakespeare's Hamlet because it has a ghost and soliloquies; language that is poetic. These are examples of

nonrealism

Which of the following are examples of personal roles we play in our everyday lives?

peacemaker, task master, hero

Name the types of roles we play with our friends and family

personal

Color

placing a material or "gel" in slots in front of the lighting instrument

For new productions, the stage manager must keep organized rehearsal notes of potential script revisions to be later discussed between the director and the

playwright

Other than the actors, the director works closely with the point of view of this theatre artist and merges it with his own to translate the work into a successful production

playwright

This _____ must have business acumen and be able to raise the capital needed to oversee all the business expenses of the commercial production

producer

Modern theatre

productions that broke long held taboos by dealing with the subject matter such as sexual content, the oppression of women, and the questioning of religious leaders

The term prop comes from the word

property

When a costume designer rents costumes from another theatre or costume shop or uses stock he or she already has this is called

pulling

Presenting on the stage people, places, and events corresponding to those in everyday life is called

realism

What are the ways in which the gun shot sound effect could be created in the theatre?

recorded sound, hinged pieces of wood slammed together, blank cartridges in a gun

When an actor is able to let go of unwanted tension both vocally and physically this is called

relaxation

A more complete sketch, usually in color, based on discussion between the director and the designer, is called a

rendering

By choreographing shifts in light in a time continuum, the designer can help the director establish _______

rhythm

Which of the following are important aspects of fabric for the designer?

sheen, color, texture, line, roughness

A microphone that us highly directional and aimed from a distance at a specific area is called a _______ mike, whereas one that picks up sounds in a general area toward which it is aimed is called a _______ mike

shotgun, general

technical director

solves overall technical problems, and charged with scheduling, constructing, and painting scenery as conceived by the scene designer

This form of sound design has been utilized in theatre for several centuries

sound effects

The classification of sound design amplifies sounds made by a performer or musical instrument

sound reinforcement

At the back of the thrust stage the _______ _______ allows for scene changes and creates a space for the actors to make their entrance or exits

stage house

When a character is wearing the uniform of a general or the rags of a peasant the audience can glean information about the character's _______ by the clothes that they wear.

status

Suzuki

stomping

A costume designer helps to communicate the _______ of a play by giving clues about time and place through costume choices.

style

The manner in which a work is done, how scenery looks, how a playwright uses language, or how performers portray characters is referred to as

style

The director who chooses to cast an actor who in real life closely resembles the character to be enacted is refereed to as

typecast

This special effect uses a very dark blue light that causes costumes and scenery painted with phosphorus to glow

ultraviolet light

Bogart

viewpoints

True or false: The roles we play everyday that are influenced and accepted by society are called social roles

True

The director underscores the meaning of specific scenes through the physical arrangement of actors on the stage. This is called

Visual composition, stage pictures

The director is responsible for shaping the structure of the production through movement, pace, and rhythm. With this in mind, the faults most often associated with poor direction are

When the audience fails to understand what is going on; failure to establish a clear rhythm that holds or maintains interest; When the audience repeatedly misses the words being spoken

In order to critically watch and judge theatre performances we need to be able to explore and understand these techniques and practices

acting

Performers may be seen before and after they make their entrances and exits, and the minimal use of scenery represents two characteristics associated with this type of theatre space

arena

Another word for the circle stage is

arena stage

For successful, believable acting to take place, the actor and the audience need to be able to

understand a viewpoint other than their own, see a situation from a different perspective, and develop empathy for a character

Which of the following statements about acting on stage are true?

The actor plays characters that are not real but representative of people, the actor must have an audience present

Of the five basic theatre spaces, why is the thrust arrangement the most widely used?

The three-quarter viewing configuration helps to create an intimate space; Many of the world's great plays were written with the thrust space in mind

This represents a disadvantage to performance in an arena space

The use of elaborate scenery

This U-shaped theatre space is the most widely used of all the stage spaces

Thrust

Which of the following are examples of theatre that is performed outside in nontraditional settings?

Traditional plays performed in the streets; Original plays that focus on the problems of a specific population presented in a community park; Politically charged theatre produced by activist groups in the streets called guerrilla theatre

True or False: Stage actors must always have an audience present

True

Which of the following are situations for which an actor must receive extensive physical and/or vocal training?

modern on stage violence, musical theatre, sword fights, shakespearian plays

A _______ environment is one that will use more than one playing area, and that some activity is happening in several spaces at the same time

multifocus

Allegory and expressionism are two well-known types of

nonrealism

Postmodern theatre

productions that deconstruct or take apart the text, abandon the linear plot structure, and employ cross gender or multicultural casting

Sometimes called the picture-frame stage, the _______ is the most familiar type of stage

proscenium

Stanislavski believed that all action performed on stage must have a(n)

purpose

Spatial arrangements of actors on the stage, such as acting on different levels or isolating one character from a crowd, conveys important information about their characters. These are examples of stage pictures or

visual composition

Spatial arrangements of actors on the stage, such as acting on different levels, or isolating one character from a crowd, conveys important information about their characters. These are examples of stage pictures or

visual composition

A low platform set on wheels that can be brought onstage electronically or by stagehands is called a

wagon

The wagon stage

was used in the medieval age as a platform on wheels that moved through the town from place to place allowing the audiences to stand on three sides

Which of the following illustrate the ability to show character development using color?

A moody character wears black even through she is not in actual mourning, a character wears red as she takes a chance

Dress rehearsal

All the production elements are pulled together with the full involvement of the actors and performed as if the audience were present with no stopping

Which of the following are examples of taking the actor into consideration when costuming him or her?

An actor must be able to do fight choreography, an actor performs better when they are comfortable, an actor must be able to move and dance if needed

Which of the following needs to be combined in order to achieve integration of all aspects of acting?

Believabiity, vocal and physical skill, and inner truth

Identify the three main challenges of acting:

Believability, integration of skills, vocal and physical skills

Intensity

Brightness can be controlled by dimmers making the lights brighter or darker

The dramaturg has several responsibilities to the production. What are they?

Discovering promising new plays; identifying important plays from the past that may have been overlooked; Preparing materials for teachers whose students will be attending the play; Working with playwrights on developing their scripts

Platform stages set up on one end of a courtyard in an inn were found in

England and Spain

True or false: The audience is allowed to attend the technical rehearsal

False

True or false: The costume design is of less importance to production design because it only effects the actors and not the production as a whole

False

True or false: Unlike other designers the costume designer works alone and has little interaction with other until final dress rehearsal.

False

Floodlights

For general illumination, this instrument bathes a section if the stage or scenery in a smooth, diffused wash of light or is used to illuminate the cyclorama at the rear of the stage

Which light instrument is the most popular soft-edged spotlight?

Fresnel

It is believed that one possible origin of the arena playing space evolved from the ancient _______ theatre

Greek

Which of the following best describes the work of Jerzy Grotowski?

Grotowski created different spaces that fit his plays rather than making the play fit the space

A large scale Broadway musical such as Phantom of the Opera or The Lion King is more ideally suites to this space

Proscenium

Please rank the following steps in the order a costume designer would perform them when designing costumes

Read the script, meet with the director and other designers, preliminary sketches, colored renderings with swatches, meetings with actors, final dress rehearsal

What is the one major difference between the stage and the environments in which we find ourselves in everyday life?

Scale

The _____ designer dimensions what the visual world of the play will look like

Scene

How did scene design begin to become more complex, ornate, and visually spectacular?

Scene design became more visually spectacular with the arrival of the proscenium arch in Italy, and later France and England

Which of the following statements about scrims are accurate?

Scrims are useful in memory plays when looking back on the past; scrims are effective in scenes where ghosts appear

Movement

Shifting the audience's focus as it is carried from place to place such as when lights go down in one area and comes up in another area

The following are examples of props

Smartphones, walking sticks, umbrellas, and fans

Which of the following are characteristics of Asian Theatre actor training?

Stylization and symbolism, absolute control (concentration and mastery of the body and nerves), physical actor training that has had global influence

Based on Artaud's theories, identify how structures that were not originally built as theaters may be used for performances

The original design elements of the building remain intact even as a space for the performance is created

What elements of the proscenium theater are reflected in the photo and illustration?

The performance space is defined by a proscenium arch or picture frame opening; All the seats face the same direction toward the performance stage; The auditorium slants downward toward the stage

Technical Rehearsal

The performers are on stage with the realized scene, light, and costume designs for the first time in an effort to coordinate all the elements together

Which of the following best describes an auteur director

The point of view and the implementation of that point of view are drawn from the director, not the writer

Distribution

The position and type of lighting instrument as well as angle at which the light strikes the performer

Previews

The production is tried out in front of a group of spectators so the director and performers can discover what is and is not working and make corrections accordingly

Scene design becomes more complex and ornate with the development of this feature of theatre architecture

The proscenium

Identify characteristics most closely associated with a black box space

The seats, lights, and platforms can be adapted in almost endless configurations including proscenium, thrust arena, and multifocus spaces

How do these costumes sketches help establish time and palce?

Through the accessories chosen, through the fabric choices, through the line and sillhouette

_______ or illumination is the most important function of lighting

Visibility

The successful lighting designer possesses

a broad, creative visual imagination; an ability to translate words and actions and feelings into color, direction, and intensity; a background in the technical and mechanical aspects of lighting

The scene design concept is

a unifying idea carried out visually

At the same time that the English platform stage was taking shape in the courtyards of inns, the same idea was also taking shape in Spain. The name of the Spanish theatre, also performed in courtyards of inns, was

corrales

Which of the following are important costume collaborators?

costume shop supervisor, buyers, lead costume technician, cutter-draper, costume designer's first-hand, stage manager, lead stitcher, design assistants, wardrobe supervisor, dresser

The essential design elements of any production are

costume, lighting, scene, and sound

Giacomo Torelli developed this technological innovation for the proscenium stage

created a means to quickly move scenery on and off the stage

One of Artaud's theories was that the audience becomes part of the action of the performance and thereby establishes direct communication between the spectator and the spectacle. This kind of performance space is called

created and found spaces

property designer

creates and executes all props including special furniture, and devising magical equipment

Numerous lighting changes from 75 to 150 to many more, created ahead of time that range from blackouts to fades to cross-fades

cues

The objective of a costume designer must meet seven requirements which help the audience gain a/an _______ understanding of the play

deeper

The spine of the drama is

determined by the primary objective or goal of the characters in the play; a working hypothesis that gives the director a foundation on which to base their analysis and their work with the actors

with the assistance of the stage manager, this person rehearses the performers and coordinates their work with other theatre artists to make certain that the production is performed appropriately, intelligently, and excitingly

director

A _____ _____ is a controlling idea, vision, or point of view that the director feels is appropriate to the play

directorial concept

Costume choices in color, fabric, richness and style can help the audience _______ characters

distinguish

_______ is the position and type of lighting instrument being used and the angle at which the light strikes the performers on stage

distribution

The most important aspect of a costume is:

does it work for the actor?

The following are essential _______ of the costume designer: silhouette, color, accessories, shape line, fabric

elements, resources, tools

The following are essential _______ of the costume designer: silhouette, color, accessories, shape, linen, fabric

elements, tools, resources

During the past two thousand years, there have been several sources of stage lightning. Which of the following have been used to illuminate the stage

sun, torches, candles, oil lamps, argand lamp, gaslights, incandescent lamps

What is another name for a through line of a role?

superobjective

Stanislavski developed a ________ by which he could teach future generations the secrets of realistic, believable acting

system

A popular training method that comes from Asian martial arts training is called

tai chi

texture

the "feel" projected by surfaces and fabrics

composition

the balance and arrangement of elements

Fresnel

the most popular spotlight uses a lens that dissipates heat but can create only a soft edge beam of light; it is often used for toplighting or backlighting and to cover a large area on the stage

line

the outline or silhouette onstage

mass

the overall bulk or weight of scenic elements

When we speak of appropriateness, we are talking about

the relationship of the stage space to a play or production

color

the shadings and contrasts of chromatic combinations

Through silhouette, fabric and other specifics costumes can and should indicate the _______ and location of a play

time period

The text-based director, also known as the _______ director, uses the script as a starting point

traditional

How does this illustration suggest some advantages when using the arena stage?

It is more economical for low-budget theatre companies to produce their works; A greater sense of intimacy or closeness is achieved than in other theatre spaces; There are fewer if any barriers, such as proscenium wall, to block the view of the audience

Which of the following are examples of the kind of physical theatre in which Antonin Artaud wished to "abolish the stage and auditorium and replace them by a single site without partition or barrier of any kind...."

barn; subway station; warehouse

The all-purpose or "black box" stage space

can be rearranged to take on the shape of any of the other kinds of theatre spaces

The arena space goes by many other names. What are they?

circle theatre; theatre-in-the-round