Theater Chapter 3

While there can be a group of artists that create a script, this is usually accomplished by the ______.

playwright

Which plot structure limits the number of characters and locales and has a very compact construction

climactic

Which plot structure limits the number of characters and locales and has a very compact construction?

climactic

The final and most significant crisis faced by a protagonist is called the

climax

Which of the following is an essential element in dramatic structure?

conflict action balance between forces plot opposing forces

Which structure replaces a traditional plot with an open-ended serial structure?

cyclical

Which structure contains parallel plots, a mixture of serious and comic scenes, and a cumulative effect?

episodic

This structure is born out of ritualistic religious roots, and practiced by The Living Theatre and the Wooster Group.

experimental

Identify the new plot structures that developed in the modern theatre. (Check all that apply.)

feminist structure ritual structure

When a playwright communicates who the play is about, and how we are to view them, this is called

focus

Under a Dramatists Guild contract, when can a playwright's dialogue in a production be deleted or changed?

when the author grants permission

Some theorists argue that an ______ theatre exists where performers create their own works, sometimes using a traditional text as a jumping-off point.

authorless

Which of the following is true about obstacles and complications in a play?

- Each time a character seems to be gaining ground more obstacles appear in their path. - They keep the audience interested in what is happening - They let us know more about the characters.

Which of the following is true about an opening scene in a play?

- In it the characters are often thrust into conflict. - It gives us important information about what we are going to see. - It sets the tone of the play.

Which of the following is true of ritual plot structure?

- It can include a religious element. -It communicates the work's message through repetition. - It is often a reenactment of an event.

Which of the following is true of episodic plot structure?

- It uses many characters and locals and spans a wide time period. -It flourished in Shakespeare's time. - It was used extensively in the Romantic period.

The best analogy that fits the relationship between audience and performers during a live performance is ______.

- So that the audience knows how they should feel about events and people. - The subject matter of human nature is too vast and must be narrowed down. - So that the audience knows who the play is about.

How is writing for film or television similar to writing for the stage?

- The writer must create characters and dialogue. - The writer decides on a subject.

Which of the following are often the subject matter of theatre?

- biography - human history - fantasy or nightmare resembling life

Which of the following are decisions a playwright must make when writing a play?

- develop a structure - decide on focus - choose a point of view - establish a purpose - create dramatic characters - select subject matter

Which of the following are often the subject matter of theatre? Multiple select question.

- human history - biography - fantasy or nightmare resembling life

Which of the following are included in the dramatic structure of a play?

- number of characters - how long the action lasts - conflict - where the action takes place

Two mid-twentieth-century dramatists from the west who were strongly influenced by Beijing Opera were ______ and ______.

Brecht and wilder

Which of the following is true of a climactic plot structure?

It is also called intensive. It was first used in ancient Greece. All elements are severely restricted, for example it takes place in a short period of time.

Which of the following is true about cyclical structure?

Often referred to as connected fragments. Feminists argue that women often write in this way. It does not rise to a climax but has several high points of tension.

Which of the following is true about patterns as structure?

Samuel Beckett uses this in Waiting for Godot. It is related to ritual structure. It does not build to a climax in a traditional way.

The crises that arise in a play are a result of which of the following?

obstacles complications conflicts

The very beginning of a play that thrusts the characters into a situation that they must react to is called the _____

opening scene

Which structure has its roots in ancient routines and practices that took on special meaning?

ritual

When characters are one-dimensional and drawn broadly with sometimes stereotypical strokes, they are called ______.

stock