theatre unit 2
how much of a play is dialogue?
75-90%
head shot
8 x 10 picture of an actor
star system
A type of theatre where the audience was drawn primarily by the person starring in the play, rather than the play itself
group theatre
American theatre and acting school founded in 1931 by a group of artists inspired by the teachings of Konstantin Stanislavski; had the greatest impact on acting and theatre of any dramatic institute founded in the twentieth century
dithyramb
Hymn sung in honor of Dionysus, normally by 50-member chorus of men or boys; traditionally considered one of the sources of tragedy; the name alludes to the double birth of Dionysus first from Semele and later from the thigh of Zeus
scenarri
Plot outlines that served as the scripts for the commedia plays; did not contain dialogue
the playwright
The person who wrote the script of the play
chorus leader
a chorus member who also served as an actor, but was limited to playing only one role
allegory
a dramatic device in which an actor represents or symbolizes an idea or principle
The Actors Studio
a legendary training school for actors founded by Group Theatre alumnus Lee Strasberg
slapstick
a prop made out of two pieces of wood hinged together that makes a large slapping sound when it hits someone or something; we get the term slapstick comedy from this prop
staged reading
a reading of a play by actors for a live audience; this is designed to help the playwright improve a new play
cycle plays
a series of 24-48 plays performed in sequence that told the entire biblical story of the world
neoclassical ideal
a series of rigid rules for playwriting based on Aristotles dramatic theories
satyr play
a short, comedic play which often poked fun at the ancient greek tragedies; the modern term satire comes from these plays
prologue
a solo speech given by a character at the beginning of a play
monologue
a speech from a play; frequently used as audition pieces
stock character
a stereotypical character
character actor
a supporting actor who plays unusual interesting, or eccentric characters
chorus
a synchronized group of performers who sang, danced, and acted in ancient greek plays
cue
a thing said or done that signals an actor to say or do something
morality plays
abstract dramas showing the individual's struggle with the world's temptations
character
all the qualities, traits, and features that create the nature of a person and to help distinguish them from other people
actions
all the things the character does in an attempt to achieve his objective; also called tactics
thespian
an actor or actress
given circumstances
anything set forth by the writer or director that affects a chracter's behavior; these include environmental factors, time, age, gender, health, etc
zanni
collective name for the stock servant characters of commedia dell'arte; acrobatic and ridiculous, we get the modern word zany from them
dialogue
conversation betwen characters=
what are a playwrights main tools?
dialogue and stage direction
The African Theatre
dounded in 1821 in new york city, this was the first african american theatre company in the united states
passion plays
dramas showing the final hours of the life of jesus christ
melodrama
exciting, romantic-era plays accompanied by music and often featuring over-the-top acting
Thespis
father of drama
cold reading
form of audition where the director gives the actor a scene from the play and asks him to read it out loud
Moscow Art Theatre
groundbreaking Russian theatre founded in 1898 that produced the works of Anton Chekov and also formed a school and a methods for training actors to be realistic performers
hamartia
hero's tragic flaw
royalty
money paid to the author for permission to produce a play
what were the middle ages known for?
nativity plays, passion plays, cycle plays, and morality playss
stage direction
nondialogue informatoin a playwright gives about the characters, setting, effects, and actions occuring in a play; information that characters would not speak about via dialogue; usually identified by being in paranthesis or being italicized
commedia dell'arte
physical, highly improvisational style of theatre that originated in Italy in the 1500s
objective
primary thing a chracter wants
talent agent
professional representative who helps an actor find work and fair pay
motivation
reason why a character needs to achieve their objective
How do playwrights make money?
royalties
articulation
speaking in a clear and effective manner
how is character drama revealed?
speech and actions
lazzi
standard comic bits used in commedia dell'arte pieces
fop
stock character from restoration comedy; an appearance-obsessed man who acts effeminate as a way to seduce women
rake
stock character from restoration comedy; an immoral yet sexually irresistible aristocrat
projection
the ability to safely make one's voice heard over a substantial distance
protagonist
the central character or hero of a play
Actors Equity Association (AEA)
the largest union for theatre actors
subtext
the real meaning behind the words a character speaks
callback
the second round of an audition
hubris
the tragic flaw of pride
script
the written text of a play; in dialogue format ; serves as a blueprint for other theatre artists
nativity plays
theatrical retellings of the story of Jesus Christ
mime
type of silent acting where all emotions, characters, and actions are portrayed through movement and gesture
screen actor guild
union for film and television actors
improvisation
unscripted form of theatre where the actors make it up as they go, feeding off the energy and ideas of the crowd
action
what a character does
typecasting
when an actor is so good at playing a specific kind of character or role that audiences refus to accept the actor in any other type of character or role
audition
when an actor performs for a director in an effort to be cast in a play or film
