Drama 1310 Exam I

In which comic form does an idea or concept turn the accepted notion of things upside down? - Farce - Satire - Burlesque - All these answers are correct.

All these answers are correct.

Regardless of who does it, the creation of a __________ remains an essential element of creating a theatrical event.

Blueprint, scenario, script *Each of these is correct*

Which of the following might offer an opinion about whether or not the event is worth seeing?

Both reviewer and critic

In which tragic form are the central figures of the play caught in a series of tragic circumstances?

Both traditional and modern tragedy

Which tragic form questions the meaning of life and the reason for humanity's suffering?

Both traditional and modern tragedy

The final and most significant crisis is referred to as the

Climax

An outside force or new twist in the plot introduced at an opportune moment is a(n)

Complication

Which of the following attempts to analyze a theatre event very closely?

Critic

Which of the following attempts to put the theatre event into a larger context?

Critic

Which of the following will often try to explain how the theatre event fits into a category or genre, or into the body of the playwright's work?

Critic

The technical term for revelation of background material in a play is

Exposition

True or False: Because artists are often accused of being "antisocial," "subversive," or "enemies of the state," and are thus outsiders, the art that they produce is often unrelated to the society in which it is produced.

False

True or False: Creators of plays often write to fit only a single, precise genre or category of theatre.

False

True or False: Farce relies on knockabout physical humor, gross exaggerations, and occasional vulgarity.

False

True or False: In a climactic drama, the plot begins early in the story.

False

True or False: One of the hallmarks of melodrama is that evil nearly always triumphs over the forces of good.

False

True or False: The term "robot" was actually first used in an early twentieth-century play by Neil Simon.

False

True or False: Women comprised the largest part of the audience in ancient Greece.

False

Broad physical humor and stereotypical characters are main ingredients of

Farce

________ was at the heart of most plot complications in the commedia dell'arte.

Harlequin

Another word that means "contrast in the connection of scenes" is

Juxtaposition

Which of the following is NOT a convention of dramatic structure?

Limited conflict

Match the following theatrical genres with their most basic definitions.

Melodrama - originally meant "song drama" or "music drama" Domestic drama - stories of everyday people, often centered on the family Tragicomedy - mixes serious and comic matter in the same play Tragedy - is premised on the fact that the world can be cruel and unjust Farce - thrives on exaggeration, broad physical humor, elaborate plots, and stereotyped characters Satire - employs wit and irony to expose evil and foolishness Comedy of manners - points up the foibles and peculiarities of the upper class Heroic drama - similar to tragedy, but with an optimistic worldview Comedy - one of the primary genres; devoted to provoking amusement or laughter

In ________, the language used in the play is prose.

Modern tragedy

The main representative character in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House who to this day serves as a symbol of the modern woman is

Nora Helmer

Which is NOT a characteristic of extraordinary characters?

Pivotal but minor role

A critic might offer background information about the

Playwright, subject matter of the play, and style of the production *Each of these is correct*

A selection and arrangement of scenes from a story is called a

Plot

Which of the following is frequently limited in terms of experience and theatrical background?

Reviewer

A repetition or reenactment of a proceeding or a transaction which has acquired special meaning is called a

Ritual

Which comic form relies on sophisticated language to attack evil and foolishness?

Satire

A full account of an event or series of events, usually told in chronological order, is called a

Story

"A love story" is a

Subject

A ________ reinforces or runs parallel to the major plot in an episodic play.

Subplot

Which is not true about the forces in a dramatic script?

They should avoid confrontation with each other.

In ________, the hero or heroine is a person of social stature: a king, a queen, a general, a nobleman, etc.

Traditional tragedy

True or False: Comedy of manners is a form of comic drama that emphasizes a sophisticated atmosphere and witty dialogue.

True

True or False: Dramatic action is the essence of drama, and even the word drama derives from the word dran, which means "to act" or "to do."

True

True or False: During the Elizabethan era, women were barred from performing on the legitimate stage.

True

True or False: Heroic dramas tend to have happy endings.

True

True or False: Many of the plays of playwright George Bernard Shaw can be placed under the special heading of "comedy of ideas" as they discuss controversial social issues.

True

True or False: Narrators in the most traditional sense remain outside the action of the play and typically comment on the action communicating directly with the audience.

True

True or False: Politicians and advertisers often hide their point of view, whereas a playwright's imposition of their point of view is direct and deliberate.

True

True or False: The bringing together of cultures by population shifts and swift global communication, and the challenges to long-held beliefs characterized by the writings of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Albert Einstein, are reflected in the eclecticism and fragmentation of an inclusive, contemporary theatre.

True

True or False: The point of view of a dramatic text helps to determine its genre.

True

True or False: The viewpoint of a theatre artist actually provides the audience with a key to understanding the actions and words of the characters on stage.

True

True or False: We know that playwrights frequently write plays about a single family in classic climactic structure and they will also occasionally create two contrasting characters that are siblings or husband and wife in order to allow character traits to stand out more dramatically in the action.

True

Minor characters are

Typically used as a dramatic device by the playwright to move the action along, typically used to be supportive or confidante-like characters for the central character in a play, usually those in which we see only one facet of their personalities. *All of these answers are correct*

"The events of the Holocaust" is a

Viewpoint

"The world is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel" is a

Viewpoint