Theater studies

Who was the American playwright responsible for authoring Death of a Salesman, a commentary on the shortcomings of the middle-class lifestyle?

Arthur Miller

Which form of theater is considered to be one of the most original in the history of American drama?

Broadway shows

An audience usually gives what type of response when actors are successful in giving a live performance?

Empathy

One early Renaissance theater company with whom Shakespeare worked routinely was

Lord Chamberlain's Men.

The lasting success of the Comédie-Française can be attributed in part to the early popularity of performances by

Molière

Today, where would someone most likely be able to see a live performance of experimental theater in America?

Off-Off Broadway

Under the rule of Oliver Cromwell in the mid-1600s, theater was outlawed because of which influence?

Puritan values

Which production is considered largely responsible for the birth of the American musical as a departure from its predecessor, the musical comedy?

Roger Hammerstein's Show Boat

To achieve a successful show, it's important that a director

To achieve a successful show, it's important that a director

Which author was an early and important influence on America's Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s?

W.E.B. DuBois

A small theater space with flexible seating and staging arrangements is often referred to as

a black box theater.

Theater lights are manipulated to achieve their desired color through the use of

a gel.

A design conference is

a meeting for a production's design team to present their work to one another.

The audience's willingness to suspend disbelief as they watch a play is a characteristic of

a representational performance.

Repurposing a basketball court by adding a central stage could be considered

a theater in the round.

Which purpose does the green room serve?

a waiting area for actors between scenes

In the theater, what does the term flat refer to?

a wall

Actor's Equity is a(n

actor's union

How often is a performance report written?

after every show

When are reviewers invited to critique and write-up their thoughts about a show?

after opening nigh

In order to maximize audience participation in his plays, Bertolt Brecht sought to impact theatergoers by taking which action during a production?

alienating the audience

The area directly in front of a stage is known as the

apron.

By the time of the first show on opening night, the performance should

be set, without any additional technical changes anticipated.

The Globe theater is most well-known for

being the theater where Shakespeare's plays were first performed

By utilizing new technology, sound designers are able to

better immerse the audience in the world of the play.

Historically, a production's intermission was intended to occur

between acts.

Vertical poles used for hanging lighting on either side of the stage are referred to as

booms

Asking the audience to participate in the outcome of a play is an example of

breaking the fourth wall.

For actors performing in a show with an especially long run, what is one major challenge these performers face?

bringing the same level of energy to every show

The act of an audience purging emotions while watching a performance is called

catharsis.

A live theater performance differs from a painting as a work of art because a theatrical production is considered

collaborative art

Theatrical reviews should include which component?

commentary on the quality of the show's design elements

A theater's will call is used to

deliver tickets to patrons when purchased ahead of time

A production's light plot

diagrams where individual lights will be placed.

When recalling previous life events and experiences, talented actors are using what to embody their characters on stage?

emotional memory

Far Eastern drama was traditionally characterized by which attributes?

emulation and tradition

The dramatis personae of a script includes a list of

every character appearing in the play.

Which professional role was born as a result of the exorbitant cost of Broadway productions?

executive producer

Exeunt is a term used to indicate that actors onstage should

exit collectively

Background information in a script about characters or their situation is called

exposition.

One of the most important attributes a young or inexperienced actor needs for a successful audition is

flexibility

Which purpose is the primary function of a production's first rehearsal?

for the cast to participate in a complete read-through of the script

If a theater's proscenium arch is thirty feet off the ground, what's the minimum the fly loft will most likely measure?

forty feet

At a costume shop, a person with the title of milliner specializes in which craft?

hat-making

Epic theater calls for members of the audience to examine nonrealistic acting or set design as part of what?

he performance's context

The post-WWII Theater of the Absurd's use of parody and surrealism was a means of depicting what societal element?

he quest for truth and meaning in a culture of loneliness

The audience is seated in the public area of the theater known as the

house

A theater resume differs from a more traditional professional resume in that it

includes a headshot.

One characteristic of live theater performance is that

it is usually performed in a single space.

Which aspect is considered to be one of theater's most technically complex?

lighting

. Renowned playwrights Plautus and Terence are now considered to be

masters of the Roman comedy.

The famous Russian actor Constantin Stanislavski contributed which technique to the modern art of theater?

method acting

The purpose of the chorus in Greek theater was to

offer commentary about the actions taking place on stage.

Technical rehearsals usually take place within which timeframe?

one week

One important element of both singing and projection is

person's breathing.

The purpose of a pick-up rehearsal is to

provide a dry-run of the show to cast and crew after a brief hiatus

After landing a role, it's recommended that an actor

read the script in its entirety several times.

. What is one of the first points on which actors should focus when learning to control their bodies and voices?

relaxation techniques

Medieval has its foundation in

religion.

When preparing for an audition, what is one step that could increase an actor's chances of landing a role?

research prior productions of the director and producer(s

African-American theater throughout the 1900s provided a means for

resisting and redefining stereotypes

The commercialization of Broadway shows in New York City introduced the potential for theatrical productions to

run indefinitely.

A raked stage is one that

slopes toward the audience.

The person who oversees the physical aspects of each performance is given which title?

stage manager

The popular Renaissance form, commedia dell'arte, developed from earlier

street theater

Taking down the set after a show is referred to as the

strike

Which stage feature(s) is primarily used to hide lights and other rigging above the stage?

teasers and borders

If the stage manager sets a call time of 6:00 PM, what does this mean?

that the actors and crew must have arrived by this time to have enough time to prepare for the show

An integral element of the experience of live theater is how

the audience reacts to the performance.

The suspension of disbelief during a performance is successfully achieved when

the audience responds emotionally to a performance.

What does it mean when a performance drifts?

the blocking of the performance has shifted or changed during its run

In a script, information about the characters is conveyed primarily through

the dialogue

Who most often makes decisions about the actors' movements during a play's production?

the director

Before leaving for the night, the last person in the theater turns on

the ghost light.

Directors cast roles based on which factor above any other?

the individual who best exemplifies the vision of a particular project

A cue sheet is an informational document prepared for whom?

the light board operator

During the eighteenth century, live theater saw an expansion of its audience to include

the middle class

The word "playwright" draws its meaning from which concept?

the old English term for "builder"

When compared to the directions of the stage, the divisions of the house (such as house left and house right) are

the opposite

Individuals involved in the creation of live theater pieces share a primary concern for

the performance's purpose.

One key element of a theater's layout that determines ease of production for the crew is

the quality of a backstage loading area.

How do the responsibilities of a music director differ from those of a sound designer?

the sound designer is in charge of microphones and sound effects during a musical production

Loge seats in a theater's auditorium may boast which appealing quality?

they have private entrances

The melodrama and well-made plays of the early nineteenth century were created with what purpose in mind?

to appeal widely to the public in the face of censorship

During the audition process, sides are used for which purpose?

to give directors a clearer comparison between individuals auditioning

A theater's grid maintains which function?

to hang lighting or curtains for use during the show

Why are actors called to understand both how and why a character thinks and behaves?

to live the role an actor is playing

What is one main purpose of a theatrical review?

to provide a teaser for perspective theatergoers of what a show is about

As American theater grew in popularity and took on new forms, what was the main purpose of drama in the United States during the nineteenth century?

to reinforce American values

One likely use for a scrim would be

to signal a dream sequence.

Greek plays evolved to exist in which two forms?

tragedy and comedy

Early rehearsals often include

trust-building exercises.

It's important for people working in the theater industry to

try to read as many reviews as possible, about their own performance and other shows.

Once the stage manager delegates prep items to the stage crew, how many people are usually responsible for checking that each task has been completed?

two

Which is a key component of how actors can successfully present a believable performance?

understanding what motivates a character

Rogers and Hammerstein produced a number of popular shows, but their most significant contribution to Broadway's history was their

use of story-telling and somber tone in musicals.

One way Roman actors created mood and conveyed emotion during a performance was by

using facial expression to develop character.

When creating a production's scenery, unit sets

utilize lighting and staging to indicate a scene change within a single set.

How often are performance reports sent out to cast and crew?

within twelve to twenty-four hours

Many actors remain movement-minded beyond the stage by participating in

yoga