Theatre CST
Stanislavski is the
"Father of Modern Acting Technique"
Paradis
"Heavens": in French neoclassical theatre, the third tier of galleries along the side walls.
Action Summary
"This is the story of ..." brief summary
Orchestra
"dancing space"
PHATIC UTTERANCES
'half words' which express meaning without using formal lexemes
Kan'ami
(14th century) A writer and innovator of the Noh form who combined earlier forms of theatre with Buddhist ideals; father of Zeami
Initial Incident
(Insighting action), the first sign of a problem, beginning of a conflict
Upstage
(noun) In a proscenium theatre, that part of the stage farthest from the audience; the rear of the stage, so called because it was in fact raised ('up') in the days of the raked stage. (verb) To stand upstage of another actor. Upstaging is often considered rude, inasmuch as it forces the downstage actor to face upstage (and away from the audience) in order to look at the actor to whom she or he is supposed to be speaking.
Aristophanes
- "old comedy". Lewd humor, attacks on government - an ancient Greek dramatist remembered for his comedies (448-380 BC)Lysistrata - only Greek comedy writer
Good Costume Design
- A perception of authenticity - To the period - To the story - To the setting
Arena Stage
- AKA "arena stage", "arena theater", "theatre in-the-round" - An actor/audience configuration in which the audience completely surrounds all sides of the performance area. The actors enter and exit from the aisles or sometimes from tunnels under the audience.
Costume Design
- An essential design element - Suggests specific character traits - Furthers the theme - Reveals class, self-image, psycho state. - Contributes to the setting - Sets mood, tone, time period
Costume Designer
- Analyzes script and character. - Interprets Directors vision of story and c characters. - Collaborates with Production Designer on overall color palette and design. - unified vision.
Designed to Fit
- Costume design for actor's particular body. - Used to highlight famous body parts. - Costume design for changing actor's body type to character's body type
Elements of Costume Design
- Fits - Textures - Styles - Color Palette - Patterns & Graphs
Costume Designer Training
- Historical periods of costumes - Fashion design (past & present) - Fine Arts training (painting, sculpture) - Overall knowledge of filmmaking process - Knowledge of fabrics - Clothing manufacture techniques
Romantic Theory
- created by Augest von Schegel, the replacement of neoclassical structure: form should be directed by subject matter, not classical precedent. Romantics were fascinated with natural forces, the unexplainable, gothic, and mystical. Romantics dramatized emotions triumph over reason and found beauty in disorder.
Aeschylus
- earliest recorded Greek playwright - considered the "Father of Tragedy" - wrote the Orestia which is the only surviving trilogy
Pageants
- in the middle ages, wagons with scenery used in processional staging
Musical Theatre
- the most popular form of performance in the 20th century
2 ways that Style can be set apart from other scripts
-What is there -Choices in production that get made
Why is the LEKO a favorite of designers?
-allows you to rotate housing so shutter cuts can be more specific and gives more control over the pattern used in the lighting unit -can switch out lens to change size of light thrown from fixture ETC source 4 LEKO -changeability of lenses and ability to rotate barrel -keeps filament, reflector, and lens separate - change lens more easily
describe how the visual effect of a down light differs from a front light.
-down light partially reveals form and with its dramatic shadowing effect can create a sense of mystery -fron light reveals much more and creates few shadows (shadows usually define form)
film noir
...
Masking
1. 1. Curtains, drapes, or set walls that are used to block the audiences sight from the backstage. 2. Used in stage combat to block the audiences sight from certain moves.
Major Role
1. A character part that is dominant in the plot of a play, having many scripted lines.
Hold
1. A command called out by a director wherein the actors must hold their stage positions or take a pause in the action of the scene.
Follow Spot
1. A concentrated source of light that illuminates a performer on stage, and stays with them as they move; most often coming from a spotlight instrument.
Flat
1. A constructed piece of scenery, usually made of wood and/or canvas, used to create a set wall or backdrop for a stage setting.
Floor Plan
1. A drawn picture of a set, as seen from a bird's eye view (from above), using geometric shapes to represent set pieces and levels.
Cue
1. A signal or line that prompts the next action or stage business during a performance.
Stage Combat
1. A style of acted movement that is planned out, or choreographed, to look like real fighting between characters within a performance.
Melodrama
1. A style of overacting that focuses on contrived action rather than realistic characterization or situations; dramatized for effect.
Presentational
1. A style of performance where the characters or performers make aware of the audience's presence, often breaking the fourth wall.
Minor Role
1. A supporting character to a story, having less stage time and lines than a Major.
Fly System
1. A system of rigging and ropes that is used to raise and lower scenery within on stage, operated by hand or mechanically from backstage.
Traveler
1. A type of curtain or masking (black) that hides the audience's view of the backstage.
Thrust
1. A type of performance space where the audience surrounds three sides, and raises high above a very open stage; usually there is no main act curtain.
Raked
1. A type of stage that slopes downward towards the audience, built at gradual angle.
Apron
1. Front part or area of the stage extending past the main act curtain, also called lip. 2. an acting area that extends forward beyond the arch 3. the acting area of the stage that extends beyond the proscenium
Dramatic irony
1. Happens when the audience knows more information about the plot and situations in a play than certain characters do.
Spectacle
1. Large scenery or set pieces used for awe and illusion in a performance.
Antagonist
1. Main character who opposes the protagonist. 2. who or what opposes the central character 3. The characters who's opposition against which the protagonist must contend 4. A person, a situation, or the protagonists own inner conflict to his or her's goals
Technician
1. One who works on a crew for a production, lights, set, sound, costumes, props, etc.
Dumb Show
1. Performed at the beginning of a performance, showing the audience through actions, and no words, a parody of what they are about to see.
Aesthetic Distance
1. Psychological separation, or a sense of detachment; the recognition that what happens on stage is not reality; literally, "the distance of art" 2. The audience's awareness that act and reality are not the same. Closely tied to "willing suspension of disbelief"
Sides
1. Selections taken from a script used for an actor to read a scene aloud (usually used at an audition for a cold reading).
Stage Right/Left
1. Sides of the stage that is determined according to the actors point of view facing the audience. Symbolized in blocking notation as SL and SR.
Pit
1. The area, usually below the front part of the stage, where the orchestra is set up to play the music for a live performance.
Sight Lines
1. The audience's view of a performance space, being blocked from the backstage.
Exposition
1. The background information of a story, usually told at the beginning of a play through narration or dialogue.
Dress Rehearsal
1. The final rehearsal(s) of a play before it opens to the public; utilizing all costumes, props, lighting, sound, and set changes.
Stage Manager
1. The head technician for a production; responsible for all backstage duties and jobs. Calls a show for cues and transitions, and keeps consistency accurate from show to show. Works very closely with actors, technicians, and the director.
Fourth Wall
1. The imaginary divide that separates the audience from the performance space.
Grand
1. The main act curtain or drape that hangs at the front of the stage, always found in a Proscenium theatre, and usually is of a royal color.
Beat Change
1. The moment a new action begins. 2. The point during a scene where a new action begins. It occurs when a new piece of information is introduced or an event takes place over which the character has no control and which by its very nature must change what the actor is doing. 3. When one of the characters changes his or her strategy or objective, moving the scene in a new direction. A beat change results from either an automatic action or a deliberate choice made by one of the characters.
Subtext
1. The true meaning behind a spoken or scripted line, as interpreted by an actor.
Spike
1. To mark the stage floor, usually with colored tape, where set pieces will rest.
Cross
1. To move from one point of the stage to another. Symbolized by an X in blocking notation.
Strike
1. To take down a set or remove scenery or props from the stage; happens immediately at the end of a production run before the next show is brought in.
Properties
1. Used to enhance a scene or characterization, abbreviated-props. 1. Stage: large, stay on the set. 2. Hand: small, used by many actors. 3. Personal: used only by one actor, and stays with them.
four aspects of light behavior
1. absorption - the removal of energy or particles from a beam by the medium through which the beam propagates 2. reflection - the return of light after striking a mirrored surface - used in ellipsoidal reflector of ERS and spherical reflector of Fresnel 3. refraction - the deflection from a straight path undergone by a light ray in passing obliquely from one medium (air) into another (glass/water) in which the velocity is different - used in plano convex lens of ERS 4. diffusion - a reflection or refraction of light from an irregular surface or an erratic dispersion through a surface - Fresnels use diffusion
Front Light
1. alone can make actor look like a cardboard cut out 2. placed on antoproscenium UNLESS actor is more upstage
4 categories of design decisions
1. choice of instrument 2. choice of angle or direction 3. choice of color 4. choice of control
Distribution
1. direction from which the light approaches an area, object, or actor 2. the shape and size of the area that the light is covering 3. the quality of the light; sharp (bright) or diffused (cloudy)
4 aspects of color
1. hue - basic color designation 2. saturation - degree to which black, white, or grey is present (shade - addition of black; tint - addition of white) 3. chroma - degree to which another color is present 4. connotative value - psychological interpretations of the color
4 motivations that influence designer's choice of color
1. particular source and colored light helps convey the motivation 2. mood of the scene is reinforced by the light; color heightens effect 3. visual contrast between light sources is desireable; color enhances contrast 4. change/dramatic effect for its own sake is desired
Zeami
1363 to 1444. Son of Kan'ami. Perfected the Noh form. Wrote more than 100 Noh plays. Developed Noh theories. Buddhist belief: union with all being, earthly life is unimportant, discard individual desire.
Mind, Will, Emotion
3 parts of an actor Stanislavski considered the pillars of his "inner landscape"; if the actor's mind, his will, and his feelings are all engaged, he will come alive.
time, place, action
3 unities
Inciting incident, progressive complication, the crisis, the story climax, and the resolution
5 Parts Of The Classical Archplot
Believed acting was
99% perspiration and 1% inspiration
Casting Director
: a specialist in finding actors for specific roles who assists the director in some professional productions
Tableau or "Stage Picture"
A "frozen moment" onstage, with the actors immobile.
Set Piece
A 3D scenery piece that stands by itself, such as a rock or a tree
Lorraine Hansberry
A Raisin in the Sun, Les Blancs
See Through Ruler
A See Through Ruler
Fresnel light
A blank light has a lamp that can move closer and farther away from its lens giving it the ability to spot or flood the light.
Hashigakari
A bridge from backstage to the stage in Noh theatre. Technically on stage.
Hashigakari
A bridge like narrow runway that connects the dressing room to the stage
Drops
A canvas curtain that forms part of the scenery
Objective
A character's goal or intention
Motivation
A character's reason for saying or doing things in a play
Status
A character's sense of self-worth. Many scenes are built around status transfers, in which one character's status drops while another's rises.
Action
A characters main intent in a scene
Thrust Stage
A combination of the proscenium and the arena stages, with the audience sitting on two or three sides of the acting area.
Farce
A comedy with exaggerated charcterization with abundant physical humor, visual humor, and often an important plot
Cyclorama
A curtain or wall at the back and sides of the stage
Dramatic Criticism
A discriminating, often scholarly interpretation and analysis of a play, an artist's body of work, or a type or period of theatre.
Mellow Drama
A dramatic form popular in the 1800s chacterized by emphasis on plot, physical action, and plot hanging appeals
Elevation Sketch
A drawing that shows how the stage will look from the perspective of the audience
Hero
A film term indicating that a prop will be in a close up. Usually in triplicate. We occasionally use this term in theatre to denote a key prop that affects dialogue or action.
Scoop
A floodlight with and ellipsoidal reflector, can be hung from battens.
dramatic play
A form of play in child a child imitates others.
Processional staging
A form of staging popular in England and Spain.
Chorus
A group of performers that make up the community of characters within a play, having few lines individually, and seen on stage as one entity.
Ensembe
A group of theatrical artists working together to create a theatrical production
soft light
A large source of light which appears to "wrap around" the subject to some degree. Produces less shadows or softer shadows.
backlight
A light which is positioned behind the subject. It's primary purpose is to make the subject stand out from the background by highlighting the subject's outline.
Plot
A lighting event may trigger or advance the action onstage.
cross key lighting
A lighting technique that combines aspects of both three and four point lighting with the added ability to cover more than one person or object in the lighting spread.
Scrim
A loose weave curtain on the batten used for visions. Flashbacks, and so on, is lighted from the front
Classical
A main character pursues a goal or outcome (Form)
Kabuki
A major form of Japanese drama born in the 17th century that combines singing, dancing and acting; features a chorus of singer, an orchestra of samisen players and elaborate makeup
Noh
A major form of Japanese drama, rooted in legends and folktales presented by two actors (one masked) and a chorus of singers; features rhythmic sounds and stylized movement; focuses on soliloquy and remembrance
Hireling
A member of an Elizabethan acting company who was paid a set salary and was not a shareholder.
Stasis
A moment of stability before or after a play starts
Gibberish
A nonsense language.
Walk On
A part where the actor walks on and off the stage without having any line to say.
Plot
A patterned arrangement of events and characters for a drama.
reader's theatre
A performance created by actors reading script rather working from memory
Understudy
A performer who studies the part of another role, so that they might perform it in the absence of the actor who was originally cast.
Actor
A person male or female who performs in a play or in entertainment
Drama turg
A person who provides specific in depth knowledge and literary resources to a director
Musical theatre
A play with music, songs, and dance
Play
A playscript meant to be performed by actors.
Dry Tech
A rehearsal that is run without the actors, bringing together all the technical aspects of a show, following the cues in the order that they are executed.
Cue-to-Cue
A rehearsal where actors run from one technical cue to the next, skipping dialouge in-between. This is done primarily for the technical crew.
Two Person Scene
A scene in a play that consists of two characters only.
...a blueprint for an audio visual experience that take place in time
A script is...
Callback
A second, more specific audition where a director looks closer at given actors.
modeling light
A secondary light used to provide a preview of the lighting effect of an electronic flash unit. A modeling light can be an incandescent or fluorescent bulb, or may be simulated by a series of low-power bursts lasting a few seconds.
Play
A series of actions
Unit Set
A set made of several piees that can be rearranged to produce more than one scene
Minimal Set
A set made of two or three fold flats
Box Set
A set representing the walls of a room
Permanent Set
A set that remains in place throughout production
Curtain Set
A set that uses a cyclorama at the back of the stage to act as a wall or drapery
Vignette
A short scene or sketch based around a character.
Queue
A signal that indicates that something else is about to happen, it can be a dialouge or when someone enters
Sides
A single actor's own lines and cues.
Cyclorama
A sky drop that surrounds the back and side of the stage.
Raked Stage
A slopped stage, angled so that the rear (upstage) area is higher than the forward (downstage) area.
Countercross
A small movement in the opposite direction to the cross made by another actor.
Monologue
A speech performed by one performer, giving depth and insight into a characters thoughts or feelings; also called a soliloquy.
Thrust Stage
A stage configuration in which the stage juts out and the audience sits on three sides.
Thrust Stage
A stage that juts into the audience area, with the audience usually sitting aroung its three sides
Proscenium
A stage with permanent framed opening through which the audience sees the play
Pathos
A state which evokes a feeling of pity or sadness in the audience.
Representatioinal Theatre
A style of theatre in which the actors attempt to create the illusion of reality and go about their business as if there were no audience present.
Impulse
A sudden urge or idea.
National theatre
A theatre dedicated to the drama of a specific country.
Flashback
A time-shifting technique that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached.
role-playing
A type of play allowing children to mimic the actions of others, such as wife, husband, mommy, daddy, doctor or police officer.
projection
A type of play allowing children to place feelings and emotions they feel onto another person or an object, such as a puppet. Through this play, a child may share his or her inner world.
parallel play
A type of play in which children play by themselves but stay close by other children. All the children may be involved in similar activities, but play between and among the children does not exist.
Box Set
A type of setting that is built on the stage to look like the interior of a house or room, having three walls and no ceiling.
Beat
A unit of action with its own specific conflict and crisis. In each beat, your character will have a single objective. Beats are formed of moments and flow to create the underlying structure of a scene.
Scene
A unit of conflict that has a beginning, middle, and end
Yugen
A way of being and a way of performing Noh theatre. Gentle gracefulness, fragility of life. Beauty lies in suggestion, simplicity, subtlety, restraint.
Yes, And Principle
Accepting an offer and building onto that offer with something CONNECTED to the original offer.
Wimping
Accepting an offer but failing to act on it.
Lyrical
Achieved by the use of verse, heightened language, song or movement; including the use of poetic imagery.
Pantomime
Acting without words through facial expressions and body movement/gestures
Moves (G&C)
Actions performed by an actor
Greenroom
Actor's lounge backstage.
quality of light
Aesthetics of lighting. Sufficient to determine different colors for identification without excessive glare.Ratings: CRI, Temperature
Breakdown
Aging or wear applied to a prop to make it look used or to reduce distracting reflections
Resolution
All events following the min conflict; new status quo is found
Thread
All purpose/ High Mark/ Silimite
Blackout
All stage lights go out simultaneously
Theatrical
All things that elicit strong audience response
Pinking Shears
Alligator Teeth
Mystery plays
Also called cycle plays. Short medieval dramas.
Revelation of Form
Altering the perception of shapes onstage, particularly three-dimensional stage elements.
Opposites! Blue?
Amber
Sense Memory (Recall)
An actor's ability to recreate physical sensations on stage in front of a live audience.
Diction
An actor's articulate speech and clear pronunciation.
Cross
An actor's move from one part of the stage to another.
Director's Note
An article in a play's program by the director explaining what he or she intended to accomplish; also called a playwright's note.
Playwright's Note
An article in a play's program by the playwright explaining what he or she intended to accomplish; also called a director's note.
Licensing Act of 1737
An english law that gave the Lord Chamberlain the authority to censor plays. The term "legitimate theatre" comes from the time of Licensing Act.
Caricature
An exaggeration of a character that is often ludicrous or grotesque.
Fourth Wall
An imaginary wall separating the actors from audience; an innovation of Realism in the theatre in the mid-1800s.
Fatal Flaw
An imperfection, shortcoming or weakness in a character which leads to certain choices.
Theatrical Contract
An informal understanding created between a production and its audience
Transformation of object
An object(s) is endowed with a variety of meanings by the actor.
Complementary offer
An offer that meshes well with what's already gone before (and usually enhances it in some way).
Stage convention
An understanding that certain devices will be accepted or assigned specific meaning arbitrarily.
Dionysus
Ancient Greek god of wine and fertility. Worshipped through theater
Hamartia
Ancient Greek term usually translated as "tragic flaw".
Prop
Any hand held object used by an actor (a cigarette, a cane, a glass of water, etc...).
Physical Offer
Any kind of movement, space work (establishing setting) or mime/gesture offered.
Endowment Offer
Any kind of offer that gives information about the other performer's character.
Blind Offer
Any kind of offer that is presented, but is left undefined. The other performer is supposed to define it specifically.
Verbal Offer
Any kind of offer using dialogue/speech or words.
Character Offer
Any kind of offer where an actor will assign a specific person for the other actors in the scene to play.
Sound Offer
Any kind of sound effect or noise that is added to a scene to help provide more information about the scene.
Given Circumstance
Any piece of information or activity written into the script or demanded by the director (time, place, what just happened prior to the scene, etc).
Liturgical Drama
Any religious drama, usually sung or chanted, that relates to the bible and is presented in Latin inside a church sanctuary.
Obstacle
Any resistance to my having what I want
Motifs
Anything that is repeated but NOT part of the story
Faulty Generalization (Fallacy)
Applying something thats inconsistent with the whole script. Usually take one instance and blow it out/apply it to everything
Style: Time
Are there flashbacks? Are details about time mentioned
Flies
Area above the stage where scenery is hung or stored by lines from the grid.
Pit
Area between the stage and first row of seats.
George Bernard Shaw
Arms and the Man, St. Joan, Pygmalion
Balance
Arrangement of the elements so that one side of the work is not heavier or does not overpower the other
...communication
Art is...
Endowing
Assigning attributes to another performer's character.
...genius
Assume...
Archon
Athenian government official appointed to oversee the staging of drama at the City Dionysia festival
Emphasis
Attention to certain areas or elements in a work of art.
Empathy
Audience members' identification with dramatic characters and their consequent shared feelings with the plights and fortunes of those characters. Empathy is one of the principle effects of good drama.
Good Costume Design (modern film)
Audience reads costumes more closely (we have seen what people really wear)
Cold Reading
Auditioning with a script that you have not had the chance to read before the audition.
Tryouts
Auditions for parts in a play.
House Lights
Auditorium lights used before and after the play and during intermission.
Fly Rail
Bar to which rigging ropes are tied.
Sloper
Basic pattern shape in a variety of sizes
Impulses/Spontaneity
Be able to play each scene naturally, do what feels right, doesn't have to be exactly the same
Some of his
Beliefs
Alienation Effect
Bertolt Brecht; wanted audience to think about what they were seeing rather than blindly feel. Accomplished by interrupting dramatic moments.
August Wilson
Black playwright who wrote realistic plays in 10 cycle plays. Best known for Fences
Opposites! Amber?
Blue
prop box
Box containing materials and equipment needed for certain roles in socio-dramatic play.
Pause (F,G&C)
Break in speaking, period of silence
Presentational/Representational contracts
Breaking the fourth wall/Keeping the fourth wall
Business
Busy work for the actor while playing on the stage to establish character, setting, and situation.
Closures
Buttons/ Shank buttons/ Snaps/ Skirt Hook/ Hook and Eye/ Hook and Bar
Shopper
Buys fabric and trim; sometimes provides swatches for the designer
Parallelism
Calls attention to idea; when characters or events in a play have matching counterparts in other characters or events in the same play
Marlowe
Came up with Iambic Pantameter. Wrote Jew Of Malata. paved way for Shakespeare
"Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art"
Care more about the craft and how you can contribute to it...mot what fame and fortune it might bring you
Color-Blind Casting
Casting without regard to race or ethnicity of the characters or actors.
Tennessee Williams
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Night of the Iguana, A Streetcar Named Desire
Comedy
Category of drama that is generally light in tone, is concerned with issues that are not serious, has a happy ending, and is designed to amuse and provoke laughter.
Linear Plot
Causal play structure. A B C
Linearity
Cause and effect
Trigger
Cause of heap
Focus
Center attention on. OR. Center light beam on.
Center Stage
Center of acting area
Acting areas
Center stage, down stage, stage left, stage right, up stage
Recognition
Change from ignorance to knowledge usually by the main character; deeper than just facts
Shift
Change scenery.
Melodrama
Characters less three dimensional, clearly defined villains and heroes, situations arouse pity and fear (Genre)
Raisonneur Characters
Characters that speak common sense wisdom
Foil Characters
Characters who contrast each other
Reflector Characters
Characters who give prospective or opinion
Analogues Characters
Characters with similar situations or relationships
Old Comedy
Classical Greek comedy that pokes fun at social, political, or cultural conditions and at individuals.
Confidant
Close friend with whom the main character shares secrets or discusses personal problems. They have little direct influence on the action and are more well-adjusted and help the main character adjust as well
Costume
Clothing that actors wear during a performance or play
Cycles
Collection of mystery plays
CTO
Color temperature Orange
Craft Scissors
Colored
Il capitano
Commedia dell'arte braggart soldier
Pantalone
Commedia dell'arte father
Inamorata/Inamorato
Commedia dell'arte hero/heroine
fontesca
Commedia dell'arte maidservant
Types of professional theater
Commercial (meant to make profit). Non-profit (profits go to production of future plays. May be professional or amateur.)
Juxtaposition
Compare any two things that follow each other
Denouement
Comprises events between the falling action and the actual end of the drama or narrative and thus serves the as the conclusion.
Action Analysis
Concentrates heavily on plot and pays less attention to the other elements of a play
What is the basis of drama?
Conflict
Intellectual Conflict
Conflicts that generate ideas, producing intellectual tensions. Usually between societal systems or btwn characters and the world of the play
Prompt Book
Contains script, blocking notations, warnings, crew charts, and other information necessary for producing the play.
Dialouge
Conversation between actors on stage
Dialogue
Conversation between two or more characters on stage.
Masks
Costumes that cover a face
Kata
Coventional but unfixed movements. Abstract and meant to convey emotions of poetry. Some have specific meanings but most do not, so emotions cannot be described with specific kata for specific feelings.
Christopher Marlowe
Credited with the introduction of blank verse: Tamburlaine the Great, The Jew of Malta, Edward the Second, The Tragical History of Doctor Fastus
Beth Henley
Crimes of the Heart, The Miss Firecracker Contest
Shaw
Criticized well made play,but used form anyway; British and wrote Arms and the Man(Realism)
Non Linear
Cronology is jumbled (Form)
Suzuki
Cross Culture theater wrote Trojan Women
First Hand
Cuts the fabric for the garment
Opposites! Red?
Cyan
Euripides
Cyclops is only surviving manuscript
Top Hat
Cylindrical lighting accessory which helps to control stray light and can reduce the amount that an audience is seeing into the light; mounts in a color frame holder
Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, All My Sons
Super Objective
Deduced from action
Cut
Delete. OR. A command to stop action and dialogue.
Business
Detailed bits of action such as knitting, setting the table, etc., as disstinguished from broad stage movement.
Exposition
Detailed information revealing the facts of a plot
Offer from space
Dialog or action that is bizarre and that appears to come from nowhere.
Soliloquies
Dialogue in which a character who is alone on stage addresses the audience directly
Wanted actors to avoid routine and always seek to break traditions of acting techniques.
Did not believe his way was the only way
Focus
Directing the audience's attention to an area of the stage or distracting them from another.
Exit
Direction for an actor to leave the stage. Opposite of "enter".
Expressionism
Distortion to show subjective feelings
Controllable Qualities of Stage Lighting
Distribution, Intensity, Movement, Color
Finisher
Does all the hand sewing on the costume
Dyer
Does custom coloring or painting of fabric
Episodic drama
Dramatic structure -- extremely popular in the English Renaissance and the Spanish golden age -- in which the dramatic action begins early in the story.
Disjointed time sequences
Dramatic structure that does not unfold chronologically.
The World Of The Play
Each play has its own reality
Multiple Plots
Each plot has its own action and turning points
Noh
Earliest form of Japanese theatre. Aristocratic play with roots deep in religious ritual. Takes its subjects from myths and legend. Essentially a drama of soliloquy and reminiscence - not of conflict. Only two actors with a chorus of singers. The chief actor is masked and sumptuously costumed Highly stylized movements accompanied with actor's stamping feet, a flute, and the beat of three drums. Stage supported by four pillars, which the actor uses to orient himself.
Sebastiano Serlio
Early lighting technician who used tinsel backstage to direct light away from the "wings"
Accepting
Embracing the offers made by other performers in order to advance the scene.
Stage Presence
Energy and aliveness that the actor brings to her/his performance.
Restoration drama
English drama after the restoration of the monarchy, from 1660 to 1700.
Linear
Episodes are chronological and connected (Form)
Episodic
Episodes are cronological but NOT connected (Form)
Location and Time of Day
Establishing or altering position in time and space. Blues can suggest nighttime while orange and red can suggest a sunrise or sunset. Use of gobos to project sky scene, moon, etc.
Critique
Evaluations and suggestions.
Inciting incident
Event that causes the main characters super objective; where the story begins (Classical Archplot)
Antecedent Action (preliminary situation)
Events that have occured before the play begins
Turning Points
Events that make the objectives change
Progressive Complication
Events that prevent the main character from achieving his goal (Classical Archplot)
...advance the plot, reveal characters, and / or express
Everthing in a play is there to...
Gesture
Expressive movement of the body or limbs
Set Speeches
Extended speech where important ideas are discussed/summarized
Hanamichi
Extra stage section used in kabuki theater; a bridge running from behind the audience to the stage; translated means "flower way"
Clearance
FOH communication that house is ready
Fabric Weights
Fabric Weights
Bertolt Brecht
Father of Epic theater, wanted people to think about what they were seeing, alienation effect.
Ibsen
Father of realism, transformed well made play structure wrote Doll House
Projection
Filling the performing space with your breath and voice. The volume of the actor's voice on stage.
The Story Climax
Final decisive confrontation (Classical Archplot)
Hansberry
First black playwright to be produced on broadway
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
First modern director
manipulative stage of play
First stage of material use; stage at which children will begin to handle props.
Mary Frith
First woman actress, played the role of a man in "The Roaring Girl"
Kicker Light
Flank actors. Enhance 3-D look
Pit
Floor of the house in traditional proscenium-arch theatre.
Catharsis
For an audience to have an emotional reaction while watching a performance where they purge themselves of their pity and fears.
Atellan farce
Form of Roman theatre: improvised comedic pieces dealing with exaggerated family situations or satirizing historical or mythological figures.
Comedy of Humours
Form of comedy developed by Ben Jonson in the early seventeenth century. It is based on Roman comedy and stresses ridicule directed at characters who are dominated by a single trait (or "humour") to the point of obsession.
Comedy of Manners
Form of comic drama that became popular in the latter half of the seventeenth century in France and among English playwrights during the Restoration. It emphasizes a cultivated or sophisticated atmosphere, witty dialogue, and characters whose concern with social bolish is charming, ridiculous, or both.
Commedia Dell'Arte
Form of comic theatre, originating in Italy in the sixteenth century, in which dialogue was improvised around a loose scenario involving a set of stock characters, masked performers, and physical comedy (lazzi)
Base
Foundation color used for stage make-up
dance lighting system examples
Front lights Back lights Side lights (shin, mids, head high, high side, pipe ends) Down pool lights Front Diag lights Back Diag lights
Visibility, mood, setting, time, draw focus
Functions of stage lighting?
Burnout
Gel that's melted or lost its color
Brecht
German poet. Communist created epic theater. Used the alienation effect.
Pole-and-chariot system
Giacomo Torelli's mechanized means of changing sets made up of flat wings.
personification
Giving human traits to nonliving objects, such as dolls or puppets.
Endowing
Giving or assigning characteristics to another performer.
Endowment
Giving qualities to an object that the object does not have
...raise questions
Great plays...
Thespis
Grecian attributed to writing the first tragedies then acting in them.
Katharsis
Greek word, usually translated as "purgation".
Sophocles
Greek writer of tragedies; author of Oedipus Rex
Opposites! Violet?
Green
Needles
Hand Sewing/ Curved Craft/ Leather/ Machine
Doubling
Having an actor play more than one role in a play.
New Comedy
Hellenistic Greek and Roman comedies that deal with romantic and domestic situations.
Sanskrit
Hindu plays were composed in the language that was understood only by the wealthy aristocratic elite
Pensionnaire
Hireling in a French acting troupe.
Batten
Horizontal iron pipe suspended over the stage, from which scenery, lights and curtains are hung.
Stock, Rent, Shop, Make
How do you get costumes?
Style: Background Story
How important is it to the character? How much are we given? How is it given?
Less front light, more side light to define body curves
How is a stage lit for a dance performance?
What are three types of hair used in wigs?
Human, Yak, synthetic
Kabuki
Hybrid form of theatre (ka = singing, bu = dancing, ki = acting). Takes its subjects from Japanese history or from daily life in ancient times. More actors than in Noh and they are not masked. Includes a chorus of singers as accompaniment and an orchestra of samisen players. More popular and lvely than Noh.
Mechane
IN ancient Greek theatre, a crane used for flying characters into the playing area.
Gallery
IN traditional proscenium-arch theatres, the undivided seating area cut into the walls of the building.
Pastoral
Idealized dramatization of rural life, often including mythological creatures, popular during the Italian Renaissance.
Perspective
Illusion of depth in painting.
Forth Wall
Imaginary wall between stage and audience.
Mime
In Ancient Greece, and Rome, a form of theatrical entertainment that consisted of short dramatic sketches characterized by jesting and buffoonery.
Householders
In Elizabethan England, star members of an acting company who were given part-ownership of its playhouse.
Shareholders
In Elizabethan acting troupes, members who received part of the profits as payment.
Groundlings
In Elizabethan theatre, audience members who stood in the yard.
Tiring house
In English Renaissance theatre, a three-story stage house behind the raised platform stage.
Loges
In French neoclassical theatre, boxes.
Parterre
In French neoclassical theatre, the pit where audience members stood.
Parabasis
In Greek Old Comedy, a scene in which the chorus directly addressed the audience members and made fun of them.
Agon
In Greek Old Comedy, a scene with a debate between the two opposing forces in the play, each representing one side of a social or political issue.
Parasite
In Roman New Comedy, a stock character who is motivated purely by sensual needs, e.g. gluttony.
Pulpitum
In Roman theare, a raised platform stage.
Scaena frons
In Roman theatre, the ornate three-dimensional facade of the stage house.
Cavea
In Roman theatre, the seating area.
Scaena
In Roman theatre, the stage house.
Dithyramb
In ancient Greece, a choral song describing the adventures of a god or heroic figure.
Choregus
In ancient Greece, a wealthy person who underwrote most of the expenses for the production of an individual playwright's works at a dramatic festival.
Periaktoi
In ancient Greek Theatre, a three-sided scenic piece which could be revolved.
Chorus
In ancient Greek drama, a group of performers who sang and danced, sometimes participating in the action but usually simply commenting on it.
Ekkyklema
In ancient Greek theatre, a wagon used to bring characters onstage -- often to reveal the sesults of offstage violence.
Orchestra
In ancient Greek theatre, the circular playing area.
Skene
In ancient Greek theatre, the scene house behind the orchestra.
Naumachia
In ancient Rome, sea battles staged in a flooded amphitheater or on a lake.
Parados
In classical Greek drama, the entranceway for the chorus.
Zanni
In commedia dell'arte, comic male servants.
Lazzi
In commedia dell'arte, comic pieces of business repeatedly used by characters.
Innamorato
In commedia dell'arte, the stock lovers.
Alojero
In corrales, the theatres of the Spanish golden age, a stand from which refreshments were sold.
Interludes
In medieval England, short dramatic pieces, usually presented between courses of a banquet.
Platea
In medieval theatre, and unlocalized playing area.
Secrets
In medieval theatre, special effects.
Drolls
In seventeenth-century England, short dramas that were either excerpts from or condensations of longer plays.
Doyen
In the Comedie Francaise, the head of the company and the actor wit the longest service.
School drama
In the English Renaissance, plays written at the universities and presented at schools rather than to the general public.
University Wits
In the English Renaissance, university graduates and professional dramatists who wrote plays based on Roman models but incorporating some medieval elements.
Stationary staging
In the Middle Ages, a form of staging popular on the European continent. A series of small scenic mansions were set up side by side, usually in conjunction with a large platform stage, so that all the plays of a cycle could be presented in one location.
Pageant master
In the Middle Ages, a professional stage manager who oversaw the production of a cycle of mystery plays.
Sottie
In the Middle Ages, a short, satirical French farce.
Zarzuela
In the Spanish golden age, a court entertainment; usually a short, stylized musical drama based on mythology.
Corral
In the Spanish golden age, a theatre usually located in the courtyard of a series of adjoining buildings.
Comedia
In the Spanish golden age, a three-act full-length nonreligious play.
Companias de partes
In the Spanish golden age, acting troupes organized according to the sharing system.
Gradas
In the Spanish golden age, benches placed along the side walls of the patio or pit area in a corral.
Entremesses
In the Spanish golden age, interludes during the intermissions of comedias; these could be comic sketches, songs, or dances.
Carros
In the Spanish golden age, pageant wagons on which autos sacramentales were staged.
Autos Sacramentales
In the Spanish golden age, religious dramas combining characteristics of mystery and morality plays
Cazuela
In the Spanish golden age, the gallery located about the tavern in the back wall of a theatre; the area in which women were segregated.
Tropes
In the early Middle Ages, lyrics added to musical passages in religious services.
Intermezzi
In the italian Renaissance, entertainments performed between the acts of operas and full-length plays.
Semiotics
In theatre history, an approach based on the argument that historians need to focus on audiences' responses to elements of a production in which function and signs have a specific meaning for viewers.
Exaggerated movement
Includes action that is overstated, drawn larger than life.
Project
Increase voice or actions so they will carry to the audience
solitary play
Independent play.
Stage Directions
Indications to the director and actors about various aspects of the play, including information on characters, how a play should proceed, how a play should look, and the mood or effects of the play.
Private theatres
Indoor theatres in English Renaissance.
Marx
Influenced Realism Because of him plays started writing realistic stories about human oppression. More playwrights began to believe that their purpose was to improve society.
Given Circumstances
Info in the script that tells about my character and his world
Given Circumstances
Information regarding the play's background and environment; events and relationships that precede the play
Kan'ami
Innovater of Noh form. 1333 to 1384. Favorite of the Ashikaga shogun (therefore had power). Combined earlier forms of theatre with Buddhist ideals.
Acting is made of
Inspiration (talent) + Perspiration (hard work)
Controllable Properties or Qualities of Light
Intensity, color, direction, distribution, texture, and movement.
Prologue
Introductory speech delivered to the audience by one of the actors before a play begins.
Tragedy
Involves serious action of universal significance. Traditionally about the lives of people of stature.
CSI
Iodine light used in followspots.
Dramatic Irony
Irony resulting from the audience knowing more than the character
Style: Place
Is the location stylistically important to the play, is it symbolic
props (properties)
Items carried on stage by an actor; small items on the set used by the actors
Set Dressing
Items not handled but which add detail to a set Eg. The rest of the diner service is on display in the dresser but never handled. In film, set dressing is the responsibility of the set dec dept.
Kabuki
Japanese drama of the common man. It incorporates song and dance, and is more melodramatic the Noh.
Montage
Juxtaposition of dramatic images and/or vignettes, often presented in rapid succession.
Dress the Stage
Keep the stage picture balanced. OR. Decorations used to provide authenticity to the set and fill space.
Stage Business
Keeping "busy" onstage. Something the character does while performing (folding laundry, eating, putting on makeup, washing dishes, getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc).
Set Props
Larger items which are built by props and may be moved by actors or stage hands Eg. a crucifix with Jesus handing over the altar, sculpted by props
Cue
Last words or action of one actor that immediately precede another actor's speech. OR. A signal for light changes, curtains, etc.
Masque
Lavish form of private theatrical entertainment which developed in Renaissance Italy and spread rapidly to the courts of France and England.
Run
Length of stage engagement for a performance.
Affective (Fallacy)
Let own values affect reading of script
Paper Props
Letters, documents, scrolls. These may need actual text
Additive
Light abides by what color wheel?
hard light
Light emitted from a relatively small source positioned close to the subject. It tends to be unflattering because it creates deep shadows and emphasizes surface imperfections.
Comedy
Light in tone, less serious, happy endings, intended to amuse (Genre)
Heat
Light that is absorbed into an object
Spotlight
Light with beams that can be focused and that are used for specific illumination.
Barndoor
Lighting accessory that consists of flaps to control the beam of a unit without internal shutters; mounts on the front of an instrument in a color frame holder
Color Frame
Lighting accessory that is specifically a metal holder for gel; mounts on the front an instrument
Template (GOBO)
Lighting accessory that is specifically a pattern cut from metal or etched in glass that mounts inside a leko to affect the shape of the beam
What if the director wants non-representational lighting?
Lighting designer would consider emotions/expression, etc
Striplights
Lighting instrument that contains many small lamps arranged in a linear fixture; has multiple circuits, allowing for different colors; used for lighting backdrops and for footlights
Fresnel
Lighting instrument that has a somewhat defined beam with a soft edge; its lens has concentric rings to spread the light; comes in variety of sizes and watts, lamp and reflector move to make beam larger (flood) or smaller (spot); barndoors and top hats can be applied
Par Can
Lighting instrument that has a somewhat defined, oval-shaped beam with a soft edge; comes in different beam sizes; sealed beam lamp (like a car headlight) inside a metal housing; barndoors can be applied
Leko
Lighting instrument that has a very defined beam; capable of a very hard edge; comes varied sizes; beam can be shaped using internal shutters or iris; can project patterns
Projection and Stage Elements
Lighting may be used to project scenery or to act as scenery onstage.
Composition
Lighting may be used to show only the areas of the stage which the director wants the audience to see, and to "paint a picture".
Floodlights
Lights without lenses; used for blending and toning.
Internal obstacles
Limits that characters apply to themselves in seeking their objectives
Genera
Literally means a kind or type of literary form
Capa y Espada
Literally, "cape and sword": full-length Spanish plays that revolved around intrigue and duels over honor.
Mosqueteros
Literally, "mosquitos": in Spanish golden age, the noisy groundlings in the corrales.
Deus ex machina
Litterally, "god from a machine".
Soliloquy
Long speech given by a character when they are alone on stage to chow their thoughts or to explain their thoughts or to explain the plot; used frequently by Shakespeare.
Tracing Wheel
Looks like a pizza cutter
Over Reliance on Stage Direction(Fallacy)
Looks robotic and you don't reconsider the way it could look from a production stand point
Scrim
Loose weave curtains on battens used for "visions", "flashbacks", etc. opaque when lit from the front and transparent when lit from the back.
Magnetic Pin Cushion
Magnetic Pin Cushion
Protagonist
Main character with whom the audience empathy lies.
Prologue/Epilogue
Main idea is introduced/summarizes the main idea by restating it at the end
Character History
Make up what is not given. Do research to get accurate story.
Milliner
Makes hats and headpieces
Breeches Roles
Male roles played by females, particularly popular in Restoration and eighteengh-century English theatre.
Theatron
Meaning "seeing place", in ancient Greek theatre, the seating area.
Simultaneous setting
Medieval convention of presenting more than one locale onstage at the same time.
Morality play
Medieval drama designed to teach a lesson.
Mansion
Medieval scenic unit, often presented as an individual house or locale.
Morality plays
Medieval taught the difference between right and wrong
Thimbles
Metal/Leather
Actor's 3 Tools
Mind, Body, Voice/Speech
Subtractive
Mixing color by blocking or filtering out the light rays from a single light source using filters exclusively
White Light
Mixture of all the colors in the visible spectrum from the sun
Royalty
Money paid to the author for permission to perform his/her play
Design Fee
Money the designer actually earns and deposits into the bank
Thesis Sentence
Moral of the story; gives lesson
Indirect Idea
Most impactful; seen through plots and characters
Shakespeare
Most popular Playwright, gave audiences what they wanted.Most frequently produced playwright in the world
Movement
Movement is any change in the intensity, color, direction, distribution, or texture the light. An example of a change is a light cue.
Gesture
Movement of separate parts of the body, such as waving an arm or shrugging a shoulder.
4 ways that Characters are used for Idea
Narrator/chorus, raisonneur, confidant, norm character
Decorum
Neoclassical rule, developed in the Italian renaissance, that dramatic characters must behave in set ways based on their social class and background.
Simple Plot
No recognition or reversal
Kyogen
Noh's satyr-play, a comic interlude, reminiscent of commedia.
Tape Measure
Not Measuring Tape
Believed in training the "whole" actor body and soul.
Not only understanding a role intellectually and physically (character traits/physicality) but also understanding yourself in order to find the character
Fridgity (Fallacy)
Not taking characters or events seriously; not having enough empathy
...arbitrary
Nothing is...
Marking Devices
Number 2 Pencil/ Taylors Chalk (Made of Wax)/ Marking Pencil/ Taylors Wheel
Drama Formula
Object + Obstical * lack of compromise = conflict/drama
Analyzing Tools
Objective - want Motivation - why i want it Obstacle - whats preventing me from getting it Action - how will i get it "to ____" Tactics - physical method of getting action
Sophocles
Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Electra, Antigone
Aesthetics
Of or pertaining to the criticism of taste and a sense of the beautiful. Use of design principles and elements such as form, line, unity, variety and emphasis to create a pleasing work of art.
Stanislavski
One of the greatest of all acting teachers, called father of modern acting co founder of Moscow Art Theater. Created Stanislavsky system(Method Acting)
Farce
One of the major genres of drama, sometimes regarded as a subclass of comedy. Physical activity and visual effects.
Kabuki
One of the original forms of Japanese theatre
Quick Study
One who can memorize a part rapidly.
Critique
Opinions and comments used for self evaluation or the evaluation of the actors or the production itself
Statments
Opinions and questions illistrated by the dramatization
Falling Action
Or called the resolution, which is the moment of reversal after the climax.
Shakespeare
Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest
Thornton Wilder
Our Town, The Matchmaker
The Resolution
Outcome event resulting from the climax (Classical Archplot)
Public theatres
Outdoor theatres in English Renaissance.
Transmission Rate
Overall percentage of white light transmitted by a gel/ filter
Teaser
Overhead curtain to mask the first border of lights and to regulate them to the height of the proscenium opening,
Backdrop
Painted cloth or set wall built to serve as a background for the setting on stage.
3 ways idea is shown in Plot
Parallelism, Intellectual Conflict, Main climax (best place to look)
Focus
Paying attention to what's happening in an improv scene. Trying to give time for other performers to speak/act.
Claque
People in the audience who are hired to applaud; the tradition of the claque began in Roman theatre
Preview Performances
Performance of a play open to the public before the official opening night (and before the critics see it.)
Draper
Person who creates the vision of the color rendering/plate on a dress form
3 categories of Given Circumstances
Physical, Social/Economic, Psychological/Emotional
Flats
Pieces of canvas stretched over wooden frames that are painted
Subtractive
Pigment abides by what color wheel?
Positioning (C)
Placing of actors on stage
Muslin
Plain-woven cotton fabric used to create a pattern on a dress form by the draping method
sound and lighting designer
Plan, install and oversee light and sound
Levels
Platforms or body position of various heights.
Tragicomedy
Plays that have tragic themes and noble characters yet end happily.
Heightened use of language
Poetic and exaggerated use of language. It includes the deliberate choice of words
Emotional Offer
Portraying an emotion that gives information about who they are, where they might be, or what might be going on.
Arc Lamp
Powered by battery, so not practical until invention of generator.
Fourth-wall convention
Pretense that in a proscenium-arch theatre the audience is looking into a room through an invisible fourth wall.
Red, Blue, Green
Primary Colors of Light
Additive Mixing
Primary colors in separate light sources mix in the air and can theoretically create white light
Protagonist
Principal character in a play.
Souvenir Programs
Programs sold a large professional performances that have more pictures and information about the production and cast than the basic program.
Preset
Prop which must be set in a particular place on set or backstage for the top of the show or at intermission. On set presets must be set before the house comes in. Eg. a sweater preset in a suitcase. A gun hidden in a drawer in an onstage bureau
Handprops
Properties carried on stage by the actors during the play.
Personal Props
Props carried in actor's pockets or otherwise on their person Eg. Pocket watch, lighter
Hand Props
Props carried or moved by actors Eg. The actor pours tea into a cup. The teapot and cup are hand props.
Costume Props
Props generated by the costume designer which appear on the costume sketch Eg. Walking sticks, masks
Soft Props
Props made of fabric and other soft materials Eg. Drapes, cushions
Breakaways
Props which are broken intentionally on stage. There are two kinds: DISPOSABLE: one per show Eg. A china cup which breaks these become RUNNING PROPS RIGGED: put back together after each show Eg. A chair back which must fall off hen an actor leans on it
Running Props
Props which are consumed or destroyed in the course of a performance Eg. Food and drink, a letter that gets torn up
Reviews
Published or broadcast opinions of critics about whether a particular play is worth seeing. Compare to Dramatic criticism.
Bunraku
Puppet theatre. 3 operators per puppet, some hooded and cloaked. Stories about duty, family, and honor. Emphasis on suicides and double suicides (individuality in a regimented society). Story recited by "singer" with accompaniment on shamisen. The master of the puppet controls the right hand and head. The next most masterful controls the left hand. The puppeteer who controls the feet is the lowliest position. It takes ten years to master each position.
Intrusion
Pushing, thrusting, or forcing in
Substitution
Put in a similar situation if you cannot relate, allows you to understand emotions in unlikely situations
Dramatic Question
Questions in the mind of the audience about what will happen in the future
Heighten
Raising the stakes, making your improv scene more interesting by adding conflict or suspense.
Medieval Drama
Range of plays that make up the religious and folk drama developed during the Middle Ages.
...dont read into them
Read plays...
Sense Memory
Recalling the physical behavior that resulted in an experience Allows you to recreate reaction without stimulus
Opposites! Cyan?
Red
Ellipsoidal
Reflector - dichroic glass or metal-coated ellipsoidal reflector Lens - dual plano convex lens (fixed, interchangeable, zoom) Beam quality - concentrated sharp or soft beam Focus/shaping - shutters, iris, gobos to shape beam; barrel move fwd or back to soften or sharpen beam edges Uses - especially known for control and flexibility both as spotlight and for creating different shapes and textures
PAR
Reflector - parabolic reflector Lens - interchangeable lens can change beam size Beam quality - oval-shaped; bright, harsh but beam edge remains diffused Focus/shaping - only focus adjustment is to rotate lamp/lens within casing thus changing orientation of oval (beam shape/size cannot be altered) Uses - useful as backlights and for over stage
Fresnel
Reflector - spherical reflector Lens - fresnel lens (plano convex - convex side concentric circles; plano side dimpled or frosted to soften and disperse light beams) Beam quality - soft, smooth, even field Focus/shaping - variable beam capability for small spot or large flood by moving lamp and reflector away or toward lens; barn doors cut and shape beam Uses - "washing" walls and blending acting areas; exhibits good sense of direction so can be used to stimulate the soft quality of candlelight or overcast sky; excellent for short throw applications
Blocking (dead end)
Rejecting information or ideas offered by another player.
Biographical (Fallacy)
Relying on a playwright's life to decipher what/why things happen
Intentional (Fallacy)
Relying on playwright's intention instead of what the script suggests
Build
Rising intensity or climbing action that develops within a scene or entire play.
Ludi Romani
Roman festival in honor of Jupiter into which drama was first introduced.
Terence, Platus, Seneca
Roman playwrights
Chekhov
Russian Realistic playwright wrote plays about life: The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull, etc
Constantin Stanislavski
Russian actor, director and teacher Promoted ensemble acting
street clothes vs. costumes
SC aren't as durable, costumes are more durable SC are fashion, costumes are for creating characters, no necessary trend SC are mass produced
Pins
Safety/ Headed/ Push
high key
Scene is flooded with light; creates bright and open-looking scene. Comedies, product commercials
Set
Scenery. OR. Establish definite movements and lines.
Flexible Theater
Seats can be arranged for proscenium, arena or thrust staging.
Off-off-Broadway
Seats less than 100; amateur.
funtional stage of play
Second stage of material use. During this stage, a child will use a prop as it was intended whild playing with other children.
Intention
See Objective
Breakdown
See Scenario
Through-line
See Spine
Plot
Sequence of events in a play. OR. Production plan of backstage items, such as a light plot or costume plot.
Tragedy
Serious, arouses pity and fear, downfall of protagonist is result of his own actions, triumph of a larger cosmic order (Genre)
Drama
Serious, arouses pity and fear, three dimensional characters, characters more important than plot (Genre)
Properties
Set furnishings, including furniture, pictures, ornaments, drapes, etc.
Canon
Set of literary works believed to be universally accepted as important and historically significant.
Mood
Setting the tone of a scene. Harsh red light has a totally different effect than soft lavender light.
Stitcher
Sew the garment together on the sewing machine
Societaire
Shareholder in a French acting troupe.
Oliver Goldsmith
She Stoops to Conquer
modeling
Showing the children the appropriate behavior to use during their socio-dramatic play.
Fabric Scissors
Silver and Black
Raked House
Slanted Floor, allowing each row of the audience to see over the heads of those in front.
Box
Small, private compartment for a group of spectators, built into the walls of a traditional proscenium-arch theatre.
socio-dramatic play
Social play in which several children play together as they imitate others.
Symbolism
Something that is both itself and something more - a thought sign
Voice (F,G&C)
Sound uttered from the mouth, created in the larynx
What should a lighting designer think when he/she hears a play is going to be REALISTIC?
Sources!
Timing
Speaking, moving or pausing at exactly the right moment
Tailor
Specializes in men's suit construction
Epilogue
Speech addressed to the audience after the conclusion of a play and spoken by one of the actors
Soliloquy
Speech in which a character who is alone onstage utters inner thoughts.
Pace (F,G&C)
Speed of speech, movement or storyline
Improvisation
Spontaneous style of theatre
Fresnel
Spot light with a fresnel lens that throws a an efficient and soft beam, hung from the teaser beam to lighten upstage areas.
Grip
Stage crew member who shifts scenery.
Blocking precise
Stage directions and movements given to an actor by the script or the director.
Scene
Stage setting.
Raked stage
Stage that slopes upward away from the audience toward the back of the stage.
El Tertro Campesino
Staged plays on the backs of flat bed pick up trucks besides the picket lines striking against Chicano and Filipino Migrant workers founded by Luis Valdez
Spine
Stanislavski spoke of each beat and scene in a role fitting together like the vertebrae in a spine. When the actor experiences this connectedness, the role begins to flow as if under its own power; also called the through-line of the role. Similar to the score of the role, in which the through-line is understood as a sequence of objectives.
Public solitude
Stanislavski's concept of how the actor, through focus on the objective, can "forget" that he is she is in public and thereby avoids self-consciousness and stage fright. The concept does not imply that the actor neglects the discipline of producing a publically effective performance.
Automatic action
Stanislavski's term for what is generally called a habit or reflex; something your character does without thinking
Offer
Statement or action suggested to other actors. Offers should be accepted.
Ironing Tools
Steam Iron, Board, Sleeve Ham, Pressing Ham
Stock characters
Stereotypical characters in commedia dell'arte.
Mie
Stylized position for dramatic emphasis in kabuki. Emphasized by wooden clappers. Audience reacts.
quantity of light
Sufficient amount to see and accomplish work tasks safely Units: Lumens & Footcandles
Offering
Suggesting an idea in an improvisation situation
Thespian
Synonym for "actor"; the term is derived from Thespis.
Groove System
System in which there were tracks on the stage floor and above the stage to allow for the smooth movement of flat wings on and of the stage.
Contract system
System under which perfomers are hired for a specific period of time and paid a set salary.
Seam Ripper
Takes Thread Out
Stealing the Scene
Taking audience attention away from the proper focal point.
Illicit Process (Fallacy, ex)
Taking complex idea and reducing it to one thing. Ex: Wrong to say BP is just about utopia, also about complex relationships, polygamy, etc
Literal Mindedness (Fallacy)
Taking everything literally and at face value; kills every metaphor
Driving
Taking over a scene and not letting other performers influence its direction. Makes you an unpopular improvisor.
coaching
Teaching skill that provides children with ideas for difficult situations.
Theatrical Convention
Techniques shared by a majority of plays in specific epochs of theatre history. Ex Greek Chorus
Conclusion
Tells outcome of the entire situation
Resolution
Tells which way the climax broke
Conflict
Tension between two or more characters, leading to a crisis or a climax.
Unities
Term referring to the rule that a play should occur within one day, in one place, and with no action irrelevant to the plot.
Active Verbs
Terms that help the actor focus on her/his objective.
Texture
Texture is the quality of light- its diffusion or clarity. Does it have a soft edge or is it hard-edged? Is the field of the light smooth, diffused, or is it heavily textured? Factors affecting texture: The type of light, the use of diffusion gel, and the use of a gobo.
Denouement
The "why" or explanation of the outcome
Hanamichi
The 'flower way'. Where the actors makes their entrances and exits. Goes through the audience. Used in kabuki theatre. Connects the actors to the audience.
Prism Set
The Greek word for a triangle of flats that can be revolved for scenery changes
Eugene O'Neill
The Iceman Cometh, Morning Becomes Electra, A Long Day's Journey Into the Night
Oscar Wilde
The Importance of Being Earnest
Lillian Hellman
The Little Foxes, Watch on the Rhine, The Searching Wind
Gilbert and Sullivan
The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore
Neil Simon
The Odd Couple, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Barefoot in the Park, Star-Spangled Girl
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
The School for Scandal, The Rivals
William Saroyan
The Time of Your Life, After the Fall
Silence (F,G&C)
The absence of sound
Collaboration
The act of working together in a joint, intellectual effort
Dramatization
The action shown on stage
Transformation of place
The actor creates more than one place or setting during the performance without the use of scenery.
Transformation of character
The actor manipulates expressive skills to create multiple characters in performance.
Point of Concentration
The actor's focus in a scene
Censorship
The altering, restricting, or suppressing of information, images, or words circulated within a society.
Intensity
The amount of light reflected by the performer and the background. Factors affecting intensity: Type of instrument, wattage of the lamp, length of throw, size of the pool of light, amount of electricity reaching the lamp, and reflective quality of the makeup, costume, and setting.
Backstage
The area hidden from the audience that is used for actors preparing to make entrances.
House
The area of a theatre where the audience sits or watches from.
Directing
The art and technique of bringing the elements of theatre together to make a play
Drama
The art of the theatre; plays, playmaking, and the whole body of literature of and for the stage.
Willing Suspenion of Disbelief
The audience's acceptance of the quasi-reality of a work of art that enables the playwright, director, and actors to communicate perceptions about reality; the term was coined by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Closely tied to Aesthetic Distance.
Forward
The beginning of the play that reveals the given circumstances for the rest of the play
Exposition
The beginning of the story or play, can also be considered the who, what, where, when, or why
Context
The broader setting for the scene (political, social, etc).
Theme
The central, unifying idea within a play; a message or moral which the action and the characters of a play convey.
Character Arc
The change in prospective undergone by a character
Protagonist
The characters who's motives and actions drive the play
Articulation
The clear and precise pronunciation of words.
Color
The color of the light reflected by the performer and the background. Factors affecting color: Color of the gel, color temperature of the lamp, intensity of the lamp, and color of the makeup, costume, and setting.
Rising Action
The conflict becomes more complex
Dramatic Conflict
The conflict is between what someone wants and what hinders the want: the obstacle
Design
The creative process of developing and executing designs in a production
Realism
The cultural movement behind theatrical realism, it began around 1850 and popularized the idea that plays could be a force for social and political change.
Color Rendering/ Plate
The designer finishes the initial sketches by adding color and detail; done after the first meeting with the design team
Characterization
The development and protrayale of a character through action, dialouge, costuming, and makeup
Direction
The direction (or angle) of the light determines the length and location of the shadows cast by the performer and the three-dimensional props around him. Factors affecting direction: Where the instrument is placed.
Stage Manager
The director's techical liaison backstage during rehearsals and preformances.
Throw
The distance between a lighting source and what is being lit.
Distribution
The distribution of light determines which part (or parts) of the stage will be lit. Factors affecting distribution: Where the light is focused, the type of light, the focus (spot or flood) of the light, the use of "masking" devices (shutters, barn doors, and top hats), and the direction, or angle, of the light.
Dramatic Metaphor
The endowment of a word, object or feeling with an intensity of meaning other than the literal.
Kata
The ensemble of four musicians in Noh theatre
Happening
The event that causes the first dramatized objective
Resolution
The event that ends the last dramatized event
Falling Action
The events that lead to the conclusion
Group Dynamics
The functioning of people when they come together into groups.
Realism
The general principle that the stage should portray ordinary people in ordinary circumstances and that actors should behave, as much as possible, as real people do in life.
Climax
The high point of action or conflict within a scene or a play.
Climax
The highest point of tension, where the situation can get no worse: something must break
Pitch
The highness or lowness of a voice
Mie
The holding of a picturesque pose by a Kabuki actor to establish his character or a theme
Context
The interrelated conditions in which a play exists or occurs
fill light
The lighting instrument that is placed opposite the key light to provide illumination on the other side of the talent's face or object in the shot in order to balance the light and balance shadows
Onnagata
The males that play the "women-type" roles of the Kabuki theatre
Center Stage
The middle point of the performance space, symbolized by CS in blocking notes.
Denouement
The moments after the climax, when loose ends are tied up
City Dionysia
The most important Greek festival in honor of the god Dionysus; it was staged in Athens in the spring and was the first to include dramatic activities.
The Crisis
The most important decision on the play (Classical Archplot)
Climax
The most important moment in the conflict-resolution structure; The moment when the conflict is resolved
The Ending
The most important part of any script
Conflict
The opposition of persons or forces giving rise to dramatic action in a play
Sequence
The order in which information is revealed
Teaser
The overhead curtain that masks the 1st batten of lights and adjust the height of the proscenium opening
Scene
The period of stage time representing a single space over a continuous period of time, marked by either the rise and fall of a curtain or by the raising or lowering of lights.
stage manager
The person in charge backstage; he or she helps the director during rehearsals and then takes charge backstage when the play is performed
Director
The person who oversees the entire process staging a production
Character
The personality or part an actor recreates
Scenery
The physical setting for a scene or a play (trees, a couch, a podium etc. . . ) that help illustrate the environment of where the scene or play is taking place.
Moment of engagement
The point in the play after the introductory incident when the protagonist decides to commit to satisfying her goals
Climax
The point of highest dramatic tension or major turning point in the action
Diction
The prnunciation of words an choice of words
Swatching
The process of collecting samples of fabrics that may be used in costume construction
Advancing
The process of moving the scene forwards.
Catasahris
The purification or purgation of the emotions caused in a tradedy such as pity or fear
Ask-for
The question asked of the audience in order to start a scene.
Major Dramatic question
The question that is answered at the moment of climax
Ensemble
The rapport and shared sense of purpose that bind a group of actors into a unified artistic entity.
Proportion
The relationship of the size of one part to another or to the whole.
Patterns
The repetition of shapes, lines or colors over and over again.
Heap
The result of a trigger
Exposition
The revelation of necessary information
Formalist Analysis
The search for playable dramatic values that reveal a central unifying pattern which forms or shapes a play from the inside and coordinates all parts
Plot
The series of events that happen before the audience
Illumination
The simple ability to see what is occurring on stage. Any lighting design will be ineffective if the audience has to strain to see the characters; unless this is the explicit intent.
Improvisation
The spontaneous invention of actors used to explore text, character, or situation; a tool used by actors to freely create actions and language. Improvisation can be used in either rehearsal or performance.
Improvisation
The spontaneous portrayal of a scene or character without practice or preparation.
Narrative
The story told by a scene. Scenes should have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Pacing
The tempo of entire theatrical performance
Playwright
The theatre artist who authors the playscripts.
Actor
The theatre artist who plays characters.
Elizabethan theatre
The theatre of England during the reign of queen Elizabeth the first and often extends to the end of the 1640s
Objective
The thing that a character in a scene is trying to achieve.
imaginative stage of play
The third and final stage of material use. Children in this stage do not need real props; they are able to think of substitutes.
Call
The time one must be at the Theatre or ready to go onto to stage.
Climax
The turning point, which marks a change, for the better or the worse.
Satire
The use of wit and comedy to attack, denounce or deride a target.
Eye Contact (G&C)
The way a person does or doesn't look directly at another person
Platform
The who, what, and where of any improvisational scene
Moscow Art Theatre
Theater company founded in the late 19 century by a group of russian producers, actors, directors, and dramatists. Made famous by the plays of ANTON CHEKOV and acting techniques of Konstantin Stanislavsk
Artaud
Theater of cruelty; agitate the masses
Boal
Theater of the Oppressed, influenced by Paolo Friere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed ideas that prodding people into awareness or conscience-ization, everything is political, the idea that somethings are political and some are not is the best politiccal idea.
Realistic/Nonrealistic contracts
Theatrical contracts in which most elements of the play conform to everyday reality/One or more elements of a production are heightened in a fashion where they are heightened from reality
Greek Theatre
Theatrical events in honor of the god Dionysus that occured in ancient Greece
French Curve Ruler
Thicker
Hip Curve Ruler
Thinner
S-R-S
Thought process; A stimulus provokes a response which in turn provokes a stimulus
Inner Monologue
Thoughts going on in a characters head even when he doesn't have spoken dialog
Give
Throw focus on the important character in an scene.
Examples of Given Circumstances
Time, Season and weather, Location, relationships, important events, character background and personality
Daylight > Candles (in audience and onstage) > Footlight trough (candles at the foot of stage) > Gas light > Incandescant lamp
Timeline of stage lighting?
8 ways that Words are used for Idea
Title, discussions, aphorism, allusions, set speeches, imagery, symbols, and prologue/epilogue
Share
To assume a position of equal dramatic importance with another actor.
Take Stage
To capture audience attention legitimate, as opposed to "give" or "share".
Mask
To cover something from audience view.
Ad-lib
To create dialouge or movement off the top of your head, without a script.
Bowdlerize
To edit out any vulgar, obscene, or otherwise possibly objectionable material before publication. The origin of the word is Thomas and Harriet Bowdler's prudishly sanitized edition of Shakespeare's plays for Victorian-era family consumption.
Topping
To exceed the tempo and pitch of the previous speech.
Paper the House
To give away free tickets to the families and friends of cast members in order to make it appear as though the play is popular.
Motivate
To have a specific reason for saying something or doing something; to show character's desires through voice and movement.
Physical Contact (G&C)
To make contact with another actor using a part of your body ie, hand
Ad-Lib
To make up words or dialogue on the spot, to speak at liberty.
Open-up
To play toward the audience.
Cheat Out
To play towards the audience while seemingly conversing with others on the stage.
Pick up Cues
To quickly begin a speech without allowing a pause between the first words of the speech and the cue.
Contrast (C)
To show differences when compared
Tea Down
To take the edge off white or bright colours by dipping in a dye solution. Could be tea or coffe. In film the term is to TECH DOWN.
Genetic (Fallacy)
Too much emphasis on the time period/historical context in which it exists
Finley
Tours the country preforming one-woman plays about sexual abuse
Benefit
Tradition begun in the eighteenth-century theatre whereby the profits from an evening's performance were given to a performer of group of performers.
Gelatin
Transparent colered medium used in front of stage lights.
Gelatin
Transparent colored medium used in front of stage lights.
Squeaky Door Theory
Treat accidents as if they were supposed to happen
Tailors Wheel
Triangular
Luis Valdez
Truck theater plays to celebrate latino culture
Loop Turner
Turn Small Spaces
conflict
Two or more forces that oppose each other.
Slapstick
Type of comedy that relies on ridiculous -- often violent -- physical activity for its humor.
Scoop
Type of lighting instrument that has an undefined beam with an indiscernible edge and creates a broad, even light
Genre
Type of play based on desired audience reaction
cooperative play
Type of play in which two or more children interact with one another. At this stage socio-dramatic play begins.
Presentational Theatre
Type of theatre that makes no attempt to offer a realistic illusion on stage. The actors openly acknowledge the audience, often playing to them and sometimes even inviting members to participate.
Dimmer
Unit to control intensity of lights.
Neutral platform stage
Unlocalized stage which allows for easy shifts of locale through the use of properties, entrances, and exits.
Farce
Unserious, two dimensional characters, plot dominates characters, situations are ludicrous (Genre)
Movement (F,G&C)
Use of the body as means of communication
Half-Truth (Fallacy)
Use the same explanation for everything, with negative implications
Natural Density Filter
Used to decrease light's intensity without changing color
Artic / Articulated Lorry
Used to transport required items (props, costumes, technical equipment) in traveling productions
Imagery
Using sensory language to represent objects, actions, or ideas
Satyr play
Usually a ribald takeoff on Greek mythology and history and included a chorus of satyrs, mythological creatures who were half-man and half-goat.
Curtain
Usually the start of a show, but can also be the end of a show or an act, signaled by the raising or lowering of the curtain.
Flat
Usualy canvas covered wood frame used for scenery.
Opposites! Green?
Violet
Functions of Stage Lighting
Visibility, Mood, Selective Focus, Modeling
Ben Jonson
Volpone, The Alchemist, Every Man in His Humour
Holding for Laughs
Waiting for the audience laughter to diminish before continuing dialogue.
The Fourth Wall
Wall between actors and the audience. Keeps the actor from worrying about the crowd. Pretend you see what you would see.
Places
Warning for actors to assume their position on stage for the beginning of the scene.
...what might be subconscious for the audience, characters, or author
We need to make conscious for ourselves...
Style: Plot
What are the types of actions? Primarily serious or comic?
Audience applause
What can a blackout indicate?
Subtext
What characters are thinking but not saying
Actions or Objectives
What characters want or are trying to get
The Moment Before
What happens to the character just before he enters into a scene.
Obstacle
What is in the character's way (preventing her/him in getting what she/he wants).
Setting
What is the location of where the play takes place? What time is it? What is the weather like?...etc
Lamp, lens, reflector
What parts do all basic stage lights have?
Actor Tactics
What the character does in order to get what she/he wants.
Subtext
What the character is implying. What does this dialog really mean?
Objective
What the character wants.
Find Given Circumstances in 4 places
What the playwrights says about "me", What "I" say about "me", what other characters say about "me", and "my" behavior.
Magic IF
What would you do in this situation if you were the character? Find things in common in order to relate. Why do i do this?
Psychological/Emotional
Whats inside "my" mind? What hidden thoughts, fears, emotions do "I" have? Emotional state of mind.
Exposition
Whats revealed only in dialogue
Dramatic Conflict
When a character ants something but cant have it
Yes, But Principle
When performers present offers that do not lead the scene forward and usually leads to negative content (arguments, fights, complaining, etc.)
Yes, Or Principle
When performers suggest ideas (offers) back and forth with out moving the offers forward. (Similar to BRAINSTORMING)
Break Character
When the actor loses concentration while preforming and is not in character.
Introductory incident
When the subject of the conflict is introduced
Why is the moment before important?
Where a character comes from effects how he would enter the scene
Social/Economical Given Circumstances
Where do "I" fit into the world, what is my life style, social class, occupation?
Stage Directions
Where the actor places herself/himself on the stage (up-stage is US, down-stage is DS, stage-right is SR, stage-left is SL, etc...).
Work Lights
White lights used solely for rehearsal. In some theaters the strip lights are used in place of the work lights.
Restoration Theatre
William Wycherly, William Congreve, David Garrick, Peg Woffington
Places to look for Idea
Words, Characters, and Plot
The Orestia
Written by Aeschylus. Only surviving trilogy
Sondheim
Wrote Sweeny Todd.Too serious for light operahs
Marx
Wrote about negative aspects of capitalism and the industrial Revolution. He influenced playwright to begin writing realistic stories about human oppression.Made playwrights believe that their purpose was to improve society
Shaw
Wrote high comedies social reform
Calderón de la Barca
Wrote hundreds of auto sacramental (cloak and sword)plays about spanish values, love honor, revenge,and religious servitude.wrote Life Is A Dream
Euripides
Wrote many famous Greek tragedies. Plays such as The Trojan Women, show the misery that war brings
Yard Stick
Yard Stick
Callboard
a board with notices for communicating to actors and tech crew
Moment
a brief period of time when something of special value is happening. We speak of "making the moment"; can also refer to one transaction between characters. Several moments work together to make up a beat.
call board
a bulletin board on which are posted rehearsal times, performance changes, and special notices
white balance
a camcorder adjustment in which the videographer adjusts the color responses of the camera by showing the camcorder the color "white"under the current lighting conditions or selecting the icon on the display that best describes the lighting situation (indoor, outdoor, etc.)
main gesture
a charcteristic gesture
color wheel
a chart in which complementary colors (or their names) are arranged on opposite sides of a circle
Costume plot
a chart that records items of clothing worn by each actor in each scene of the play
Odes
a choral passage, alternating with the episodes of the plot of the drama.
Turntable/Revolve
a circular platform that can be turned to show different scenes
thrust stage
a combination of the proscenium and the arena stages, with the audience sitting on two or three sides of the acting area
machina
a crane like device that hoisted actors into the air
patch bay
a cross connect or patch panel for sound
amplifier
a device used to boost the signal received from a transducer to a level that will drive the loud speaker.
Ground plan
a drafting of the plan of the set as seen from overhead. A ground plan shows where any scenic pieces or set props (such as furniture) are to be placed
Melodrama
a dramatic genre featuring a conflict between good and bad characters, fast paced action, a spectacular climax, and poetic justice
shadow puppet
a flat, two-dimensional puppet designed to form a silhouette on a white screen
Black box
a flexible performance space (usually small) in which the actor/audience configuration can be easily changed for each production
Chorus
a group of performers working together vocally and physically. A chorus of approximately 12-15 singer-dancers who interacted with and responded to the actors was an important element of ancient Greek theatre.
Loading Platform
a high platform, adjacent to the stagehouse wall, used by stagehands to adjust loads in the counterweight arbors (for dummies: where you go to put weight on the arbor in a flying system)
HMI
a huge bright type of light that is set up to expose the film the same way the sun would
Pinking Shears
a kind of scissors that cuts a zigzag edge, used to prevent fabrics from unraveling.
Head Block, 5 Grooves
a large sheave with corresponding (5) grooves for each lead line, and one groove for the hand line
cross-fade
a light on one side of the stage goes off at the same time another goes on
Balcony Rail
a lighting position on the front edge of the balcony, originally installed in most Broadway theaters
Sitelines
a line of sight, especially one between a spectator and the spectacle in a theater or stadium
Scenario
a listing of the beats of a scene. Also called a breakdown, the scenario gives the actors a sense of the underlying structure of the scene; it serves them as a sort of map as they move through the journey of the scene.
Resume
a listing of your experience with your contact information
moment-to-moment
a logical progression of the action that creates a flow with smooth transitions
green room
a lounge area in which actors may wait while not onstage or greet audience members after the performance
Realism
a movement of the late 19th century championing the depiction of everyday life on the stage and the frank treatment of social problems in the theatre. The plays of Henrick Ibsen of the 1870s were important in establishing a dramatic style for realism. "Realism" continues to be used as a term for representational plays and production style.
Romanticism
a movement that rejected nearly every aspect of neoclassicism, celebrated the natural world, and valued intense emotion and individuality.
Book musical
a musical play that tells a story and has spoken words as well as songs
producer
a person who handles the business end of a production, you secure rights to a play, raise the money, hire the actors and staff, arrange for the rental of the theatre, and supervise any publicity and ticket sales
Playwright
a person who writes plays
Rendering
a picture created by a designer to communicate with other production personnel
shared position
a position on stage in which one actor mirrors another actor's body position
stage door
a private door for actors and theatre personnel, not accessible to the audience
rod puppet
a puppet constructed without shoulders, arms, or legs and manipulated by one or more than one rod
marionette
a puppet manipulated by strings connecting a control rod or paddle to the moving body parts
hand puppet
a puppet that is manipulated by the puppeteer's fingers inside the puppet's head and hands
flowerway
a ramp that extends through the audience from the back of the auditorium up to the stage
special rehearsal
a rehearsal for a special element, such as fight scenes, musical members, dance members, or dialects
run-through
a rehearsal to go through an act or the entire play from beginning to end with as few interruptions as possible
founded the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT)
a school for actors and a company that produced theatre
Balcony
a second tier of seating
Scene
a section of a play with its own main conflict and crisis. A scene usually contains one of the major events of the story and makes a major change in the plot or central relationship. In film or television scripts, scenes are also determined by changed in location or lighting requirements, and each scene is given a "slug line" as in interior living room - night. In some older plays, scenes are marked by the entrance of major characters; these are called French scenes.
blocking rehearsal
a series of rehearsals in which the director and actors work out the blocking, or movement of the actors on stage during the play
Floor Block, 1 Groove
a sheave to reverse the path of a hand line on counterweight sets or curtain track systems
E'tude
a short exercise, series of ambiguous lines without given circumstances or setting that help an actor practice acting techniques such as: onjective, given circumstances, magic if and subtext
Aside
a short line delivered directly to the audience, and thereby, breaking the fourth wall; by dramatic convention, the other characters onstage are presumed not to hear it.
tableau
a slient and motionless depiction of a scene created by actors, often from a picture. the plural word is tableaux
Substitution
a special kind of emotional recall in which someone from the actor's real or imaginary past is substituted (in the actor's own mind) for the other character in a scene in order to enrich the actor's response to that character. This is a dangerous device because it may take the actor out of the here and now, but with caution, it may be useful.
Dramaturg
a specialist in dramatic literature and theatre history who serves as a consultant for production
musical director
a specialist who works with the musicians and teaches the actors the songs for a musical
international phonetic alphabet
a system for transcribing the sounds of speech that is independent of any particular language but applicable to all languages
magic "if"
a technique pioneered by Konstantin Stanislavsky for developing empathy with a character.
created or found space
a theatre area that is found and used as is
Raisonneur
a type of narrator, but one who remains within the action but they have little direct effect on it thus making them objective and credible but they are skeptical
Playable
a way of understanding an objective or action that is useful in performance and contributes to the movement of the scene. The most playable objectives are SIP: Singular, Immediate, and Personally important. The best way of defining an objective is as a change in the other character; as this will draw your energy outward and into the immediate future, bringing you into strong interaction with the other character.
neutral mask
a white, featureless facial covering worn over the actor's own face
platform stage
above the audience
fly space
above where the lights and scenery may be flown, or suspended on ropes
Breakup
abstract gobo - provides non-specific texture
aniline dye
acid-based dye, creates strong colors on natural and some synthetic fibers
presentational theatre
acknowledges that the audiance is present
technical approach
acting from the outside in, concentrating on physical details
Honesty or Truth in Acting
acting so real you can't see the person act
Neoclassic unities
action, place, time
Hypokrites
actor in 5th century Greece
Empathy
actor's ability to put themselves in the place of another person, both for purposes of observation and for applying the transformation to a role. It is possible to empathize with someone even if you do not sympathize with him or her.
Cast
actors in a play
music in poetics
actual sound, patterned sound, most common being language
how are modern shoes made period?
adding buckles, dying, bows, lace
mounting the show
adding the finishing touches, such as scenery, props, and costumes, to a theatrical production
Asbestos Curtain
aka fire curtain a fire resistant curtain made of asbestos fabric or steel. In the event of a fire, the curtain is automatically lowered to isolate the stagehouse from the audience.
Relationship
all characters exist in relationship to other characters, and we come to understand a character mostly by observing the way others related to him or her. For this reason, we say that actors create each other's characters more than they create their own. It is important that you develop your character in specific relationship to the performances of the other actors in your scene.
built show
all costumes are sewed by costume director
Through Line of Action
all of the actions of your character create a clear line leading to the fulfillment of the super objective.
Main Climax
all parts of the play converge at this point and everything appears in its most vivid theatrical form
GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCE
all that creates character in their current situation
Luminaire
all-encompassing term for lighting equipment
puppet
almost anything brought to life by a human in front of an audience
puppetry
almost anything brought to life by human hands to create a performance. Types of puppets include rod, hand, and marionette.
Counterweights
also called bricks; the slabs of iron that are loaded into a counter weight system to offset the weight of the scenery
sound reinforcement
amplification of sound already on stage
emotional memory
an acting technique pioneered by Konstantin Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls the visual and auditory images, or physical circumstances, of a real-life (or imagined) event in order to relive the emotions accompanying it.
Thrust
an actor/audience configuration in which the audience is on 3 sides of the performance area. (maybe theatre)
Suspension of Disbelief
an audience member's unspoken agreement to 'believe' mentally and emotionally in the imaginary world of the play.
cattle call
an audition to which anyone may come and be given a minute or so to perform for the director, also known as an "open call"
Action is not
an emotion or a physical activity
Critique
an evaluation either verbal or written of a performance
equity waiver
an exception to Actors' Equity Association wage standards that allows members to work for free in small productions
gesture
an expressive movement of the body or limbs
Centerline
an imaginary line drawn down the center stage, from upstage to downstage
Fourth Wall
an imaginary wall that separates the actor from the audience.
Stanislavsky system
an individualized, psychological approach to acting
character flaw
an inner flaw that hampers a character's good judgment and leads the character to make unfortunate choices; sometimes called fatal flaw or tragic flaw
tragic flaw
an unchangeable trait in a character that brings about his own ruin
A-D Converter
analog to digital converter used in computer soundcards
Beam angle
angle of spread where the intensity of the light drops to 50% of the max intensity at the center of the beam (does not change with distance)
complication
any force that effects direction of the action
Cue
anything that causes something to happen. For the actor, it refers to the line or event just before his or her character speaks or moves. It can also refer to a change in the lighting or sound.
Brecht
appealing to the intellect not the emotions;mother courage her children; created epic theater and alienation effect
Noh
appeared in the 14th century, written in classical language meant only for the aristocrats
Pit
area immediately below the stage which is usually lower than the auditorium level; used primarily by the stage orchestra
scenic environment
area where action needs to take place
fly loft
area where scenery can be lifted out of the viewing area
STANISLAVSKI
arguably most influential practitioner of 20th century
Avant-Garde
art that pushes recognized boundaries
Concept
artistic decisions meant to communicate a specific interpretation of a play to the audience.
hand puppet
aslo called a glove puppet ,fits over the puppeteer's hand much like a mitten or a glove
quality
aspecs of voice
Attribute
aspect of moving light that can be controlled
Representational
attempts to represent reality on stage
Eugene Scribe
attributed to writing over 700 plays
front of the house
audience area, ticket booths, ushers, etc.
Playwright
author of play
The mind must be 3 things
aware of history, have an active imagination, have focus
Offstage
backstage area outside the performance area
resolution/conclusion
balance is restored
back, key, fill
basic three point lighting which includes a backlight, key, and fill
romanticism
began in the 18th- 19th century; about emotion and imaginary; lots of people; love was a common theme; emotion over reason; came after Englightenment
Mystery Plays
biblical stories. From word Misterium meaning crafts/guild
private moment/solitude in public
blocking out the audience to appear alone doing an activity/action "using the 4th wall"> (Analogy of a cat walking across the stage and pausing to lick himself in front of us.)
Color Filter
blocks all but one color from coming through
Components of Actor's job
body (dance, martial arts), voice (projection, articulation, breathing), and mind (improve, script analysis, character development)
Actor's tools
body, voice, mind
animation
bringing something to life through movement and action (ex. puppets)
Trim
buttons, rickrack, lace, and so on.
Style: Organization
by cause and effect? are there digressions?
Emile Zola
called for naturalism, claiming that plays should show a "slice of life"
wagon stage
can be moved easily, has castors
Lifts
carry and transfer the loads of a fly system to the fly system infrastructure
climatic structure
cause and effect
Protagonist
central character
recognition
change from ignorance to knowledge on one part of the character
Unit of Action
change in the rhythm of the scene
Perspective Scenery
changeable scenery for specific plays (tragedies, comedies, pastoral tragicomedies). Appeared as early as 1508 and standardized approaches to such scenery were popularized by Sebastian Serlio. Ex: Wings, flats
10 pieces of info on Hookup
channel number, dimmer number, circuit number, position, unit number, type, wattage, purpose or focus, gel color, template or gobo
given circumstances
character analysis approach that begins with examining characters' life circumstances. Can include general background of the character
Narrator/Chorus
character that adds spoken commentary to a play/group of characters that serve as participants, commentators, or supplements to the main action
conflict
characters with opposing wishes or running opposing events or opposing goals
Type Casting
choosing the stereotype of the part
Action
circumstances that impel you to act; to be art, you have to create the circumstances and feelings through imagination; the creation of these things leads you to do something, to act; if you are ever on stage and are doing nothing, then something is terribly wrong; and if you are ever on stage doing something but have no reason for doing it, then something else is wrong.
A1
code used by the Lighting Industry Forum to indicate recommended usage of lanterns
kino flo
color corrected, high frequency florescent source of light developed to eliminate flicker problems. they produce less heat and fit into smaller places. A good soft light.
rendering
color or black and white picture of set in perspective
CTB
color temperature Blue
additive mixing method
combines wavelengths to make another color (for example, if a green and a red light shine on a white surface, the overlapping areas will appear amber)
puppet
comes from the word in latin pupa, meaning doll, can almost be anything brought to life by human in front of an audience
Backlight
comes from upstage or from behind actors.
Direct Idea
comes right out and states it
Kyogen
comic interlude during the Noh dramas
Fill Light
compensates for holes in key lighting
NATURALISM
complete representation of the'rich complexities of the human soul'
TOTAL THEATRE
complete use of actors as props, furniture, mime artists, vocal experts and actors
resolution
compromise all the events following the climax
CAD patterns
computer assorted design
modernism
concept that sees theatre as detached from life and so able to reflect life
fire curtain
consists of metal or fireproof fabric to prevent the fire from spreading
scenery
consists of onstage decorations to help establish the time and place of a play
BERKOFF
contemporary, controversial practitioner who propounds 'total theatre'
Where does LEKO get its name?
contraction of original manufacturers' names: Joseph Levy and Edward F. Kook - founders of century lighting
The body must have 3 things
control, flexibility, ability to relax
Designer
controls the environment in the theatre, influence audience's emotional involvement, and communicate information (time and place).
4th wall
convention of the theatre where the actor pretends the audience isn't there
Early Church's reasons for distaining theatre
convincing actors were too powerful a tool of persuasion
pulled
costumes that are rented or bought
types of natural fibers
cotton, linen, silk, wool
Wigs
covering head - real or fake hair - different styles and lengths 3 types of hair: Human, Yak, synthetic
flat patterning
created for one specific actor, laid out of butcher paper
Backlight
creates a line around the actor separates him/her from the scenery
sound designer
creates a soundtrack to support the show. It may be recorded or live
Scenic Designer
creates a visual home for the play
Stressed the importance of ensemble
creating a give and take between actors
Greeks
credited with the origins of the theatre
crisis
crucial moment, lead to climax
episodic structure
cumulative, loose pass or journey through plot
first hand
cutting fabrics, preparing it for stitchers
interpretive dance
dance that tells a story
set designer
decides how the scenary will look and how it will be built; choses paints colors and all materials; produces scale drawings for technical director to use in construction
contrast ratio
describes the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and darkest blacks can be displayed in a picture
Costume Designer
designs costumes for the show
Counterweight System
device for balancing the weight of scenery, allowing it to be easily lowered or raised above the stage by means of ropes or wires and pulleys
transducer
device that converts energy from one state into another
Maroon
device that creates the sound of an explosion
beam width
diameter along any specified line that is perpendicular to the beam axis and intersects it (changes with distance)
Plato
didn't support theater. Believed a convincing actor was harmful to society
specular light
diffused direct light produced by focusable spotlight; best example - sun; PARALLEL RAYS, create harsh shadows with well-defined edges
synthespian
digital actor created by computer animators
collaborator
director champions intention of playwright
Auteur
directors who operate with total control
REALISM
distillation of the detailed observation of everyday life
costume aging
distressing, used to wear down stress points like knees and elbows
phrasing
dividing and adding emphasis
open face light
does not have a lens, but is more powerful than an equivalent sized fresnel. Generally used as raw power light to be bounced or heavily diffused.
indicating
doing an action that appears fake or superficial...lacks connection to your body...not organic
respond to a strong stimulus
don't manufacture a false response
Fire Doors
doors made of fire-resistant material that can be closed to prevent the spread of fire
Orchestra
down front seats nearest the stage
callback list
during auditions, a list directors keep of actors they want to call back for subsequent auditions as they narrow the field of candidates
Hem
edge of cloth, turn the edge of the cloth under then sew
Empathy
emotional identification. Refers to audience participation
Exodos
ending. The chorus sings their final lines.
stock characters
established charcters, such as young lovers, neighborhood busybodies, sneaky villians, and overprotective fathers, who are immediately reconizable by an auidence.
Box Seats
expensive seats located in front of and to the right of the balcony and separated from other seating areas
naturalism
extreme form of realism; has a 1 hour and 15 min play about a guy brushing his teeth
Blinders
face the audience to prevent them from seeing backstage
Modified Authenticity
fashions do not have to be replicated stitch by stitch as long as prominent design elements and the line that identifies them are there.
tempo
fast or slow
Ibsen
father of realism. wrote Dolls house
Peking Opera
features chanting, singing, and musical accompaniment
Experiencing vs Indicating
feeling and reaction to situation, trying to get audience to understand
Fill Side
fills enough to make the actor more visible fill is ALWAYS less than key
Silk
filter that stretches light in different directions
Dress rehersal
final few rehersals with full technical elements and full dresses
climax
find out if world can be put back into order
Discoveries
finding out things about the play or characters you didn't know before
Barndoors
flaps on the front of a Fresnel that are adjusted to control the beam.
Bump
flash in light - often a cue
bounce light
flash or tungsten light bounced off a reflective surface (such as the ceiling or walls) to give the effect of natural or available light
Pin Spot
focuses a small beam on a specific spot
Variety
focuses on differences and diversities in a work of art. (Contrasts)
denouement
follows the climax and ties up loose ends
act curtain
for between scenes, which is of lighter fabric and is decorated in keeping with the mood or theme of the play
Bioenergetics
form of therapy by storing emotions in our bodily structure and that the stored emotion can be released through physical action.
Grid
framework of steel affixed to the stage ceiling, used to support rigging necessary for flying scenery
draping
freestyle, no paper
FOH
front-of-house: anything in the audience, commonly used to describe staff such as ushers, also lighting positions
Crinolines
full stiff underskirts.
tragic-comedy
fusion of serious and comic
design concept
general idea of how the set will look
"Betty Crocker Method"
generally at least 5 lights on every production
Verse
generally rhyming
Introduction
gives name, selection(s) and character
masque
glorious spectacle performed for nobility
William Shakespeare
greatest dramatist of all time
Dance Lighting System
group of lighting instruments which all utilize a specific angle and when used together cover the entire stage
Producer
handles business aspects of show
artistic director
handles hiring the director, cast, and designers
Bifocal Spot
has two sets of shutters
millinery
hats
Costume Parade
having actors move on stage to get comfortable in their costumes and to see if they fit.
Measurements
head, neck, shoulders, chest/bust, waist, hips, arms, leg, inseam, and shoe
Cans
headsets used to communicate backstage
lighting designer
helps establish mood, place, & intensity with the use of light
assistant director
helps keep the rehearsal process organized and running smoothly, taking duties that range from coordinating rehearsal schedules and rehearsing movement with actors to making sure that the actors are speaking the correct lines and that all the director's instructions were written down some times handled by the stage manager
cues
helps to know what to do next
Dip
hidden trapdoor concealing outlets on stage or a lacquer used to tint bulbs or lighting set up at stage level
tweeter
high frequency speaker
Compact Iodide Daylight "CID"
high intensity lamp that simulates daylight
pitch
high or low
ambient light level
highly diffused light that covers all the set. it is undefined, directionless light.
Antiquarianism
historical accuracy
union dye
household dyes like Rit Dye, work well on natural fibers
Unity
how all the components of a work of art work together to produce a whole.
Relationship
how the characters feel about one-another
production concept
how the play should look and feel
Morality Plays
humanity's struggle with good and evil
central image
idea that goes with entire play
Components of Production
idea/script, sets, lights, costumes, props, performers
subtext
ideas, feelings, thoughts not expressed directly in the text
CL
imaginary line down middle of stage
Curtain Line
imaginary line in which the act curtain meets the floor
subtext
imformation that is implied but not stated by the character, thoughts or actions that do not express the same meaning as the spoken words
flipping the lid
improperly manipulating a movable-mouth hand puppet, causing flapping of the upper jaw or head
Rogers
in 1943 his play Oklahoma! came to Broadway. Incorporated story telling into his play.
Arbor
in a flying system, the cage where the operators put the counterweight to balance the weight of the scenery
Purchase Line
in a flying system, the rope that the operator uses to move the scenery or lighting unit up and down during the performance
Wings
in a proscenium theatre, spaces offstage left and right for actors, crew, and scenery not yet in the visible performance space
technical director
in charge of lighting and sound
draper
in charge of patterning, draping. oversees the creation of design
box
in proscenium staging, seating for upperclass
fourth wall
in proscenium, idea that the audience is looking through an invisible fourth wall into the action
set model
in scale representation of finished set
Baby Lens
incandescent spotlight
foreshadowing
indicates forthcoming action
subtext
information that is implied by a character but not stated by a character in dialouge, including actions and thoughts.
Parcan
intense light - used for special effects
design elements of lighting
intensity direction/angle color shape texture space
Thrust Stage
is a combination of the proscenium and the arena stage, the audience sits on two or three sides of the acting arena, which projects, or thrusts, into the audience area from a rear wall, which has some kind of scenery, the actor enter and exit through the audience as in arena stage and also through doors in the rear-wall scenery
shadow puppet
is a flat, two dimensional figure controlled by a wire or rod against a screen
rod puppet
is a puppet manipulated by one or more rods
full-body puppet
is a puppet worn over the puppeteer's head and body
In Proscenium and Thrust stages the back wall
is one of the stage house separates it from the backstage area, big doors allow for large pieces of scenery to be brought in
business manager
is responsible for fundraising, publicity, programs, ticket sales, and paying bills
Orchestra pit
is the area for musicians, it may extend underneath the stage
stage manager
is the director's technical liaison backstage during rehearsal and performances, giving directions, solving problems, and ensuring smooth transitions between scenes
Light & Sound booth
it is rear of the house or the top of the balcony, to the house technicians who control lights, music, or special effect
kabuki
japanese singing, dancing, acting
accessories
jewlery or other non props part of costumes
Chorus
kept the audience informed of the action
Jean Rosenthall's lighting cues
keyed to both music and physical impulse, no matter what style of dance she was lighting
Beam Light
lamp that uses a parabolic reflector for high-intensity
Pearl
lamp with frosted finish that diffuses light
Units
large sections than beats within a play
Lux
level of illumination on a surface
Nonrepresentational play
light could be expressionistic
spill
light that covers more than it is supposed to
directional light
light that illuminates a relatively small area with a distinct light beam. Directional light, produced by spotlights, creates harsh, clearly defined shadows
Aero
light with tight beam that produces intense light
Advance Bar
lighting bar set downstage of the proscenium
Ballyhoo
lighting effect when swinging a spot beam in a figure 8
backlighting
lighting from behind the actors
inciting incident
lights the fuse, sets it off
aesthetic elements of costumes
line color shape fabric accessories makeup
aesthetic elements of set design
line color mass rhythm movement texture
Silhouette
line of the garment.
Color Call
list of colors needed for a lighting plan
Costume Plot
lists every comfort costume for each scene.
intensity
loudness, measured in decibels, db
Array
loudspeakers flown in for a performance
woofer
low frequency speaker
Birdie
low voltage uplight often used to conceal set pieces
Mezzanine
lower balcony seating
secondary colors
magenta, yellow, cyan
Key Light
main source of lighting
Breaking Down
make new clothes look old- scrubbed, dirtied, use cheese grater
Modeling
makes the actor look 3-dimmensional, shadows
Building
making a costume.
Fabrics
material used to make costumes
Baffle
material used to prevent light from spilling into another area or to reduce sound reflection
Ampere / Amps
measurement of electrical current in a circuit
sense memory
memories of sight, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures used to help define a character in a certian situaion.
Douser
metal flag used to block a beam of light
Donut
metal plate inserted into lanterns to sharpen focus
armor materials
metals, plastic, wood, leather, thermoplastic
body mike
mike that an actor wears in their hair or on their face
Side Stages
mini-stages to the left/right of the main stage
Selective Focus
misdirect, have the audience look where you want them to be
fiber reactive dye
most useful for fabric painting
sound reproductions
motivated: car leaving environmental: crickets
Scoop
mounted in ellipsoidal reflector - produces soft-edged, circular beam. Used as floodlight.
Neoclassicism
movement based on study of ancient Greek and Roman culture
three functions of sound
music, effects, reinforcement
Blocking
n. Director's planned movement for the characters. v. A planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage
post-modernism
named itself; reaction against modernism; theatre is what you think it is; raises questions and doesn't supply answers; has no point
story
narrative
Catwalk
narrow platform suspended above the stage to permit ready access to the ropes, the lights, & the scenery hung from the grid
Notions
needles, thread pins, elastic, hooks and eyes, snaps, buttons, and so on.
Stand by what you choose to put on the stage
never allow yourself to fall below a certain standard
37
number of plays Shakespeare wrote
154
number of sonnets Shakespeare wrote
synthetic fibers
nylon, acrylics, acetate, rayon, polyester
developed these techniques by
observing various acting troupes and productions
Noh
oldest form of Japanese Theatre
wireless mic
omnidirectional patterns, an actor with have a mic connected to a battery pack which transmits the sound to the receiver
Sophocles
one of the greatest writer of all time alongside Shakespeare
Raked Stage
one that is slanted upward toward the rear, mostly to show dimension/depth (like a street)
Ethics
one's artistic integrity and responsibility to the art form
greenroom
only scenery in Hindu theatre is a wall
scenery
onstage decoration to help establish the time and place of a play
Circle of Attention
onstage we are absorbed by the closest objects in that circle and this constant shift of attention is crucial to living on the stage.
preview performance
open to public but not reporters
Trap
opening in the stage floor, normally covered, which can be used for special effects, such as having scenery or performers rise from below, or which permits the construction of a staircase that ostensibly leads to a lower floor or cellar
Illusion of the First Time
opposite of anticipating. dont react to something before it happens
SUPER OBJECTIVE
over arching objective of whole play
Director
oversees artistic aspects of show
director
oversees the entire process of staging a production, coordinating everything that actually happens onstage
Stage Manager
oversees the entire production crew, rehearsals & performance
Lamp Tray
part of lamp where lamp holder sits
Vomitories
passageways located underneath the seating that generally give access to the stage. (there are some in Maybee theatre
omni directional microphone
patter extends in a spherical pattern around the mic head
Theatre
performing in a place for an audience
Mime
performing without sound
Director
person in charge of artistic aspect of theater production
Aristotle
philosopher influenced Theater never wrote a play, wrote a guide to tragedies. wrote the poetics(pg 298)
character in poetics
physchological, physical and moral makeup of person
Slapstick
physical commedy
Onstage
physically inside acting area
Bi-Directional microphone
picks up sound in front and behind, but not on the sides
magic sheet
pictoral reference to the lighting instruments and their respective channel numbers; used exclusively by lighting designer; crucial during tech rehearsals
Henrik Ibsen
pioneer of realism who challenged audiences to face their personal demons
Electrics
pipes onstage numbered forward (from proscenium, toward upstage)
Pit
place where the poorer stood in the Elizabethan Era
Galleries
place where the wealthiest sat in the Elizabethan Era
Liturgical Drama
plays performed by the clergy in latin as part of the worship service in Christian monasteries and cathedrals during the Middle Ages.
Public Domain
plays written before 1923 are no longer protected
Aristotle's Six Elements of a Play
plot, character, thought, language, music, spectacle
complex plots
plots contain recognition, reversals, catastrophe
simple plots
plots without recognition, reversals or catastrophe
plot,character,thought,diction,music,spectacle
poetics in order
theatricalism
post-modern; makes no pretense of reality
ellipsoidal reflector
powerful light that shines from far away from the stage
rehearsal
practice sessions in which the actors and technicians prepare public performance through repetition.
Rhetorical Tradition
presentation style, external characteristics manipulated for desired effect, emphasis on vocal delivery
theatre of involvement
presentation; seeks to actively involve the audiance; post-modern
prompter
primary duty is to feed lines to actors when they forget them, they must follow every line in rehearsal and performance, and ready to assist when needed
key light
primary source of light. provides dominant illumination and casts the strongest shadows. most directional lighting and corresponds to the motivating light source in setting
Aphorism
principle truth, center, motto, etc; brief quotable statement that expresses human emotions
dressing rooms
private or semiprivate areas where actors put on make up, change clothes, and store their costumes for a show
Balconies
projecting upper floors, with more audience seating
Exposition
provides background information.
marionette puppet
puppets controlled and manipulated by strings
Catharsis
purgation of pity and fear experienced upon watching theater.
Neoclassic goals defining verisimilitude
push idea of reality, morality, and universality
resonance
quality caused by vibration that enriches vocal tone
timbre
quality of a sound, based on the harmonics of the sound producing objects
CIRCLE OF ATTENTION
range of focus which helps actor to avoid self consciousness
frequency
rate at which an object vibrates, measured in Hertz, hz
absurdism
reaction against everything; no point to anything; in a god-less universe human exsistence has no meaning or purpose so all communication breaks down
expressionism
reaction against realism; play that emphasizes over simplified characters, sets, and writing in order to make their point; symbolic; opposite of reality; no hopes and dreams; you will be crushed by something higher than you
realism
reaction againt romanticism; a play that presents life as it actually is; bad can win; Ibsen who is Norwegin is the father of dramatic realism
Box Set
realistic, interior setting made of flats to simulate the three interior walls, and sometimes a ceiling the audience views the play through the imaginary fourth wall
Ben Jonson
rebellious playwright of the Elizabethan Era
Copyright
recognize plays as intellectual property of playwright
Focus Chart
record indicating exact focus of all lanterns
primary colors
red, green, blue
Allusion
reference to another work of literature or to a person or an event outside the play
CMY
refers to colors mixed in moving lights
Production
refers to the play as a rehearsed performance, and one that is performed in front of a live audience.
general working rehearsal
rehearsals during which the director and actors work on individual scenes and concentrate on understanding the characters' motivation, emotions, and personallity
tech rehearsal
rehearsals that include the lights, sound, costumes, more complex props, and final set pieces
Proportion
relationship between the levels (fundamental shape of rise, crisis, and release)
Digital Light Curtain "DLC"
remote-controlled batten with color changers
Subtractive mixing method
removes wavelengths of light to make another color; can be done using filters or colored pigment (for example, if a white light passes through an amber color filter, only red and green pass through; the blue light is absorbed and hence subtracted out of the light path)
ground plan
representation of how the set will look from above
condenser
requires power and is the most electronically complex microphone
The voice must have 5 things
resonant, flexible, projection, enunciate, dialects
wardrobe crew
run crew, quick changes, laundry
Gorky
russian naturalist playwright (Lower Depths). Tried to call for social reform
Miracle Plays
saint's plays
Swatches
samples of fabric for various costumes.
Episodes (scenes)
scene in the action of the drama
formal scenes
scene is a collection of units marked by a change of time or place
low key
scene is flooded with shadows and darkness with little or no fill. Mysteries, Romance, thrillers
Skene
scenery
orchestra
seating in front of the stage
Off-Broadway
seats 100-500; professional
Broadway
seats 500-1800; professional.
Subplot
secondary line of action
turn table
section of stage that can rotate
Emotional Memory
sense memory (Stanislavski greatly influenced by a book called the Psychology of Emotions by Theodule Ribot, who stated that the memory of all life's experiences are recorded in the nervous system); if feelings of past events in your life don't immediately come to you, then concentrate on what you saw and heard, on what you did and where you were; recalling these sensory details will bring back the feelings associated with them (one of his most controversial ideas).
Prose
sentences/paragraph structure
make up room
separate from dressing room and devoted to many characters for make up
Chase
sequence of cues to change lighting
Side Light
serves to makes actor look more 3-dimmensional
Raked Stage
set at an angle. Early proscenium theatres featured a raked stage: the stage was elevated much higher at the back of the stage (upstage) than closer to the stage (downstage). Modern designers sometimes build a raked stage for a particular production as part of the design concept. When the audience area is raked, the seating is elevated toward the back of the house to facilitate seeing over the rows in front.
objectives of set design
set locale time period mood realism/nonrealism solve practical problems coordinate central image environment
Pattern
set of forms in the shape of different pieces of clothing
objectives of lighting design
set place/time focus central image visibility mood coordinate rhythm reveal shape
downlighting
shines straight down on actors
Accessories
shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, glasses, jewelry, etc.
crafts
shoes, jewelry, accessories, etc.
What is the order of costume shops?
shop manager, draper, first hand, stitcher, crafts, millinery, wardrobe and run crew
telegraphing
signaling to the audience his reaction before a stimulus is given to him
Variables of costume design
silhouette (overall shape) - color - texture - accent
general mike
sits on stage
PZM/PCC mic
small condenser mic that picks up sound up to 15 feet away.
skene
small, hut-like building behind the stage that acted as a dressing room
French scenes
smaller than formal scenes, a portion of a drama delineated by the entrance or exit of a character
how are pulled felt hats made?
soak it, then shape it with steam
fresnel
soft focus
"Less is more"
some actors overact when simply doing actions is the most effective.
inner conflict
some sort of unfinished business that is so compelling that it handicaps the character until it is confronted
choreographer
someone who creates new dances and organizes the dancers of the cast.
costume designer
someone who designs or supplies costumes (as for a play or masquerade)
producer
someone who finds financing for and supervises the making and presentation of a show (play or film or program or similar work)
Norm character
someone who is adjusted to the world of the play and knows more about the situation than other characters
director
someone who supervises the actors and directs the action in the production of a show
playwright
someone who writes plays
digression
something that departs from the main progression in the play, deviates from the plot
Image
something we already know that is used to describe, illuminate, or expand upon something we dont know or cannot easily be told
mid-range
speaker that reproduces the middle range of audible frequencies
Fills
speakers used in addition to main sound system
Dialogue
spoken words
diction in poetics
spoken words
costume shop manager
staff member who coordinates the efforts of cutters, stitchers, and other personnel in building costumes
thrust
stage where the audience sits on three sides
Audition
standard tool for casting productions, it is a performance in order to get a role
plot
stresses action and causality
samisen
stringed instrument used by the orchestra in Japanese theatre
Presentational
style of production that acknowledges theatricality and does not attempt to created the impression of "real life" on the stage. Presentational scenery, costumes, and lighting may suggest, distort, or even abstract reality. Presentational acting may include lines directed to the audience or other recognition of its presence
other conventions
suspension of disbelief, beat, through-line, given circumstances, setting, e'tude
method acting
system of realistic acting was distilled by followers of Konstantin Stanislavsky and has been taught primarily since the 1930's in America
negative actions to avoid
telegraphing, indicating
Inner monologue
the "stream of consciousness" of the character. As a training or rehearsal device, actors sometimes verbalize or at least think through their characters' inner monologues to be sure they have provided full inner justification for their external actions.
empathy
the ability to understand and identity with another's situation to the extent of experiencing that person's emotion
Casting
the act of choosing actors for parts
Dual consciousness
the actor's ability to be immersed in the character and the character's world while still reserving a level of awareness for artistic judgment. Different types of material make different demands on actors in this regard, with film requiring the virtual elimination of the actor's awareness is favor of the character's.
Visualization
the actor's ability to imagine a situation, to "see" it in the mind's eye. A special and affective form of rehearsal called Visuo-Motor Behavior Rehearsal (VMBR) allows you to visualize your performance while in a relaxed state, allowing your deep muscles to respond to your mental image.
Sense memory
the actors recall of sights, sounds, touch, and smell from specific past events.
Events
the actual happenings of a play
Subtext
the actual meaning of dialogue behind the spoken words
stage
the area where actors perform
orchestra
the area where the chorus danced
structure
the arrangement of the parts of the plot and their relationship to each other
Humor
the atitude that makes life bearable
suspension of disbelief
the audience agrees to pretend with the performers, in order to immerse themselves in the events that are about to take place on the stage
given circumstances
the backgroud and basic situation surrounding a scene
stage crew
the backstage technical crew responsible for running the show. In small theatre companies the same persons build the set and handle the load-in. Then, during performances, they change the scenery and handle the curtain.
Rising Action
the basic internal conflict is complicated be the introduction of related secondary conflicts.
Conflict
the central element of causal plot; two forces working against each other
Superobjective
the character's main desire in life, the life goal toward which each of his or her individual objectives is direct. Characters, like people in everyday life, are often unconscious of this life goal, but it pervades everything they do. Stanislavski also spoke of a superobjective for the actor, which was "to understand how every moment of the performance contributes to the reason why the play was written."
vocal quality
the charateristics of a voice, such as a shrill, nasal, raspy, breathy, booming, and so fourth.
Suppression
the choice not to act in response to a stimulus but, rather, to "hold down" the energy the stimulus has aroused. By allowing yourself to feel the urge to act, then make the effort to suppress it, you can turn a "not doing" into a playable action. A "not doing" is useful because it helps build suspense.
Communication
the circle of speaking, listening and responding between characters
motivation
the conscious or subconscious reason a character takes a particular action
production values
the critical elements of a production, such as acting, directing, lighting, costuming, sets, and makeup
volume
the degree of loudness or intensity of a voice.
Stage manager
the director's liaison backstage during rehersal and performance. The stage manager is responsible for the running of each performance.
stage manager
the director's technical liaison backstage during rehearsals and performances
Opposites
the diverse way of seeing and playing emotions in a scene
superobjective
the driving force that governs a character's actions throughout the play
Parados
the entrance song of the chorus.
Moment Before
the events and feelings prior to the scene
Public Solitude
the feeling of being alone while others are around; if this really happens it is a strange and wonderful feeling to act as if the only people and future is on the stage.
dress rehearsal
the final rehearsal, when costumes and makeup are added, before the play opens
table work
the first step in the rehearsal process; the actors read through the play while seated around a table. Afterward, the director and actors discuss the characters, motivations, and meaning, and the designers may present their ideas to the cast
grand drape
the front curtain, which is typically made of luxurious fabric in deep colors
verisimilitude
the illusion of truth
theatre
the imitation or representation of life performed for other people; the performance of dramatic literature; drama; the mileu of actors, technicians, and playwrights; the place where dramatic performances take place.
Stakes
the importance
focus
the intended point of interest on stage
Chroma
the intensity of a color, its brilliance or dullness
Dramatic function
the job a character was created to do within the story; can be related to plot, meaning, the audience's understanding of the main character, or any combination of these.
stage left
the left side of the stage from the perspective of an actor facing the auidence.
protagonist
the main character of a play and the character with whom the audience identifies most strongly
Grand Drape (Main Curtain)
the main curtain
Key Side
the main light source onstage ex.) the sun
acoustics
the manner in which the space reflects or absorbs sounds
rising action
the middle part of a plot consisitng of complications and discoveries that create conflict
Pace
the momentum or flow of a scene. Momentum is different than tempo, which refers to the speed of the action. Regardless of tempo, a scene had good pace when the connections of cause and effect, action and reaction, are strong and real so that the action flows with integrity and purpose. Paradoxically, slowing the tempo of a scene will sometimes improve the pace because the actors are forced to experience the connections of action and reaction more fully.
primary event
the most important incident in the background story
point of attack
the movement when the play begins in relation to the background story
Objective
the objective activates your will to action; emotion will follow, as you pursue the object of your desire.
dark night
the one night of the week when a play is not performed and the theatre is closed; typically Monday nights
Prologos
the opening portion of the play
Actor's position
the orientation of the actor to the audience
Main Idea
the outcome of the entire presented experience of the play, both the performance and mise-en-scene
through-line
the overall objective of the play
Role
the part in a play
resonators
the parts of the bod that creat a vowel sound
articulators
the parts of the body that create consonant sounds -
Acting
the performance of a part or role in a drama performance
assistant director
the person who acts as the liaison between the director and the cast and crew and who takes charge of the rehearsal when the director is absent. Another set of eyes and ears
prop designer
the person who selects, designs, and finds the props
Imaginary Other
the person you are talking to in a monologue
Anto proscenium (First AP)
the pipeline above the audience, before the proscenium numbered backward (from first AP, toward the audience)
stage manager's booth
the place from which the stage manager calls the actors to the stage, gives the order to raise and lower the curtain, and gives cues to both the lighting and the sound crew, and supervises change of scenery
Circumstance
the place, situation and character relationships
Projection
the placement and delivery of volume, clarity, and distinctness of voice for communicating to an audience
Fly Space/Fly Gallery
the platform above the floor level of the stage, used for tying fly lines
Progression
the plot's always advancing forward feeling
text
the printed words, including dialouge and the stage direction for a script
Transformation
the process by which the actor begins to "become" the character, or more accurately, make the character his or her "own". To use the language of William James, the character becomes a new "me" to be inhabited by the actor's "I". Stanislavski used the term metamorphosis.
Justifying
the process of connecting outer (visible or audible) actions to inner needs and processes. The script provides the basis for the outer actions; as much as the script may also hint at the inner action that produces this outer action, however, it is finally the task of the actor to justify it, and in so doing the actor puts his or her personal stamp on the performance.
climax
the prominent peek emotional intensity that produces a significant change in the characters
hue
the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength
depth of field
the range or distance before and behind the main focus of a shot within which objects remain relatively sharp and clear
Rhythm
the regular repetition of elements, patterns or movement in a work of art.
off-book rehearsal
the rehearsal when the actors must have their lines memorized because they no longer have the script with them on stage
color temperature
the relative blueness or redness of white light, measured in Kelvin degrees. Bluish light has high color temperature; reddish light has a low one.
stage right
the right side of the stage from the actor's perspective facing the audience
Build
the rising action or increased intensity of a scene
inciting action
the single event in the play the sparks the main action or conflict
catastrophe
the single most distinguishing feature in a classic tragedy
Downstage
the stage area closest to the audience; on the raked stage of the Renaissance theatres, the stage literally sloped downward as it got closer to the audience
Play
the stage representation of an action or a story, a dramatic compositions
Tactics
the strategies characters use to get what they want from others
Stagehouse
the structure containing the performing area and offstage space; storage stage house or loft that is usually as high or higher than the proscenium itself
Stimulus
the thing your character is reacting to at any given moment. The most useful stimuli are in the immediate present, however much they may trigger needs or feelings from your character's past.
Objectives
the thing your character pursues through action that he or she thinks will satisfy that need. An objective is best defined using a transitive verb phrase, such as "to persuade him to give me a territory in town." In practice, the most useful form of objective is a change in the other character, such as "to get him to look at me with compassion." The terms intention and task are sometimes used to mean objective.
American federation of television and radio artists
the trade union, affiliated with the AFL-CIO, that represents talk-show hosts as well as announcers, singers, disc jockeys, newscasters, sportscasters, and even stuntpoeple
screen actors guild
the union that represents film and television actors
actors' equity association
the union that represents stage actors
Recall
the use of a memory from the actor's real or imagined past sensations similar to those required by a scene in order to enrich the actor's response to the scene. Stanislavski believed that every cell in the body was capable of such memory, and he urged actors to develop their storehouse of such memories.
manipulation
the way a puppeteer moves or works a puppet
manipulation
the way a puppeteer works or moves a puppet
style
the way in which the play is written, produced, and acted
Pronunciation
the way to say a word
Attitude
the way your character feels about something that has happened.
Magic If
the word "if" opens the door to the imagination; the word "if" is magical in that it gives us permission to be something other than what we are; it enables us to place ourselves in situations in which we have never been, and to live those situations.
Given Circumstance
the world and situation within which your character lives, especially as it affects his or her action. The circumstances include who, when, where, and what. The Given Circumstances of the play can include anything the author has supplied with his story. Some examples include: Place (where the scene takes place, like a living room), Sensory Elements (heat, cold, looking out a window, physical handicaps, etc.), Relationships (to the other characters and to the "event" of the scene, what others in the play say about you, etc.), and Period Specific (choices regarding the period of the play).
script
the written text of a play
Wardrobe
theater's collection of costumes
The Globe
theatre where Shakespeare's company of actors worked primarily
multi focus theatre
theatre where there are many different scenes going on at the same time
thought in poetics
theme
covered buckram hats
thick, tightly woven
gel
thin piece that goes over a light fixture to change the color
scrim
thinly sewn fabric that if lighted from the front look full but if lit from the back is see through
Sensory Recall
this is a part of concentration; associate sense and memories with feelings.
Super Objective
this is like the theme. (Ex: Hamlet, the S.O. could be stated as 'the taking of revenge leads to tragedy')
Functional traits
those traits your character was given (or that you provide) to allow the character to believable fulfill his or her dramatic function within the story.
design team
those who design and coordinate the production's set, props, lighting, sound, costumes, and makeup
subtext
thoughts of the character that are not spoken...what is underneath the lines. Important: aids the actor is discovering and defining why he is saying a specific line and forces him to investigate the motivation, backstory and relationship to other characters in the script
Goethe
three questions:1. What was the artist trying to do? 2.did the artist succeed? 3. Was the attempt worthwhile?
Movement
time duration of light cues ex.) slow, blackout, crossfade, sunset
Designer's job
to control the environment in the theatre, influence audience's emotional involvement, and communicate information
Purpose
to create real characters and prevent actors from being caricatures, and creating overly exaggerated or hackneyed portrayals
Cover
to hide an unplanned instance on stage from the audience.
open
to keep your face and the front of your body visible to the audience as much as possible
project
to make your voice fill the performance space
cross
to move from one place on stage to another
improvise
to speak or act without a script
Beckett
took Akalaitis to court about copyright/ cham=nging meaning of the play(Endgame)
a fabric's "hand" is determined by...
touch, what it's made of, woven out of, treated with, finished with
representational theatre
traditional theatre; fourth wall theatre; doesn't involve the audiance
microphone
transducer that converts sound waves into electrical energy
loud speaker
transducer used to convert an electrical signal into mechanical energy
Competition
trying to win the beats of a scene
The Second Shepherd's Play, Everyman
two Medieval plays
melodrama
type of romanticism; good vs evil; about feelings good has to win
Locking Rail/Fly Rail
typically a steel angle or rectangular tube to which the rope locks of a counterweight system are mounted; locking rails are located on the stage deck and/or fly gallery and typically extend from the proscenium wall to the upstage wall (so on the side)
Euripides
uncelebrated Greek playwright who wrote about public issues and the psychology of the individual
Subtext
unstated motivations, ideas, or tensions beneath the surface of a play's text. Often the subtext is more important than the text. "Nonverbal layer."
rake
upward slant used in set design and in seating
Representational play
use natural/source lighting
EMOTION MEMORY
use of previous experience of feelings to inform character reaction
screen projections
used as scenery, has to be dark
Action
used in two ways: in a play or film script, the dramatic action is what happens in the story or scene in the most fundamental sense. For the actor, the action is what his or her character does to try to fulfill a need by winning some objective. Stanislavski spoke of both Spiritual (inner) and Physical (outer) action. Action is the most fundamental concept behind most systems of acting.
Boss Plate
used to bolt down scenery
thumbnail sketch
used to help discussion with director, very rough
counterweight system
used to hold up flies
Elevator
used to raise & lower floor to get scenery, props, & performers offstage
disperse dye
used with synthetics like acetate, nylon, and polyester
dress rehearsal
uses costumes
resonators
uses the hard and soft palate, throat, and sinuses
multimedia theatre
uses video, art, or photography with the theatre
articulators
uses your jaw, teeth, tongue, lips, and soft palate
Front of House
usher. Shows people to seats, checks tickets
subsitution
using a past event that can be put in place of one in the scropt to produce an emotional response to a situation in the script
endowment of an object
using an object to stimulate an event or emotion surrounding an event or time in the past
magic if
using imagination to pretend you are in a specific situation, "possibility of events"
Sense memory
using the senses to recall an event
Loft Blocks
usually a smaller sheave with one groove for a lead line cable
don't act in a
vacuum
moveable-mouth puppet
variation of the standard hand puppet
inflection
variety of speech
Intent
verb or objective-what do you want?
spectacle in poetics
visual aspects
Movement
visual suggestion of action created by the placement of the elements in a work of art.
Aristotle
was in favor of theater
Flagging
waving hands in front of beam to find where focus is on stage
Akalaitis
went to court for changing meaning of a play(Endgame)
Mystery or Secret
what a character does not share with others a special something
Obstacle
what is in your way?
dramatic action
what man does and why he does it
Purpose
what point is the play trying to make
Super objective
what the character wants from the whole play
objective
what the character wants, goal, motivation, intention...most important to creating a character and action on the stage
Physical Given Circumstances
what they look like and how that effects behavior
MAGIC IF
what would your character do if they were in specified situation
Importance
what you think might happen if you don't get what you want
Role Playing
when a character acts differently for different people
Productive Objective
when an objective both compels your attention and energizes you
Reversal
when line of action suddenly switches (ex. drastic change of fortune)
Choice
when pursuing a need, your character may consider several alternative courses of action, then make a strategic choice, which appears to hold out the best chance of success. Examining your character's significant choices can give you a wealth of information about him or her.
Clipping
when sound is distorted because an amp is too weak
Cross
when the actor moves from point A to point B. Such movements need to be justified by some inner need. There are different kinds of crosses, such as the "banana", which is a slight curve so that the actor ends cheated out.
Indirect Action
when there is some obstacle to direct action, a character may choose an indirect strategy, saying or doing one thing while really intending another. The obstacle may be internal or external. When pursuing an objective indirectly, your character may be saying or doing one thing while really meaning another.
Additive Color
when two colored beams are focused on one area
point of attack
when world goes out of balance
stage
where actor perform
prop table
where all items carried on stage by the actors are placed
setting
where and when a scene/play takes place
costume shop
where costumes can be made, maintained, and stored?prop shop: where props are constructed or stored
scene shop
where scenery is built
paint shop
where scenery is painted
Performance Space
where the performance takes place
Place
where the scene is located
exposition
where we are, what the world is, and whose in it
Character
who you are in a play?
Motivation
why you want it
Imagination
without this you cannot act; whatever character you play does not exist until you create it.
jewelry materials
wood, metal, stone, syllastic, thermoplastic
Constantin Stanislavski
work developed actors in realism and naturalism
religious rituals
years ago in many different cultures puppets were used in these
Strategy
your character's sense of how best to pursue an objective within the given circumstances. The strategic choices he or she makes express the way he or she sees the world and the other characters.
posture
your customary way to hold your body
Circumstances
your imagination is activated by the magic "if"; it is what enables you to enter the imaginary circumstances of a play.
