Theatre Midterm

Which avant-garde theatre artist created the "Theatre of Cruelty" to agitate the masses, attack the spectators' sensibilities, and purge people of their destructive tendencies through surreal and ritualized works? A) Antonin Artaud B) Samuel Beckett C) Jean-Paul Satre D) Bertold Brecht

A) Antonin Artaud

Which critical thinkers' writings heavily influenced how people perceived reality and, in turn, the move towards realism in theatre? Choose all that apply. A) Karl Marx B) Sigmund Freud C) Antonin Artaud D) Charles Darwin

A), B), D)

What do we know about the Romantic period and its playwrights? Choose any and all that apply. A) In Germany, the Romantic movement was called "Sturm und Drang," which meant "storm and stress." B) The Romantics felt that science was not an adequate approach to describe the full range of human experience. C) Artists during this period were thinkers who focused on reason, logic, and nature. D) The Romantics called for more realist sets that often imitated nature with pastoral settings. E) Romantic playwrights broke the neoclassical rules such as the three unities.

A), B), D), E)

Choose from below the five most common broad categories of theatre: Experimental Comical Political Historical Commercial Cultural Biographical

Experimental, Political, Historical, Commercial, Cultural

Greek philosopher Aristotle deconstructed plays into six elements. Which of the following is not one of those elements? A) Spectacle B) Plot C) Song D) Character E) Diction F) Artistry G) Thought

F) Artistry

Who is believed to have stepped out from the dithyramb chorus to play an individual role, thereby "creating" theatre? A) Dionysus B) Aristotle C) Choregos D) Thespis

D) Thespis

A dramatic device in which an actor represents or symbolizes an idea or a moral principle is called a/an: A) satire B) trope C) metaphor D) allegory

D) allegory

Match the following terms related to the audience experience with their respective definitions: 1) The tendency of humans to act and react differently when they are in a group than when they are alone. 2) The process by which we as audience members put aside our concerns about everyday reality and agree to accept the play's particular quasi-reality. 3) The audience's ability to "remove themselves" from a work of art just far enough so that they can contemplate it -- or even judge it. 4) The imaginary barrier between the actors and audience that was brought on by the advent of realism in theatre. Aesthetic distance Fourth Wall Willing suspension of disbelief Group dynamics

1)Group dynamics 2)Willing suspension of disbelief 3)Aesthetic distance 4)Fourth Wall

In his TED Talk, Andrew Russell gives three examples of how theatre can change people "one at a time." Match the three terms he discusses with their explanations or examples. 1) "Wrongness in real time" 2) "The public now" 3) "Empathy" The ability of the audience to step inside the lived experience of someone else A process in which the audience witnesses characters turning incorrect assumptions, stubborn denials, and unspoken truths into personal discoveries that forge a path forward towards change or healing Moment where we as audience members are pulled into the same moment as everyone around us, knowing that even if we have nothing else in common, we all saw/experienced it together

1) A process in which the audience witnesses characters turning incorrect assumptions, stubborn denials, and unspoken truths into personal discoveries that forge a path forward towards change or healing. 2) Moment where we as audience members are pulled into the same moment as everyone around us, knowing that even if we have nothing else in common, we all saw/experienced it together 3) The ability of the audience to step inside the lived experience of someone else

Match the following Greek playwrights with their descriptions: 1) Known as a playwright unafraid to speak his mind; wrote stinging indictments against war; denounced the oracles. 2) Often called the father of tragedy; wrote about profound spiritual and moral issues; considered the most "theatrical" of the ancient playwrights. 3) Name means "the wise and honored one;" concentrated on a few critical moments within a character's life; depicted humans as beings trapped by fate. Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

1) Euripides 2) Aeschylus 3) Sophocles

Match the following realism playwrights with their correct descriptions. 1) Norwegian playwright; often called the father of realism; presented complex, sometimes disturbing, views of human society, on subjects such as women's independence, incest and venereal disease, and sexual repression. 2) English Victorian playwright; wrote "high comedies" in which characters argued about social issues; used his plays to comment on poverty, corruption, and romantic ideas about love and war. 3) Irish playwright; known for his unique character and wit; plays were filled with witty repartee that forced Victorian society to reexamine its hypocrisies and the arbitrariness of its moral and social taboos; persecuted for his homosexuality. 4) Russian playwright; member of the Moscow Art Theatre; depicted the lazy chaos of lives crushed by life's absurdities and missed opportunities; called his plays "comedies," although that has led to great debates in the theatre community.

1) Henrik Ibsen 2) George Bernard Shaw 3) Oscar Wilde 4) Anton Chekhov

Match the following styles of Non-Western theatre with their country of origin, as discussed in our textbook: 1) Kabuki theatre 2) Precolonial, colonial, and "total" theatre 3) Sanskrit drama 4) Peking opera 5) Ta'ziyeh plays 6) Noh theatre 7) Bunraku 8)Kathakali India Japan China Japan India Iran Japan Africa

1) Japan 2) Africa 3) India 4) China 5) Iran 6) Japan 7) Japan 8) India

Match the Terms 1) An imitation or copy of previously existing work, in which the work is altered for comic effect, political criticism, to ridicule its style and subject, etc. 2) An original work, in a style that is used to poke fun at, attack, or ridicule an idea, vice, foible (character flaw), etc., often for the purpose of inducing change. Satire Parody

1) Parody 2) Satire

Match the following writers with their respective descriptions. 1) Retain copyright and receive royalty payments; have more artistic power but make less money; typically write alone. 2) Do not retain copyright; "writers for hire" who don't have as much artistic power but make more money; often write in groups. Screenwriters Playwrights

1) Playwrights 2) Screenwriters

Match the following terms related to cultural diversity with their respective definitions. 1) The fads, fashions, and trends that dominate mainstream media for a limited time. 2) The phenomenon by which we see the world through our own point of view and think that our take on it, as seen through our culture, is the correct view. 3) The values, standards, and patterns of behavior of a particular group of people. 4) Shortcuts in thinking that attributes a generalized identity to people who are not like us. 5) The process by which we learn about our culture. 6) The endeavor to overcome all forms of discrimination so that people coexist peacefully in a pluralistic society. 7) Those in power in a particular group (e.g., upper class, government, religious institutions, men) Ethnocentrism Pop Culture Dominant Culture Enculturation Stereotypes Culture Multiculturalism

1) Pop Culture 2)Ethnocentrism 3)Culture 4)Stereotypes 5)Enculturation 6)Multiculturalism 7)Dominant Culture

One purpose of Greek tragedies was to allow the audience to experience a emotional release -- an intense, two-fold feeling of pity and fear. This experience is called: A) peripeteia B) hubris C) hamartia D) catharsis

D) catharsis

Which of the following playwrights was known for "estrangement," or the "alienation effect," which attempted to keep the audience alienated from the performance so they could critically consider the themes of the plays? A) Bertolt Brecht B) Harold Pinter C) Eugene Ionesco D) Samuel Beckett E) Jean-Paul Satre

A) Bertolt Brecht

What do we call a realistic theatre set that is a true-to-life interior containing a room or rooms, with the "fourth wall" removed so that the audience has the feeling of looking in on the characters' private lives? A) Box set B) Thrust stage C) Black box D) Proscenium

A) Box set

Which type of "theatre of the people" borrows contrasting ideas from diverse cultures and joins them into a single work? A) Cross-Cultural Theatre B) Theatre of Protest C) Theatre of Identity D) Dominant Culture Theatre E) Personality Theatre

A) Cross-Cultural Theatre

Theatre is unique because: A) It is the only art form for which the medium and subject are the same: human beings and human acts. B) It is the only art form that is both political and entertaining. C) It is the only art form that is both political and entertaining.

A) It is the only art form for which the medium and subject are the same: human beings and human acts.

Which famous French playwright was known for writing highly political farces that satirized French life and made bold attacks against the Church? A) Moliere B) Corneille C) Racine

A) Moliere

Which theatre movement was sometimes referred to as "slice of life," exposed the squalid living conditions of the urban poor, and explored scandalous topics as poverty, venereal disease, and prostitution without preaching about them? A) Naturalism B) Realism C) Dadaism D) Expressionism

A) Naturalism

Which group who refused to testify about their friends' political beliefs were found guilty of contempt of Congress and sentenced to prison? A) The Hollywood Ten B) The Dadaists C) The Hays Office D) The Living Theatre

A) The Hollywood Ten

Which type of "theatre of the people" promotes change or a social agenda, and vents hostility toward the ruling class, race, or culture? A) Theatre of Protest B) Theatre of Identity C) Dominant Culture Theatre D) Cross-Cultural Theatre E) Personality Theatre

A) Theatre of Protest

In Elizabethan England, theatres were built outside the city limits. Why? A) To avoid London magistrates and the Puritans, who despised the theatre and had it banned within city limits. B) Because property and taxes were cheaper outside the city limits. C) People outside the city limits were more loyal patrons of the theatre than city dwellers.

A) To avoid London magistrates and the Puritans, who despised the theatre and had it banned within city limits.

These middle-class plays were a hallmark of the Enlightenment period: A) domestic tragedies and sentimental comedies B) mystery, miracle, and morality plays C) masques D) comedy of manners

A) domestic tragedies and sentimental comedies

One of the most popular forms of entertainment in Rome included jugglers, acrobats, comic skits, vulgar language, indecent songs, nudity, and often, satire. As the Roman population grew more diverse with many native tongues, this form of entertainment became wordless and depended more on music, action, dance, gesture, and mimicry. This form of entertainment was: A) mime B) new comedy C) onnagata D) satyr play

A) mime

What late-1800s invention competed with theatre and eventually led to avant-garde theatre movement, when theatre sought to "re-theatricalize" itself? A) motion pictures (movies) B) radio C) printing press D) photography

A) motion pictures (movies)

What important invention during the Renaissance was the beginning of mass media and the popularization of ideas? A) printing press B) libraries C) scribes D) newspapers

A) printing press

During the optimistic post-World War II era, which types of plays could commonly be found on American stages? Choose any and all that apply. A) poetic realism (example, Williams' The Glass Menagerie) B) plays that mixed realism with other "isms," such as expressionism (example, Miller's Death of a Salesman) C) traditional realistic plays (example, Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun) D) purely absurdist works (example, Ionesco's The Bald Soprano)

A), B), C)

Freedom of speech under the First Amendment applies to which of the following? (Choose all that apply.) A) Satire of public figures B) Words C) Non-verbal, visual, and symbolic forms of expression such as a candlelight vigil or burning the flag D) Expression that causes "spiritual injury" E) Breach of peace

A), B), C)

Match the following types of plays performed in the Middle Ages with their descriptions: A) Plays about how people should conduct their lives, with emphasis on characters facing moral choices between vice and virtue Morality plays B) Liturgical plays performed by guilds, or the labor unions of the day (e.g., bakers staging The Last Supper) Mystery plays C) Stories about the lives of the saints Miracle plays

A), B), C)

Which of the following were main features of the typical Greek theatre space? Select all that apply. A) skene B) orchestra C) theatron D) proscenium

A), B), C)

Many theatrical innovations that influenced theatre throughout Europe originated in Italy. These included: (Choose all that apply.) A) Commedia dell'arte B) Humanist theatre C) The proscenium arch D) Perspective scenery and a raked stage E) Outdoor theatres F) Gas-powered lighting

A), B), C), D)

Which of the following "isms" is an avant-garde style? Select all that apply. A) Expressionism B) Symbolism C) Absurdism D) Dadaism E) McCarthyism F) Naturalism G) Futurism H) Surrealism

A), B), C), D), G), H)

William Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of all time and is one of the most staged playwrights in the world. Choose below the statements that are true based on our knowledge of Shakespeare and his plays. (Choose all that apply.) A) Shakespeare often mixed tragedy and comedy and filled his plays with implied sex, overt violence, and conflict. B) Shakespeare's plays were popular because he gave audiences what they wanted. C) Shakespeare first worked as an actor, then was writing plays by age thirty. D) There is absolutely no doubt that the William Shakespeare who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 is the same person who wrote all of the plays attributed to him. E) Shakespeare used one of the largest vocabularies of any English writer -- almost 30,000 words -- and he sometimes made up new words. F) Shakespeare owned a 12.5 percent stake in the Globe Theatre and was a wealthy man by the end of his life. G) Shakespeare stuck closely to the neoclassical rules such as the three unities.

A), B), C), E), F)

What do we know about the humanists of the Renaissance movement? Choose all that apply. A) They wanted to make humans the measure of all things and strengthen awareness of the individual. B) They rejected traditional theological curriculum at universities and instead studied classical subjects such as music, poetry, and architecture. C) They were deeply religious. D) They idolized the Romans and the Greeks. E) They called for a new theatre that followed the guidelines of Sophocles' POETICS.

A), B), D)

Select below the statements that describe what we know about the Dark Ages. (Choose all that apply.) A) Obedience to the Roman Catholic Church was considered the only way to achieve happiness and salvation. B) There were few new inventions and fewer innovative thinkers (except for Muslim Spain). C) Literacy and learning were widely popular among the common people. D) The art of theatre was shunned by a rigid society and outlawed by the Church; there is no evidence of any type of theatrical entertainment during this time period. E) People's lives were guided by astrology, superstition, and the supernatural.

A), B), E)

Choose the five elements of ancient Greek plays from the list below: A) Parados B) Periakto C) Episode D) Stasimon E) Prologue F) Exodos G) Choregos

A), C), D), E) F)

In this class we are aiming to strike a balance between reactionary, opinion-based reviews and formal dramatic criticism in order to become informed and critically thinking audience members and reviewers. What are three key factors to achieving this goal? Choose all that apply: A) Have a strong opinion and stick to it B) Have an open mind C) Ask questions, especially "Why?" D) Include specific examples to back up your analysis

B), C), D)

From the late 50s through the 60s, the social turmoil of the world led to new developments with theatre spaces, theatrical events, and subjects being addressed in plays. One such development, during the late 1960s, involved a new wave of tiny, inexpensive, alternative, and experimental theatres in New York City, which addressed diverse and taboo subject matter. This was called: A) Living Theatre B) Happenings C) Off Broadway D) Off-Off Broadway

D) Off-Off Broadway

The most common theory is that theatre grew out of religious ritual and myth. A ritual is a ceremonial act connected with human life and all that sustains it. Choose from below the purposes for which people used rituals thousands of years ago and still use today. Choose any and all that apply. A) To pass on traditions and knowledge of a society's history and heroes. B) To teach and entertain. C) To commemorate religious, legal, and historical events. D) To honor deities, affirm group identities, and foster the continuation of a particular way of life. E) To help them understand and deal with environmental issues, such as plagues, floods, and earthquakes.

All of the above

Which of the following options describe developments during the period known as the Enlightenment? Select any and all that apply. A) The power of humans to reason and analyze was glorified. B) The authority and accuracy of Christianity was questioned. Many leaders called themselves Deists, who referred to their higher power as "The Creator" or "The God of Nature." C) Travel novels became best sellers as Europeans desired to know more about the people and cultures of the world. D) The middle class gained power, and theatres began to turn to them for patronage. Playwrights began writing about middle-class heroes who spoke in everyday language.

All of them

What are the three broad categories of absurdism that sometimes overlap? nto three broad categories that often overlap: fatalist, hilarious, and existentialist. F A) fatalist, hilarious, expressionistic B) fatalist, hysterical, existentialist C) fatalist, hilarious, existentialist

C) fatalist, hilarious, existentialist

Theatre is often first to be censored because of which of the following reasons? (Choose all that apply.) A) Its power to entertain B) Its tendency toward amorality C) The unpredictable nature of live performance D) Its power over groups

C), D)

Which famous Elizabethan playwright was often in trouble with the law and buried standing up? A) William Shakespeare B) Ben Jonson C) Christopher Marlowe

B) Ben Jonson

Which type of Japanese theatre was created by a woman named Okuni to entertain the men at her brothel? A) Noh B) Kabuki C) Peking opera D) Kathakal

B) Kabuki

Soon after the Romantic period, cheap imitations of Romantic plays began stealing the stage and were made popular by troupes of traveling actors. These plays were known as: A) Domestic tragedies B) Melodramas C) Sentimental comedies D) Sturm und Drang plays

B) Melodramas

During this period of English history, the most popular type of theatre centered around sexual gratification and bedroom escapades of the rich. Also during this time, women first became accepted as actors and playwrights. A) Renaissance B) Restoration C) Enlightenment D) Romanticism

B) Restoration

What is the term in Kabuki theatre for male actors who specialize in playing women's roles? A) mie B) onnagata C) Ki D) Bunraku

B) onnagata

During the Renaissance, the humanists demanded that Aristotelian dramatic principles be applied to drama of the day. This included the "three unities." Choose the three options below that correctly identify the three unities. A) Unity of story: Moral of the play must agree with Greek philosophies. B) Unity of action: Comedy and tragedy never commingle. C)Unity of place: All settings in a play can be reached in 24 hours. D) Unity of time: Action of a play must take place within a 24-hour period.

B), C), D)

What is the name of the time period in European history when society's thinking and concerns made a radical shift from God, redemption, and life after death to humankind, ancient wisdom, and life in the present? A) Romanticism B) The Middle Ages C) The High Middle Ages D) The Renaissance

D) The Renaissance

Which of the following statements is accurate in describing the "masques" of Renaissance times? Choose any and all that apply. A) Monarchs were often lampooned and ridiculed during performance. B) Performances included grand dances, lavish spectacle, and florid speeches. C) This was the most popular form of theatre at court and was written to praise the monarch. D) Puritans were offended by the extravagance and frivolity of this type of entertainment. E) Theatre spaces were set up on tennis courts. F) The actors used Alexandrine Verse. G) Women were allowed to perform in private masques even though they couldn't perform on public stages.

B), C), D), G)

What do we know about contemporary theatre? Choose any and all that apply. A) Experimental theatre, such as performance art, was a thing of the 60s and is rarely produced today. B) Regional theatres all over the country produce a mixed repertory that includes new plays, commercial hits, and historical drama. C) Today, commercial theatre still dominates, particularly on Broadway, but the number of Broadway theatres and touring companies has shrunk over time. D) Historical theatre, such as that of Ibsen, Euripides, and Shakespeare is often staged by high schools, colleges, and community theatres, but rarely professionally. E) Political, cultural, and socially relevant theatre is practiced today by such playwrights David Henry Hwang, Charyl Churchill, August Wilson, David Mamet, and Wole Soyinka.

B), C), E)

What are the two traits that most scholars agree separate pure ritual from theatre (drama)? Choose two. A) Rituals are more sacred. B) Theatre usually has a story with a conflict. C) Theatre has spectacle. D) Theatre has an actor who plays a character.

B), D)

The word "art" appears in everyday conversations and is generally used to convey which three (3) main ideas? (Choose three.) Subject Beauty Medium Skill Meaning

Beauty, Skill, Meaning

Copyright lasts the lifetime of the creator plus ____ years. After that, it is considered to be in the public domain. A) 40 B) 50 C) 70 D) 60

C) 70

One of the first known universities, located in Egypt, was a repository of knowledge that had entire wings devoted to poetry, astronomy, mathematics, and theatre. Its library stacks held 400,000 papyrus scrolls. Who founded this ancient institution? A) Seneca B) Archimedes C) Alexander the Great D) Aristotle

C) Alexander the Great

The altering, restricting, or suppressing of information, images, or words circulated within a society is called: A) Family values B) Propaganda C) Censorship D) Libel

C) Censorship

The Romans practiced a political diversionary tactic, which had the underlying idea that if you give the general population enough food and entertainment, they will not question the government and will do pretty much as they are told. This tactic is still known today as: A) reality TV B) catharsis C) bread and circus D) Roman mimes

C) bread and circus

Based on your reading and our class discussion, which of the following statements are TRUE about the differences between stage productions and film or TV? Choose all that apply. A) Theatre is always created to express an artistic voice, whereas film is always created for entertaining the masses. B) Theatre is usually for-profit and makes money through advertising and product placement. Film and TV are usually nonprofit and often bring in money through individual donations and corporate or government funding. C) Actor training, as well as acting techniques and styles for the screen, are different than what is required for the stage. D) Movies and TV only require passive participation, whereas stage requires active participation by the audience (in the sense that a live audience's energy and responses directly affect the actors in a stage play). E) In film, the director usually has the "power position," or creative control, and the ability to change the script, scenes shot, etc. In theatre, the process tends to be more collaborative, with the director having no control over changing copyrighted scripts or over the actors' live performances once the rehearsal process has passed. F) In TV and film, scenes can be shot multiple times and edited to get just the right final result. Theatre performances are live, and so there are no do-overs!

C), D), E), F)

Based on your reading and your viewing of the required video, "Blackface: History of a Controversy," what statements are TRUE about the practice known as "blackface" and other related practices or casting issues in the theatre? Choose all that apply. A) Blackface is a historical issue, and there are no incidents of it occurring today. B) The practice of donning blackface is NOT protected in the U.S. by the First Amendment. C) The practice of casting actors regardless of their race is called color-blind casting. D) Although whites playing blacks fell out of favor in the 1950s, the tradition of whites playing Asians and Native Americans continued into the 1970s, and has remained an issue to some extent in recent years. E) Blackface dates back to the "minstrel show," a historically popular form of entertainment in which white people perpetuated stereotypes of black people by wearing black makeup and performing in ways that made fun of black people. F) For most of U.S. theatre and film history, blacks, Native Americans, and Asians were discriminated against and even banned from appearing on stage or in films.

C), D), E), F)

Which of the following is TRUE about dramatic criticism? Choose all that apply. A) Dramatic criticism can only be approached in one specific way. B) Dramatic criticism is usally published in the newspaper. C) Dramatic criticism can be applied whether you enjoy a theatrical experience or not. D) Dramatic criticism offers a discriminating, often scholarly interpretation and analysis of a play or a performance of a play. E) Dramatic criticism offers more than an opinion. G) Dramatic criticism is the same thing as a theatre review.

C),D),E)

There are several qualities that help us define art. Which of the following is NOT one of those defining qualities? A) Art is a form of human expression. B) Art provides the perception of order. C) Art consists of a subject and a medium. D) Art costs money. E) Art makes you feel something.

D) Art costs money.

Which great Greek city-state is known as the "Cradle of Western Civilization?" A) Dionysia B) Sparta C) Alexandria D) Athens

D) Athens

Which Enlightenment playwright was a French inventor and thinker who wrote plays about the witty barber and surgeon named Figaro and was a great supporter of the American Revolution? A) Lessing B) Diderot C) Voltaire D) Beaumarchais

D) Beaumarchais

Many activities we experience can be considered a basic form of "theatre" (for example, weddings, church services, awards shows, sporting events). What defining factor differentiates "drama"(or a play being performed on stage) from these types of general theatrical experiences? A) Drama has more spectacle than other theatrical experiences. B) Drama is less personal than things like weddings and church services. C) Drama requires an audience. D) Drama contains story and conflict.

D) Drama contains story and conflict.

Which German playwright proposed a set of three questions that we can use to analyze a play (or other work of art) and arrive at a well-structured, intelligent assessment of that work? A) Gerster B) Goetzman C) Goebbels D) Goethe

D) Goethe

This absurdist playwright is known for his dialogue, which captures the incoherence, broken language, and pauses of modern speech. A) Jean-Paul Sartre B) Eugene Ionesco C) Samuel Beckett D) Harold Pinter

D) Harold Pinter

This government agency has been at the center of many debates over arts funding. Its primary mission is "to foster the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in the United States, and to broaden public access to the arts." A) National Institute for the Arts B) Public Broadcast System C) Federal Communications Commission D) National Endowment for the Arts

D) National Endowment for the Arts

Which type of "theatre of the people" promotes a particular people's awareness of themselves and their experiences, traditions, and culture? A) Personality Theatre B) Theatre of Protest C) Cross-Cultural Theatre D) Theatre of Identity E) Dominant Culture Theatre

D) Theatre of Identity

The most popular type of drama during the Restoration featured great wit and wordplay and told stories about sexual gratification and the bedroom escapades of the upper class. It was called: A) University Wits B) masque C) commedia dell'arte D) comedy of manners

D) comedy of manners

Which ancient Greek "special effect" was a crane that could fly an actor over the skene like a god, and led to a term we use today, "deus ex machina?" A) periakto B) deuteragonist C) ekkyklema D) mechane

D) mechane

During the Middle Ages, a horse-drawn vehicle that was pulled in front of the audience in the town square and used as a stage for performances of short religious plays was called a: A) corrale B) trope C) mansion D) pageant wagon

D) pageant wagon

The inventions of the camera and electric light influenced a style of theatre that called for more genuine sets, honest acting, and dialogue that sounded like everyday speech. This style of theatre is known as: A) expressionism B) surrealism C) absurdism D) realism

D) realism