theatre midterm

metatheatre

is theatre that comments on the fact that it is theatrical. This can happen in a lot of ways - the show might be about a group trying to put on a play, or the characters might be aware they are in a play - but most usually you see this by the show having a "play within a play." (So, even Hamlet counts as metatheatre, then!)

romantic comedy

light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals

dramaturg

literary editor on the staff of a theatre who consults with authors and edits text

black box theater

most recent type of venue to be developed especially prevalent in college theatre departments popular economically and aethetically every aspect is flexible and moveable overhead lighting grid, can be adjusted ideal for possibility

found space

not intended for performance also known as "site specific"

thespis

originally the member of a chorus but stepped out from it in 534 BCE- thus creating the first actor...EVER. He portrayed a character other than himself; origin of thespian; awarded a goat a a prize

situational comedy

originated with the roman playwrights Terence and Platus

sketch comedy

short, potent comic bits focused on a single joke/premise

arena

ALL FOUR SIDES sports venues evolved from ancient tribal rituals, dances, and sacrifices plays on humans desire to gather in a circle to commune also known as "circle theatre" or "theatre in the round" no backstage, but entrances and exits through the audience **oldest venue throughout history ideal for intimacy

3 parts of a ritual

Initiation- where the focus of the ritual is separated from group Liminality- a state of belonging neither to the pre-ritual group nor post-ritual group; TRANSTION: Re-Integration: the act of being "brought back" into society in new roles

auteur

a filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control over a movie are so great that the filmmaker is regarded as the author of the movie; Controller of all the elements - serve as the author of the piece & director: they don't serve the text, the text serves them: Can manipulate everything as they see it

Peter Brooks 3 things needed for theatre

actor, space, audience

Roman stock characters

adulescens- young hero virgo- virgin maiden senex iratus- "heavy father"; blocks lovers senex amans- "dirty old man"; usually interested in virgo miles gloriosis- braggert soldier (gaston); usually interested virgo leno- a moral, greedy pimp (might own virgo) meretrix- prostitue, seen all servi- servants servi callidus- servant of hero; drives plot

farce comedy

also known as "low comedy"; very broad comedy with double entendres, misunderstanding, deceptions, and in general very contrived and ridiculous situations

Freytags triangle- 7 plot points

exposition- backstory which usually doesn't happen onstage but can be revealed through plot/dialogue inciting incident- event that destroys the uneasy balance and sets off the major conflict rising action- small situations/problems that build emotionally intensity climax- all roads lead here, emotional high point of the action falling action- events from the climax to the end of the play resolution- the result of the action of the play, when stasis has been achieved denoument- the "new world order"

3 classes of characters in commedia dell'arte

innamorati- "lovers" -in love, will end up together -high status- but never highest vecchi- "older generation" -get in way of lovers -either father of innamorati or rival for affections zanni- "servants" -trying to ensure innamorati end up together -servants to higher characters -low status but high IQ

medieval stock characters

innamorati: -never masked -not well developed as characters -only function is to be in love vecchi: il capitano/captain -arrogant, braggart, but coward -thinks hes gods gift -rival for innamorati affection -usually foreign -big nose, big ego, big sword il dottore/doctor -absent minded proffessor -sometimes father of innamorati -know nothing, know-it-all -red nose, red cheeks tartagtia/priest -little plot value-conducts marriage -stutters -blind -pot bellied pantalone/merchant -father -bad boss of zanni -propositions the females -money bag -highest status servants: arlecchino/harlequin -audience favorite interaction -impish trickster- drives action -acrobatic movement -outfit covered in diamonds -wart on mask- all servants do -carries a slap stick columbina -female counterpart to arlechino -servant to innamorati -most often the smartest -tends to sing, dance pierrot -loyal lovable hardworking assistant -lovestruck with columbina- never gets girl -shows punching bag -white mask, morphs into sad clown Brighella -head zanni "boss clown" -greedy, lying, manipulative -skeptical -worries about little money he has Pulrcinella -sometimes master, sometimes servant -aggressively violent especially toward arlec. and pierrot -hunchbacked or similarly disfigured -squeaky voice "little chicken"

tragoidia

"goat song" "catharsis" (pity and fear)

kommoidia

"revel song"

lazzi

(pie in face, 3 stooges) -every character had lazzi -carefully revised, repeated bits of comic business -sometimes obscene -always support of story

3 spectrums of "appreciating" theatre

1. amusement to art 2. entertainment to efficacy -where religion comes in -does not leave lasting effect 3. empathy to aesthetic distance

Aristotles 6 elements of Drama from least to greatest

1.spectacle (opsis) - any visual apparatus of the play (set/costume/props); technical spectacle vs. emotional spectacle; "least artistic" element to the theatre according to aristole, every play has it 2.rhythm- creates mood, in greek theatre chorus/dance during interlude to provide additional info related to plot/character/theme 3.language (lexis) - also known as diction, refers to the quality of speech, should explain plot/reflect character/convey theme 4.thought (dianoia)- also known as "theme", central question/idea, can explain plot, reveal character, engage in audiences empathy or aesthetic distance 5.character- agents of the plot, moral and ethical centers, provide motivation for what is happening onstage; should be good, appropriate, consistent, and of high stature 6.plot (mythos)- arrangement of events or incidents on stage, clearly defined problems of characters to solve; different from "story" (sequence of events), should be credible and astonishing

Deux es machina

God out of Machine ; literally term for a character or event that fixes all the problems at the end of the show

cringe

comedy of embarassment; humor from inappropriate actions or words schadenfreude- German. "harm-joy" pleasure derived from the misfortunes of pain of others

Dionysus

God of wine & revelry :::: ragedy and comedy had deep roots in the religious and communal life of the Greek people and were closely connected with the worship of the god Dionysus; his festivel was a show with a chorus (aka theatre)- could be the first form of theatre.

shakespeares troupe and theatre

Kings men troupe and the Globe theater

proscenium

ONE side comes from greek "proskenion" skene comes from greek word "hut" or "tent" -main playing area for theatre left one architectural feature intact **-the proscenium arch gives picture frame feel -playing area grew back into skene -most prevalent type of venue in contemporary western theatre "fourth wall" audience all facing same direction audience and stage are raked ideal for realism -elaborate and intricate setting -strong central focus -completeness -distance/formality ideal for spectacle -ability to hide and store machinery -size depth and scale -quick fluid scene changes -singular audience perspective

thrust

THREE sides playing area thrusts out into audience area behind provides a focused background and or backstage space **most widely used venue in history audience wraps around either stage is raised medieval pageant wagons to shakespeares globe fell out of favor until 1953 when stratford shakespeare revived it spanish corrales and japanese noh ideal for classics -increased intimacy -close performer-audience relationship -great works of elizabethan/spanish golden age drama

traverse

TWO sides fashion show french theater developed later than england/spain/italy no theater spaces- converted tennis courts during baroque era may or may not have backdrop/stage ideal for viewing

4 types of classic tragedy

complex- depending entirely on reversal of fortune (peripeteia) and recognition (anagnorsis) at the climax (ex. Oedipus) pathetic- motivated by passion (pathos) (ex. madia) ethical- motivated by moral purpose (ethos) (ex. Antigony) simple- without reversal or recognition ex. prometheus bound

idea comedy

considered highest form of comedy; derived from wrestling with serious questions in life through the medium of comedy

character comedy

derived from a persona invented by a perfume; often from stereotypes

manners comedy

derived from witty satire of social/class behavior

hamlet

disney film connection

empathy vs. aesthetic distance

empathy- capacity to share another beings emotions and feelings; more empathy the less objective aesthetic distance- the gap between a viewers concious reality and the fictional reality presented in a work of art; the more "distance" there is, the more objective

representational vs. presentational

representational- realistic presentational- non-realistic

iambic pentameter

rhythm that creates the sound of shakespeare Iamb is metrical foot, consists of 1 stressed syllable and 1 unstressed syllable five feet per line, ergo pentameter scansion-dividing feet to determine rhythm

Elizabethan theater flags

white (comedy) red (history) black (tragedy)

librettist

writer of the musical; writer of the libretto