Certify Teacher- Study Set Option 1 (Competency 011)

In his high school Theatre History class, Mr. Grady has linked various types of plays to societal movements. He has taught the class about the "avant-garde" movement" which emerged particularly after World War II. This movement had a common theme of "protest" and a common technique of "paradox." It is not surprising that the end of the Second World War stimulated a philosophy of protest against the social order and against the human condition. After all, in less than 50 years, there had been two world wars and unbelievable atrocities committed. The avant-garde playwrights responded with plays that emphasized lack of hope, confusion and bitterness. Some of the important European playwrights who emerged to dramatize society in this new way were Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet, Frederick Durrenmatt, and Harold Pinter. In America, the avant-garde theatre movement that epitomized protest and paradox was illustrated by playwright — A.Edward Albee, who in his play, The Zoo Story, presents the theme of the difficulty of human communication and subsequent horrific effect of enforced loneliness that this produces. B.Eugene O'Neill, who in is play, Long Day's Journey Into Night, shows the effect that an overbearing father and a drug-addicted mother can have on their children. C.Neil Simon, who in his play, Brighton Beach Memoirs, shows how a young man growing up in New York, is impacted by his complicated family. D.George Lucas, Jr., who in his film, "Star Wars," illustrates escape by creating another world.

A.Edward Albee, who in his play, The Zoo Story, presents the theme of the difficulty of human communication and subsequent horrific effect of enforced loneliness that this produces.

The excerpt below relates to the question that follows. Lichtenberg, a German visitor to London, wrote finely detailed accounts of the actors he admired. He wrote of David Garrick, in 1775: (See Image Pic104.jpg) One thing that is not mentioned in this account is the fact that David Garrick had a special wig made for this scene. When he saw the ghost, the hair on the wig stood straight up. David Garrick was one of the most celebrated actors of his era. He first appeared on the English Stage in 1741 and ceased acting in 1766, but he continued the management of Drury Lane Theatre. After reading Lichtenberg's account and visualizing the wig with the hair which, at a certain point in the scene described, stood straight up, it is clear that — A.different periods in history produced styles of acting that were effective in their time, but would probably not be acceptable for today's audience. B.David Garrick was probably not very effective as Hamlet. C.Audience members in Garrick's time were more impacted by live theatre than are members of the audience today. D.audiences in Garrick's time can be so moved by what is happening onstage that they can be struck silent whereas audiences that does not happen to audiences of today.

A.different periods in history produced styles of acting that were effective in their time, but would probably not be acceptable for today's audience.

For eighteen years in England, from 1642 until 1660, while the Puritans ruled and after the monarchy had been abolished, the theatres were closed. After the restoration of Charles II to the throne, the king, who had been in France for the greater part of those eighteen years, reestablished theatre in England and that was the beginning of a new theatrical era. This new era in England was the appropriately named The Restoration Period. When comparing The Restoration Period with the English Theatre that had come before, a major difference was — A.Shakespeare was no longer performed. B.women were allowed onstage as actresses whereas they had not been allowed on the English stage prior to that time. C.you no longer needed a patent to establish a theatre. D.women playwrights continued to be popular during The Restoration as they had been during Elizabethan and Jacobean times.

B.women were allowed onstage as actresses whereas they had not been allowed on the English stage prior to that time.

Mr. Pinnock teaches in a large drama program in a culturally diverse school district. He believes that it is very important for his drama program to present plays that the students in his school and the members of the community can relate to and with which they can empathize. There are many American playwrights that he can turn, but he decides to present "Fences," one of the plays written as part of a ten decade cycle by the famous African American playwright — A.James Earl Jones B.Will Smith, Jr. C.August Wilson D.Athol Fugard

C.August Wilson

In 1960's in America, there was a growing demand for strictures to be more relaxed. This led to greater freedom in subject matter, behavior, and language in the theatre. Certain plays challenged the status quo and the accepted morals of society at large.By the mid 1970's, although the limits of permissibility were vague, almost any sexual theme or obscenity had become potentially usable onstage. There were a number of plays that set these significant changes in motion, but one musical, really paved the way for everything that followed. Which of the following Broadway shows best fits the previous description? A.West Side Story B.Annie C.Hair D.Pippin

C.Hair

Teaching Theatre History in the High School Drama class often involves comparing and contracting the aesthetics of the art from different cultures. In her senior honors "World Theatre" class, Mrs. Cronin believes that this is an excellent way for students to become familiar with cultural diversity in theatre. In her class she compares Chinese Opera with Western Opera. Most of her drama students are somewhat familiar with Opera and its Italian origins. Of course, opera is still performed today in many cities, universities and colleges. It is rare, though, to see Chinese Opera performed in America unless a school is situated in a larger urban area with a significant Chinese population. Some students also find some aspects of Chinese Opera very "foreign" to them and have difficulty appreciating it. In order to help her student appreciate Chinese Opera and be able to compare its artistic aesthetics to Italian Operas, Mrs. Cronin follows all but one of the following strategies. Which strategy would not be a good one for Mrs. Cronin to follow? A.She takes her class to see an Opera at a local college and then shows a video of a Chinese Opera in order to help them compare and contrast them, since there is no Chinese Opera in the area to which she might take them. B.She invites a music professor from a local college to lecture on Italian Opera to her students even bringing a singer to perform an aria. She also invites an expert on Chinese Opera to her class and has him bring one of the stars of local Chinese Opera to perform for the class. C.She asks a student from the school chorus to perform an aria for the students, and after seeing the video of a Chinese Opera, asks one of her students, who also happens to be Chinese, to act out a part in the Chinese Opera. D.Mrs. Cronin presents an introduction to the topic of Chinese Opera and Italian Opera by giving a lecture on the artistic aesthetics of both countries at the time when their form of Opera evolved in each.

C.She asks a student from the school chorus to perform an aria for the students, and after seeing the video of a Chinese Opera, asks one of her students, who also happens to be Chinese, to act out a part in the Chinese Opera.

There are many challenging plays amongst the canons of Contemporary American Theatre. Paula Vogel is considered by many to be a playwright who faces controversial issues with courage and sensitivity. In her play, Learning How To Drive (1997), she explores the impact and echoes of child sexual abuse and incest. The drama teacher at a high school in an urban area wished to stage this play because she felt that these topics are relevant to high school students, and to the community. She realized that there would be some negative reaction from some segments of the community. In making her decision, she should consider the following aspects of the problem — I.Is it worth making some members of the community upset in order to prompt the examination of issues that might be relevant to her students? II.Would letting members of the community know about the content of the play beforehand, through publicity and putting "Mature Adult Content and Themes," on all posters and advertisements, help prevent people who would object from seeing the show? III.Would organizing a panel of experts after each performance so that audience members could experience a "Talk-Back," with mental health professionals, should they decide to stay after the performances, emphasize the importance of such issues and help audience members who might have strong reactions to the show? IV.Since the principal might object, it would be better to do the show first, and let "the chips fall where they may," rather than have him censor doing the show at all. A.I and II B.II and III C.I and IV D.I, II and III

D.I, II and III

During four short years from 1935 to 1939, a New Deal project intended to employ the many out of work theatre artists in the United States during the Great Depression, and to entertain poor families by creating relevant art, was created. "The Federal Theatre Project," headed by Vassar Professor, Hallie Flanagan, under the supervision of Works Progress Administration (WPA), even in its limited existence created a new art form and produced significant works. Some true facts about The Federal Theatre Project are — I.Politically themed plays, called "Living Newspapers" and created from clipped articles from newspapers became a popular art form for audiences. II.Productions emanating from The Federal Theatre Project were centered exclusively in New York. III.Well-known theatre artists, including Orson Welles and John Houseman, were involved with The Federal Theatre Project. IV.The Federal Theatre Project was ultimately ended because of political reasons; some congressmen felt that the plays were too critical and influenced by communist ideas. A.I and II B.II and III C.I, II, and III D.I, III, and IV

D.I, III, and IV