theater final
minstrel show
musical production that flourished in the 19th century; a variety show that featured white performers wearing blackface
operetta
not entirely set to music; certain portions are spoken by performers. Generally features a romantic story set in a far-off locale. Air of unreality and make-believe makes it remote from everyday life. Features solos, duets, and trios as well as stirring choral numbers
nonhuman characters
performers portray birds and animals. May be animals or robots or ideas (fellowship, good deeds, worldly possessions, beauty)
limited time
period of time in which the action occurs
playwright
person who writes plays
minor characters
play a small part in the overall action. Appear briefly and serve chiefly to further the story or to support more important characters. Typical examples: servants, soldiers Generals, bishops, judges, dukes, and duchesses are considered minor if they play only a small role in the action. Usually only show one facet of their personalities.
heroic drama
serious but basically optimistic drama written in verse or elevated prose, with noble or heroic characters in extreme situations or unusual adventures. Generally hero or heroine is an extraoridnary person: king, queen, general, noble or noblewoman in traditional tragedy
domestic drama
serious drama in america came of age in the mid-20th century, with plays by Eugene O'neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Lillian Hellman, among others. Though all four experimented with non realistic dramatic devices, much of their strongest work was realistic drama. Plays often deal with problems of the family or the home rather than great affairs of state Serious dramas about men and women with whom the members of the audience could identify and who were like themselves
tragicomedy
serious drama that contains elements of comedy. A view in which one eye looks through a comic lens and the other through a serious. -Like food that tastes sweet and sour at the same time
major characters
similar to stock characters Most of the action of the story happens around the major character or characters, and their activity advances the plot and helps determine the outcome of the text.
pun
simplest form of wit, humorous use of words with the same sound but different meaning. Ex: a man who says he is going to start a bakery if he can "raise the dough"
dominant trait character
single trait or "humor"
revue
sketches and vignettes alternate with musical numbers. There is no single story carrying through from beginning to end The scenes and songs stand alone and may have very little relationship to each other, although they often have a common theme
epigram
sophisticated form of verbal humor. Ex: Oscar Wilde turned accepted values upside down. "I can resist anything except temptation." "A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies."
narrator
speaks directly to the audience. May assume a dramatic persona as the other characters do.
subject
stock character (can be summed up in one word or phrase), stereotypes, and characters with dominant traits are emphasized. The person or object that the play focuses on i.e. "Pippin". For drama, subject is always people. Chosen by the playwright. In comedy of character the incongruity lies in the way characters see themselves or pretend to be, as opposed to the way they actually are
exposition
technical term for revelation of background information
conflict
tension between two or more characters that leads to a crisis or climax; a fundamental struggle or imbalance-involving ideologies, actions, personalities, etc.-underlying the plot of a play
libretto
the book of a musical
tragedy tragic circumstances
the central figures of the play are caught in a series of tragic circumstances
structure
the elements that make up or hold together a play, an organization
acceptance of responsibility
the hero or heroine accepts responsibility for his or her actions and also shows willingness to suffer and an immense capacity for suffering. Ex: Oedipus puts out his own eyes
climax
the high point in the development of a dramatic plot
tragic verse
the language of traditional tragedy is verse
dialogue
the lines spoken by the actors (has to be between two or more characters) Conversations between characters. What drives action between characters and ultimately plot and purpose.
protagonist
the main character
antagonist
the main characters chief opponent Through the contest between the protagonist and antagonist their individual qualities are developed
action
the motions, thoughts, and interactions that develop and defines the characters. Some form of action that defines each one.
balances of forces
the opposed forces of the play must be evenly matched
point of view
the person or persons creating a dramatic work must determine this which is represented in the work: will it be tragic or comic, humorous or sad, or a mixture? people and events can always be interpreted in widely different ways. how we perceive them depends on our point of view.
tragic irretrievability
the situation becomes irretrievable: there is no turning back. The tragic figures are in a situation from which there is no honorable avenue of escape, they must go forward to meet their fate
purpose
those with a comic view, look at the world differently: with a smile or a deep laugh. The writers of comedy perceive the follies and excesses of human behavior and develop a keen sense of the ridiculous. DESIGNED TO AMUSE -purpose/message of the play i.e. to entertain, explore human cond, or impart info. Maybe be conscious or unconscious choice on the part of the playwright.
parallel plot
two plots are going on at the same time
obstacles and complications
upset the balance or start of a character's path? Outside forces that are introduced at an inopportune moment; just when a character succeeds or accomplishes one goal, something interrupts the play.
comedy of characters
used in Italian commedia dell'arte and all forms of comedy where stock characters, stereotypes, and characters with dominant traits are emphasized. The discrepancy or incongruity lies in the way characters see themselves or pretend to be, as opposed to the way they actually are A person pretends to be a doctor - using obscure medicines, hypodermic needles, and Latin jargon - but is actually fake
focus
used interchangeably with concentration and engagement, assisting the performer in the portrayal of believable characters. Channeling all of the performers energy into achieving the given goals or objectives of a character in a scene. Whom and what the playwright decides to focus on with the play. Whom the play is about (characters) and how we should view them (positive or neg).
tragic hero
usually an extraordinary person (king, queen, a general, a nobleman or woman- a person of stature)
domestic comedy
usually deals with family situations, found most frequently in tv sitcoms, featuring members of a family or residents of a neighborhood caught in a series of complicated but amusing situations.
theater of the absurd
20th century drama using the abandonment of conventional dramatic form to portray the futility of human struggle in a senseless world -Plays categorized in this movement typically represent human existence as nonsensical and often chaotic. Absurdist works rarely follow a clear plot, and what action occurs serves only to heighten the sense that characters (and human beings in general) are mere victims of unknown, arbitrary forces beyond their control.
opera
a drama set entirely to music. Every part of the performance is sung. Began in Florence, Italy around 1600. Contains arias (strong, melodic solos), stirring duets, trios, quartets, and choruses
musical comedy
a form of musical entertainment which emerged in the US in the 1920s and which features a light, comic story interspersed with popular music Originally, the story was often far-fetched or even silly, but it did relate to contemporary people and events, and thus musical comedy was closer to everyday life than operetta was.
commedia dell'arte
a form of popular comedy that flourished in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries. There was no script but scenario, which gave an outline of a story. Performers improvised or invented words and actions to fill out play. Stock characters were straightforwards or exaggerated and were divided into servants or rulers.
avant-garde
a french term that literally means "advance guard in a military formation" → term has come to mean an intellectual or artistic movement in any age that breaks with tradition and therefore seems ahead of its time
story
a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.
crisis
a point in a play when events and opposing forces are at a crucial moment, and when the course of further action will be determined. There may be a series of crises leading to the definitive climax
ritual
a repetition or reenactment of a proceeding or transaction that has acquired special meaning
vaudeville
a series of variety acts (music, sketching, animal acts, juggling) that made up an evening's entertainment
tableau
a static scene onstage featuring performers in costumes
incentive and motivation
a thing that motivates or encourages one to do something (driving the action of the character)
existential
a viewpoint that existence precedes essence, a person creates herself in the process of living. Beginning with nothing, the person develops a self in taking action and making choices. Characters have no personal history so no specific causes for their actions.
malapropism
a word that sounds like the right word but actually means something quite different Term comes from Mrs. Malaprop - a character in The Rivals Ex: "her daughter is 'illegible' for marriage.
plot
as distinct from story, patterned arrangements of events and characters in a drama, with incidents selected and arranged for maximum dramatic impact
effects of tragedy
asks very basic questions about human existence. Takes a thoughtful, sober attitude toward its subject matter. Puts the spectators in a frame of mind to think about what they are seeing and to become involved with the characters onstage: to love what these characters love, fear what they fear, and suffer what they suffer
extraordinary characters
heroes and heroines Characters are "larger than life" Kings, queens, bishops, members of nobility or other figures clearly marked as holding a special place in society Fill prestigious roles and generally represent men and women at their best or worst - at some extreme of human behavior May also be exceptional because of their exceptional personalities or achievements They possess trait common to all of us in great abundance
comedy of ideas
humor is based on intellectual and verbal aspects rather than physical comedy or comedy of character. uses comic techniques to debate intellectual propositions and to further social points of view and morals. Frequently include provocative discussions of controversial and social issues.
burlesque
imitation of other forms of drama or an individual play. Relies on knockabout physical humor, gross exaggerations, and sometimes vulgarity. A character can be hit on the backside with a fierce thwack, and people laugh, because the audience knows he is not hurt In the US - a type of variety show featuring low comedy skits and attractive women
comedy
in general, a play that is light in tone, is concerned with issues that point out the excesses and folly human behavior, has a happy ending, and is designed to amuse.
recitatives
in opera, the transitional sections that are sung between arias ( strong, melodic solos)
opposed forces
closely related to conflict; the characters in the play are fiercely determined to achieve very different goals. Drives the action of the play
serial structure
series of acts or episodes - individual theatre events occur - offered as a single presentation. Individual segments are strung together like beads on a necklace. Sometimes a central theme or common thread holds the various parts together. Sometimes there is little or no connection between the parts.
comedy of manners
became popular in seventeenth-century France and the English Restoration, emphasizing a cultivated or sophisticated atmosphere and witty dialogue. Concerned with pointing up the foibles and peculiarities of the upper classes. Uses verbal wit to depict the cleverness and expose the social pretensions of characters Stresses witty phrases - pointed barbs are always at a premium
melodrama
came from the term "song dramas" in which music accompanied the action on stage
genre
categories or types of drama (tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, farce, melodrama)
representative characters
characters from everyday life. Typical or ordinary, significant because they embody an entire group. Not notable as "worst," "best," or some other extreme.
stock characters
characters that are not 3 dimensional - they exemplify one particular characteristic to the other exclusion of virtually everything else. Frequently known by their station in life, their sex, and their occupation along with some tendency of personality: the clever servant, the absentminded professor, etc. Appear particularly in comedy and melodrama, can be in almost all kinds of drama
limited space
conflict happens right in front of you (family can limit space ALL MY SONS)
subtext
content underneath the dialogue-unspoken thoughts or motives of a character-what they really think or believe
episodic structure
contrasting form - begins relatively early in the story and does not compress the action but expands it. Do not necessarily follow a cause-and-effect development
subplot
counterpart of the main plot
slapstick
describes all kinds of raucous, knockabout comedy. Ex: in cartoons when characters are hurled through the air like missiles, but they are fine. Name comes from one point in stage history when a special stick consisting of two thin slats of wood held closely together was developed to make the sound of hitting someone even more fearsome
comic premise
developed by the suspension of natural laws in comedy. An idea or concept that turns the accepted notion of things upside down and makes this notion the basis of the play. The Premise can provide thematic and structural unity and can serve as a springboard for comic dialogue, comic characters, and comic situations
classic tragedy
dramatic form involving serious actions of universal significance and with important moral and philosophical implications, usually with an unhappy ending. Asks the very basic questions about human existence. Assumes that the universe is indifferent to human concerns and often cruel and malevolent.
melodrama
dramatic form made popular in the 19th century that emphasized action and spectacular action and spectacular effects and also used music to underscore the action; it had stock characters, usually with clearly defined villains and heroes. The word which comes from Greek, means "music drama" or "song drama"
theater of the absurd
emerged after WWII in Europe and the U.S. These convey humanity's sense of alienation and its loss of bearings in an illogical, unjust, and ridiculous world. Viewpoint is depicted usually with humor and irony. Absurdist plays suggest the idea of absurdity both in what they say and the way they say it (form and content)
non-sequitur
events and characters that are illogical. Describes theatre of the absurd. The sentences do not follow in sequence, and words do not mean what we expect them to mean.
climatic structure
plot begins late in the story. Play beings when all the roads of the past converge at once crucial intersection in the present - in other words, at the climax. 2 Consequences of Plot Beginning at the End: It is necessary to explain what has happened earlier by having one or more characters report the information to others - exposition The time span covered within a climactic play is usually brief - in many cases a matter of few hours, and at the most a few days
modern tragedy
purists argue that modern tragedies are not true tragedies because they do not include queens and kings as central figures and are written in prose rather than poetry. Began in the late 19th century. Ask the same questions: "why do men and women suffer" "why do violence and injustice exist" "what is the meaning of our lives"
book musical
refers to a show with a story that traces the fortunes of the main characters through a series of adventures with a beginning, middle, and end
situation comedy
related to sitcoms...see domestic comedy
satire
related to traditional burlesque, but more intellectual and moral content. Uses wit, irony, and exaggeration to attack or expose evil and foolishness.
pattern
repeated sequence of events containing order and logic Takes on a ritualistic quality
viewpoint
viewpoint of the theatre artist tells us how to interpret the words and actions of the characters we see onstage: it provides a key to understanding the entire experience
contrasting character
when characters are set up side by side rather than in opposition
text
words of a script
script
written or printed text consisting of dialogue, stage directions, character descriptions and the like.
