The essential theater enhanced tenth edition Mid-Term

Once a sound score is created, what happens next?

Sound designer presents it to the director and other designer for discussion.

In nonprofessional theatre, who usually performs many duties of the designers?

The technical director.

From a costuming perspective, what is the name of the assistant who takes over after the costumes are finished & makes sure they are ready for each performance?

The wardrobe supervisor.

How are watching the events of a play & absorbing life similar?

These two are similar because you are watching the events of the play unfold right before you, such as you do in real life, causing you to process the events of the play much as you do real occurrences.

Because plays are intended to be seen on a stage, once a playwright gets a draft down on paper, what needs to happen next?

They need to see the play acted out.

Turn in:

Turn toward the center of the stage.

What are gobos?

(etched metal or glass filters) that selectively block some light from reaching the stage so that patterns of light and shadow are created. For example, one may simulate a forest on stage by using gobos of branches and leaves.

Knowing that a play is not reality (the audience is aware that its events are fiction), what is the phrase Samuel Taylor Coleridge used to describe how an audience views a play? Briefly EXPLAIN what that phrase means.

"A willing suspension of disbelief" is the ability to watch the play unfold before you (Such as watching a man killing another) and while understanding that it is merely two actors portraying characters, you chose to grant them a temporary reality.

Is artwork produced by nature the way human beings, animals, & plants are?

"Art is not produced by nature, but through the application of certain processes."

To many, criticism means a negative or adverse response. What is the true meaning of "criticism"?

"The act of making judgments."

LIST & briefly EXPLAIN the 2 Groups into which the arts can be divided:

1 .Useful: Intended to be taught and mastered. 2. Fine: Literature, drama, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, dance, cinema, photography. Considered a product of genius, was not to be reduced to rules or principals.

There are 2 things that make a play distinctive from all other forms of literature.

1. A play is the only genre of literature written specifically to be performed (as opposed to read, like a novel). 2. What is the other distinctive feature of plays? Because it is made up primarily of dialogue constructed with great care to convey its intentions and to create the sense of spontaneous speech by characters involved in a developing action.

LIST and EXPLAIN the 3 Principle Types of Stage Lighting:

1. AREA LIGHT- Area light is confined to a relatively small and very specific portion of the stage. It is used principally for illuminating acting areas, which demand the greatest emphasis and usually require variety in intensity, color, and distribution. 2. General illumination- Spreads over a larger area than area light. General illumination is most fully exploited on the proscenium stage, where it serves three functions: to light the background elements (cyclorama, ground rows, drops) not illuminated by spotlights; to blend acting areas and provide a smooth transition from the higher intensity of the acting areas to the lower intensity of the background; and to enhance or modify the color of settings and costumes. Although general illumination cannot be confined to small areas, its direction can be partially controlled. For example, borderlights may be hung above the acting area and pointed downward or tilted in one direction. Striplights and floodlights may be suspended on battens above the stage, mounted on vertical stands, or placed on the floor. 3. Special effects- Out-of-the-ordinary demands. Among them fires, rainbows, fog, bright rays of light (to simulate sunlight or moonlight), explosions, lightning, strobe lights, and "black" light (ultraviolet light used to pick out specially treated substances on a dark stage).

What are the 2 Different Types of Makeup?

1. Added plastic prosthetic. 2. Painting.

4 Functions of Makeup:

1. Characterize—convey age, state of health, race, and basic attitude, such as grumpiness or cheerfulness 2. Aid expressiveness—emphasize facial features and make them more visible to the audience 3. Restore color and form that are sometimes diminished by stage lighting 4. Indicate performance style, as in expressionist plays, where distorted makeup may indicate distorted ideas or behavior, or in Kabuki or Chinese Opera

The stage manager has 2 primary responsibilities—one of those is during the rehearsal process, the other is during performances. What are those 2 primary responsibilities?

1. Compiling the promptbook 2. Running the stage

What are the 4 Functions of the director in the collaborative process?

1. Decides upon an interpretation of the script and a production concept that will shape its staging. 2. Casts and rehearses with the performers. 3. Works with the designers. 4. Integrates all of the elements into a finished production.

4 Functions of Scene Design:

1. Defines the performance space— Scene design defines the performance space by establishing distinctions between onstage and offstage. Through the use of flats, drapes, platforms, floor treatments, and other means, designers delineate the acting space. 2. Creates a floor plan— creates a floor plan that shapes movement, composition, character interaction, and stage business. 3. Visually characterizes the acting space & makes a strong interpretative statement— depends on the style and theme the production wishes to portray. 4. Creates mood & atmosphere—this is the last item listed at the bottom of the 1st column on p. 375 in your textbook, but it isn't discussed in detail in your text anymore. Please see the Chap. 15 power point for a full explanation of this scene design function.

Briefly DESCRIBE the 3 Influences of the Theatrical Space on an audience's response to a production listed below

1. Degree of formality- Possesses influences audience expectations and their responses. An elaborate theatre building with carpeted lobbies and auditorium, fixed comfortable seating, and complex theatrical technology creates a different set of expectations than does a theatrical space improvised in a warehouse, where the audience sits on the floor, wooden platforms, or folding chairs, and in which the technology is minimal. 2. Size of the theatrical space- Very large spaces may make it difficult for all members of the audience to see and hear all that the performers are doing or saying; small details are likely to go unnoticed, stage business may be simplified or enlarged, spectacle may be given increased emphasis, and sound may require amplification. 3. Seating arrangement of the theatrical space- Not only does it define the physical relationship of the performer to the audience, but also it shapes how production elements (scenery, costumes, lighting, and so on) can be used.

LIST and briefly DEFINE the 6 Aristotelian Parts of Drama:

1. Diction- Specific words the playwright chooses to use. 2. Spectacle- All the visuals represented in the play. Represents everything you see: set, costumes, lights, etc. 3. Thought- What the audience learns - the moral of the play. 4. Characters- The play must be about someone or something - can be human or non-human. 5. Melody- Everything you hear - music, sound effects, silence are all examples of this. 6. Plot- Show must have a beginning, middle and end. Something needs to happen and a character must be challenged.

Give some EXAMPLES of some auxiliary spaces for the AUDIENCE & for THEATRE PERSONNEL.

1. For the AUDIENCE- Auditorium, lobby, restrooms, corridors, exits, and refreshment stands. 2. For THEATRE PERSONNEL- Scene shop, Property room, Costume shop, Costume storage, Light shop, Lighting storage, Control booth, Rehearsal room, Dressing rooms, Green room. 4. Do Broadway Theaters have a full range of auxiliary spaces for scene & costume construction? Are Broadway productions rehearsed in the actual Broadway Theatre? They do not and they are not used for rehearsal.

LIST briefly the 3 Steps of the "Critical Process":

1. Have an experience 2. Analyze the experience 3. Communicate one's response to another

Acting is a mixture of 3 Basic Ingredients. What are they?

1. Innate ability 2. Training 3. Experience

4 Controllable Qualities of Light:

1. Intensity (Or brightness) - Intensity or brightness of light can be controlled by a dimmer, moving the light farther away from the subject, the number of lights focused on one particular object or by the use of color filters to change the viewers mood. 2. Distribution- The lights can be placed on a stand, at a horizontal or vertical level, in the auditorium, above or on the floor of the stage. The direction that the light hits the subject can greatly affect the way the audience portrays the subject. 3. Color- Filters control the appearance of color through the principle of selective transmission known as subtractive color mixing. Lighting designers may focus multiple instruments, often with multiple different colors, on each part of the stage to ensure control over not only intensity but also color. Other types of color mixing are also possible and used to produce various tints, shades, hues, saturations, and intensities. 4. Movement- Perceptible alterations in any of the controllable qualities. A lighting cue creates a sense of movement. A lighting cue occurs when a lighting control board, or console, triggers some lamps to be brightened and others dimmed, thus creating a shift of intensity, color, and/or distribution on stage. Another form of movement is when a spot light shining on the stage follows an actor.

LIST & EXPLAIN the 5 Special Qualities of Theatre:

1. Lifelikeness: To make the play mirror real life as much as possible. 2. Ephemerality: As quickly as the play ends, the only think keeping it alive is the memory. 3. Objectivity: What we learn about the characters comes from what they say and how the act. 4. Complexity of means: The plays ability to pull from other art forms. 5. Immediacy: Everything unfolds before you.

the 5 Methods of Shifting Scenery on stage:

1. Manual shifting- One or more stage hands move a part of a set to a pre-determined place. 2. Flying- Suspending scene elements above the stage, moving them as needed. 3. Wagon-Shifting stage elements around via a platform on wheels. 4. Turntable-Specific whole cut into the stage with a supporting pivot or a circular platform sitting on castors on the top of the stage. 5. Elevator stage-Lowers the stage up and down as needed, used to load stage elements from the basement to the stage and vice-versa.

LIST and briefly DEFINE the 4 Common Physical (Seating) Arrangements of theatrical spaces. (Can also be thought of as the 4 Types of Stages)

1. Proscenium Arch Stage. The acting area is placed at one end of the space with all of the spectators facing it. 2. Thrust Stage. The acting area is surrounded on two or three sides by the audience. 3. Arena Stage. The acting area is completely surrounded by the audience on all sides. 4. Flexible Space. The relationship of acting and audience areas is variable and flexible.

6 Function of Stage Lighting

1. Provide appropriate visibility- To define or alter apparent shape, dimension, and depth by manipulating the light's distribution, intensity, and color. 2. Sculpt dimensionality- Using light for the means of creating mood, atmosphere, and stylistic traits. 3. Reinforce and create stage compositions- Directs your eyes to the most important parts of the scene and takes focus off of others using selective focus of lighting. 4. Enhance mood and atmosphere- Using bright lights can create an upbeat, happy atmosphere, while dark lights create a sad or depressed atmosphere. In the same respect, using a very harsh light can create the sense of panic or probing, while dark lights and lots of shadow can create a "Film noir" mystery feel of suspense. 5. Support style and production concept- Lighting can help insinuate time period, time of day, and can further confirm the circumstance in which the play takes place. 6. Reinforce the action- Lighting reinforces the action by reflecting the dominant feeling of each scene and the changes in mood, time, and atmosphere from one scene (or location) to the next. Changes in lighting may also underscore the rhythmical patterns of scenes and changes in rhythm from one scene to another.

5 Working Plans & Procedures for a lighting designer

1. Step #1— Make value sketches 2. Step #2— Additionally create a lighting score 3. Step #3— Use computer simulations 4. Step #4— Attend several rehearsals 5. Step#5- Hang and focus the lights

4 Working Plans & Procedures for a scene designer

1. Step #1— Perspective sketches 2. Step #2— Floor plans 3. Step #3— Scale models 4. Step #4— Rear, front, side or painters elevations and possibly detailed individual drawings

LIST & briefly EXPLAIN the 3 Basic Influences of Style:

1. Style stems from assumptions about what is truthful and valuable- We base "style" on money and monetary value. Surface appearances only disguise truth, which is to be found in some inner or spiritual realm. Others have maintained that truth can be discovered only by objective study of things that can be felt, tasted, seen, heard, or smelled. 2. Style stems from the manner in which a playwright uses the elements of drama- each perceives the human condition from a unique point of view, and these perceptions are reflected in situations, characters, and ideas; in manipulation of language; and in suggestions for the use of spectacle. 3. Style stems from the manner in which a play is presented- Directing, acting, scenery, costumes, lighting, and sound used to translate the play from a written text to the stage.

Games & theatre share a dependence on "conventions." What are they? LIST

1. The stage as a place where fictional events occur, 2. The use of scenery to suggest locales, 3. The use in some periods of masks or of males to play female roles 4. The singing (rather than speaking) of lines in opera.

LIST and briefly DESCRIBE the 3 Fundamental Dramatic Forms:

1. Tragedy- The oldest form of drama. Consistently serious tone throughout, with the exception of comedic relief moments. Usually based around human existence or morality. 2. Comedy- Originating in Greece, demands that the audience views it subjectively. Consistently "Laid back" good fun feel. In the right context, it is believed that anything can be made into comedy. 3. Melodrama- Develops a temporarily serious action that is initiated and kept in motion by the malicious designs of a villain; a happy resolution is made possible by destroying the villain's power. The appeals are strong and basic, creating a desire to see the "good guys" triumph and the "bad guys" punished.

What are the 3 basic qualifications of a critic?

1. Understand what goes into a production 2. Have considerable theatergoing experience 3. Be aware of the audience for whom they are writing.

8 Skills of a Lighting Designer

1. Visual artist 2. Electrical or optical engineer 3. Computer programmer 4. Display designer 5. Electrician 6. Social and cultural historian 7. Stage director

LIST & briefly EXPLAIN the 3 Basic Elements of Theatre:

1. What is performed? (Could be anything from a comedic, single actor performance to a Shakespearian drama.) Generally considered a carnival or parade type of performance. 2. The performance: Translates the potential of a play from a script or idea to actuality. The phrase "performance" is such a broad phase. Performing in the theatre, street or night club, could mean anything from circus acts (Juggling, acrobatics) to spoken word and so on a so forth. 3. The audience: (Necessary for theatrics) The audience allows the actors, writers and crew behind the production to have an immediate reaction to the play. Often times recruiting members of the crowd on stage to play a part in the first hand production of the play.

Briefly DESCRIBE the 3 Categories of Sound

1. verbal- Sound made by the actor singing or speaking. 2. nonverbal- Sounds such as movement. 3. realistic-

What do light plots show?

1.) Floor plans-Drawn to scale and shows, from top view, the payout of the stage, scenery, and the auditorium. On this plot are indicated the size, type and position of each instrument and the area it will light. 2.) Center line (A.K.A Vertical) sections-Also drawn to scale, shows the vertical arrangement from a side view of the stage., scenery and auditorium and the type, size, and position of each instrument ad the area it will light.

Dramaturgy in general can be divided into 2 basic functions:

1.Shaping 2.Working with directors.

What is a makeup plot?

A chart recording basic information about the makeup of each character: the base color, liners, eye shadow, and powder; special features, such as a beard or enlarged nose; and any changes to be made during the performance.

What is an instrument schedule?

A spreadsheet that lists each lighting instrument with its specifications (type, wattage, lens, reflector, lamp, and any other pertinent information), mounting position, color filter, area lighted by it, control channel, circuit into which it is plugged, and dimmer to which it is connected. The schedule summarizes all of the technical information needed for acquiring and setting up lighting instruments.

What is an important consideration to those who produce theatre when choosing a season of plays & production styles?

A theatre's attempts to identify its potential audience (or audiences)

Which basic form of drama does Aristotle cover at length in The Poetics?

Action.

What is an actor's cues?

Actions or words that cue the actor's lines or movement.

What is the name of the state in which we are sufficiently "detached" to view an artistic event semi-objectively?

Aesthetic distance.

Why does art tend to make people uneasy?

Because art is a form of expression often intended to speak of unpopular opinion of world or human events.

Of all the arts, why is theatre considered to have the greatest potential as a humanizing force?

Because it asks us to enter imaginatively into another's life so that we may understand their dreams and motivations.

What is one basic reason that art is considered to be valuable?

Because it brings us pleasure and incites our imaginations, indulging into a world bigger than material value.

How does "art" shape our perceptions & notions about the "human experience" to help put into order our views about humanity & the world in which we live?

By working mostly from their own perceptions and by seeking to involve the audience's feelings. By watching plays reveal right before our eyes, we process the information the way we do real life.

Then the audition process usually progresses to the next type of audition which is called what?

Call back audition

Traditionally who is responsible for makeup application?

Consulted by the costume department, but usually applied by either the actor, director or costumer.

Area toward the front of the stage:

Downstage

When is the first time actors are able to work with all props, settings, costumes, makeup, & lighting?

Dress rehearsal.

What is the name of an audience's emotional involvement with a play?

Empathy or "God's eye view.

Three tools of an actor:

Imagination, body, voice.

What are cue sheets?

Indicate when lighting shifts occur throughout the production and often provide a brief description of the desired lighting conditions on stage. The light cues are then recorded into a computerized light-board.

What is the FULL name of the professional theatrical union to which most master electricians must be members?

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union

What is the definition of a theatre audience?

People who assemble as a group at a given time and place to experience a performance, a temporary community.

What does lighting do for all of the other elements of a production?

Makes other elements of production visible, and helps to create mood and atmosphere by emphasizing certain parts of the stage.

To what does the term modeling refer?

Manipulating the lights distribution to intensity or color to define or alter something's apparent shape.

EXPLAIN what mixed-media productions involve & why they are so popular today.

Mixed-media productions combine elements from several media, but characteristically they mingle live action (which may include dance) with projected still or moving pictures and stereophonic sound and music. It is popular because it is influenced by film, computers and television.

Does one, "correct" interpretation of any given play exist? EXPLAIN.

No, the audience's interpretation of the play varies widely on their background and world view.

Is it an easy thing for a playwright to obtain assistance in developing their scripts?

No.

The "open call" (also called "cattle call") audition, which usually begins the audition process allows for what?

Open auditions.

What is the most obvious example of "popular culture" entertainment with which the majority of people feel most at ease?

Pop music

What is the name of the person(s) responsible for securing the finances & personnel for doing a show & making that show available to the public?

Producers.

What is the definition of "style"?

Results from a distinctive mode of expression or method of presentation.

What is the most basic definition of THEATRE?

Someone performing something for someone else.

Which of the design disciplines discussed in this Unit is the most recently recognized discipline?

Sound design.

What is meant by the term subtext?

Subtext is often used to refer to a character's true meaning beneath the surface level of their communication.

Theatre audiences vary widely in terms of what?

Tastes, education, economic status, race, age, and other factors.

Explain the difference between technical vs. dress rehearsals.

Technical- Focuses on scene shifts, properties, and all stage business involving properties. Dress rehearsals- Dress rehearsals focus on wardrobe and props.

What is the name of the most indispensable of the director's assistants?

The stage manager

Excluding the designers, to what professional union do all backstage employees belong? (Be sure to write out what the letters stand for)

The United Scenic Artists Union (U.S.A.U)

Which theatre artist most nearly "personifies the stage" for the general public? WHY?

The actor, because he is the only artist in plays the audience ever really sees.

Right and left on stage are determined by what?

The audience.

What is a fundamental requirement of all types of theatrical performance?

The audience. Without them, the process is not complete.

What is the name of the theatre artist who is concerned with the "artistic aspects of production?"

The director.

What is the name of the person who is responsible for maintaining & checking all lighting equipment before each performance?

The electrics crew.

What is a sound score?

The function for each intended sound cue When the cue should be heard The cue's duration (how long it should be heard) The origin of the sound (live, recorded, etc.) and what will need to be recorded or used to make the sound The intended treatment of the sound (whether it needs to be distorted, enhanced, and so on)

What is the typical starting point for a theatrical production?

The play

What is the common basis of collaboration for any theatrical production?

The play itself and the interpretative focus that will guide the creative choices artists make for a particular production of it.

In contemporary theatre, what is typically the beginning point of a production?

The play.

Today, which theatre artist is the one who is "most removed" from the process of play production?

The playwright.

What is the name of the theatre artist who is concerned with the organization & appearance of the performance space?

The scene designer.

What is the definition of "form"?

The shape given to something for a particular purpose.

What is one of the clearest ways in which an audience affects theatre?

Through the immediate feedback it provides the performers.

Dress the stage:

To balance out the picture of the stage.

Open up:

To turn slightly towards the audience.

Turn out:

Turn towards the side of the stage.

In professional theatre, designers are usually members of which professional union? (Be sure to write out what the letters stand for).

U.S.A.U (The United Scenic Artists Union.)

The area toward the REAR of the stage (away from the audience) is called what?

Upstage.

Theatre is also valued as a form of cultural expression. Why is this significant?

We can gain insight into any culture by examining the popularity of its entertainment forms.

What is the function of a "dress parade"?

When every costume for the play is viewed sequentially so that the actors may appear in the correct combinations, in the appropriate costumes, and under lights simulating those to be used in performance.

What is Aristotle's definition of a "play"?

a representation of human beings "in action."