Theatre Appreciation

Commedia del arte

- The Art of Comedy -Group of performers, wore masks, basic characters, -Italy's SNL -Traveled all over Italy - Talked with hands -Physical performances -Went to Paris -Threatened local performers (Lobby for any visiting performers to speak French. Mimes and had schools for mime/acting.

How much time does a play usually take?

1-3 hours

List at least 3 non-realistic techniques that might be used in a theatrical production.

1. events do not take place in real life, 2. time and place are unrealistic, 3. characters are unreal figures (ghosts), 4. language is not realistic, scenes are abstract, shafts of light fall at odd angles and colorful lighting, 5. costumes are brightly colored and unrealistic, and 6. makeup worn in a Greek Tragedy or in a modern play such as Beauty and the Beast

Stock characters

2-dimensional (example: the dumb blonde)

Extraordinary Characters

3 dimensional characters; fully rounded

Realism

A 19th century artistic movement in which writers and painters sought to show life as it is rather than life as it should be

Pantomime

A performance using gestures and body movements without words

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time

Arena stage

A stage completely surrounded by the audience

Episodic Structure characteristics:

Can cover numerous locations. Short scenes may alternate with longer ones. May be parallel plots/subplots. (Ex: King Lear - King has 3 daughters - one good and 2 evil. There is a subplot about the Earl of Gloucester - who has 2 sons (one disloyal and one loyal.) Use of contrast: Short scenes followed by longer ones. Tragic scenes followed by comic ones. Events pile up, one after another, like a tidal wave.

The point of highest intensity in a play is called the __________.

Climax

Limited space

Due to the time and space constraints, there are only a limited number of places covered. (sometimes the play is limited to one room but other times there are multiple sets)

Incentives and Motivation - reasons for the characters to act

Example: Helen Keller resists learning because she hasn't been made to obey. Example: But, later, Helen has reason to obey, because if she doesn't, she is punished by the new teacher, Annie Sullivan. Annie, the teacher, desires to succeed so she won't lose her job, and because she truly cares for Helen and wants her to learn.

Types of Characters

Extraordinary characters Representative/quintessential characters Stock characters Commedia del arte Narrator (or Chorus) Protagonist Antagonist

Another name for the thrust stage is the fourth wall. (T/F)

F

Both the auteur and the post modern director revere the playwright's text, and would never think of tampering with it. (T/F)

F

In Bunkaru puppet theatre, 2 people are used to manipulate the puppet. (T/F)

F

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde satirizes Southern culture. (T / F)

F

In absurdist theatre, stage designers attempt to portray a slice-of-life. (T/F)

F

In an allegory, characters resemble people from every day life. (T/F)

F

Kabuki drama was for more dignified, smaller audiences. (T/F)

F

Musical theatre sets adhere to naturalism or slice-of-life set designs. (T/F)

F

Naturalism uses skeletal (or suggestive) set pieces. (T/F)

F

One advantage of a proscenium stage is the intimacy it encourages. (T/F)

F

The lead puppeteer in Bunkaru controls the left hand and feet. (T/F)

F

Theatre focuses on shapes, colors and forms. (T / F)

F

Theatre is not transitory or immediate. (T / F)

F

What are some of the characteristics of a Climactic Structure?

Plot begins late in story. Begins at a climactic - heightened moment Limited scenes and characters

7. The angle at which the story is told is called the... __________.

Point of view

Combination of Climactic and Episodic

Ritual structure Serial structure Avante Garde theatre Tableaux

Serial Structure:

Serial structure - series of acts/episodes (strung together like a necklace) Example: musical revue - short scenes, skits, dance numbers in one program (Wonderettes)

A cashier at Walmart is a "social role" some play. (T / F)

T

An Enemy of the People has multiple sets (T / F).

T

Arena stages are not very adaptable, hence their wane in popularity. (T/F)

T

Art is not created in a vacuum. (T/F)

T

During Shakespeare's time, heroines were acted by young men or boys. (T/F)

T

Elizabethan plays often shifted locale and time periods, unlike Greek productions. (T/F)

T

Expressionistic plays attempt to portray inward emotions using outward techniques. (T/F)

T

If you choose to play the "martyr" and always give in to your friends' wishes, you are acting out a personal rather than a social role. (T or F)

T

In Greek dramas, violent acts—like suicide or murders—usually appear offstage. (T / F)

T

Initially, Kabuki theatre was started by women, but later, females were banned from the theatre. (T/F)

T

Kabuki drama means "song/dance/skill." (T/F)

T

Most Broadway-style theatres are proscenium stages. (T/F)

T

NO theatre uses masks to convey characters, while Kabuki theatre relies upon stylized makeup. (T/F)

T

The "Magic If" helps actors use their imagination to put themselves in the shoes of their character. (T or F)

T

The "super objective" is what the character wants overall. (T or F)

T

The Glass Menagerie is an autobiographical play which closely resembles Tennessee Williams' own family life in many respects. (T/F)

T

The greatest difference between a film and a theatrical performance is the performer - audience relationship. (T / F)

T

Traditional directors are script based and remain true to the playwright's intent. (T/F)

T

When selecting a script, the director should consider not only the audience but also personal preferences. (T/F)

T

Narrator (or Chorus)

Talks directly to the audience Can also be a character in the play Comments on the play's actions Presents a moral judgment.

What happens at the end of An Enemy of the People? Is the Doctor's honesty rewarded?

The doctor is hated and despised. The doctor's honesty is not rewarded.

Limited time

The time it takes for the play (usually 1-3 hours) The time limit within the play (It could cover a few hours, a few days, or longer - but there is a limit.)

Dramaturg or Literary Manager

This person analyzes scripts, advises directories, and works with playwrights on new pieces.

Strongly opposed forces

Two opposing individuals or groups. There is a Balance of Forces among the groups or individuals.

Black box

a space dedicated to theatre but is has flexible seating, lighting, stage, and etc. (can be moved around)

Thrust stage

a stage that extends into the auditorium so that the audience is seated around three sides.

Nora, the female lead character in Ibsen's The Doll's House, shocked audiences because she... a. B, C and D b. Admits that she doesn't know what she believes about religion. c. Confesses that she no longer loves her husband. d. Leaves her husband and children.

a. B, C and D

The theatre _______________ usually works for a television station, a newspaper, or a magazine and reports on what has occurred at the theatre. a. Reviewer b. Critic c. Dramaturg d. Blogger

a. Reviewer

Non-realism

also known as departures from realism, means all types of theatre that depart from observable reality

Soliloquy

an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.

Symbol

anything that stands for or represents something else

A ______________ researches a play and provides educational material for student audiences. a. A reviewer b. A literary manager c. A drama critic d. A producer

b. A literary manager

Which of the following attempts to go into greater detail in describing or analyzing a theatrical event? a. A reviewer b. A theatre critic c. A dramaturg d. A theatre blogger

b. A theatre critic

The psychological or physical separation existing between the performer and the audience is called... a. Aesthetic space b. Aesthetic distance c. Artistic license d. Artistic separation

b. Aesthetic distance

When I recollected my past teaching experiences with difficult children as I played the role of Annie Sullivan in the play - The Miracle Worker - I was using...Stanislavski's technique called... a. Emotional stimuli b. Emotional recall c. Emotional flashback d. Emotional baggage

b. Emotional recall

Quick movements from the present to the past and back again in theatre or film are called... a. Anachronisms b. Flashbacks c. Soliloquys d. Monologues

b. Flashbacks

The primary objective of the play is also called the... a. Magic if b. Spine c. Falling action d. The auteur's desire

b. Spine

A theatre critic usually has more __________ __________ knowledge than a reviewer. a. Theatrical opinions b. Theatrical knowledge c. Dramatic license d. Dramatic words

b. Theatrical knowledge

Which u-shaped stage borrows the best of two worlds from other stage shapes: a. Proscenium b. Thrust c. Arena d. Black box

b. Thrust

Renaissance actors faced all of the following challenges except for... a. Speaking in verse. b. working with the opposite sex in challenging roles. c. Rehearsing for only a few weeks before a play's run. d. Possibly up to 16 plays per season. e. Playing multiple roles.

b. working with the opposite sex in challenging roles.

To better appreciate a play, viewers can learn more about the... a. Playwright b. Background of the period. c. A and B

c. A and B

In Kabuki, stylized acting includes a 3-step dramatic "mie" which involves spreading the legs, spreading the body, wiggling, and moving the _____________ in exaggerated ways. a. Fingers b. Toes c. Eyes d. Mouth

c. Eyes

All of the following playwrights helped bring realism to the stage except... a. Henrik Ibsen b. August Strindberg c. Lewis Carroll d. Anton Chekov

c. Lewis Carroll

According to Stanislavski, the key to realistic acting is to incorporate ... a. Mime b. Yoga c. Physical actions d. Music

c. Physical actions

The slant of an auditorium is called a a. Box b. House c. Rake d. thrust

c. Rake

We act in everyday life through imitation and _______________________. a. Stage art b. Mimicry c. Role playing d. Mime

c. Role playing

During the Roman period, travelling acting troupes had to do all but the following ... a. Sing b. Dance c. Tap dance d. Mime e. acrobatics

c. Tap dance

This type of director believes in cross-gender and multi-cultural casting: a. The auteur director b. The traditional director c. The post-modern director

c. The post-modern director

The following were all demands Greek actors faced except... a. They were paid low wages, if at all. b. They had to wear masks. c. They wore body suits. d. They played multiple roles.

c. They wore body suits.

Japanese theatre stages use a form of the _____________ stage. a. Proscenium b. Arena c. Thrust d. Black box

c. Thrust

On which shaped theatre stage did Elizabethan (Shakespearean) plays originally appear? a. Proscenium b. Arena c. Thrust d. Black box

c. Thrust

The ______________ stage was developed by the Greeks. a. Proscenium b. Arena c. Thrust d. Black box

c. Thrust

In The Glass Menagerie the story is told by ________________ point of view. A. Laura's B. Amanda's C. Tom's D. The Father's E. The gentleman caller's

c. Tom's

Ritual Structure:

ceremonial events - often religious (with beginning, middle and end)

Actors on stage differ with real life in that they... a. Are always observed. b. Are playing a role. c. May represent a symbol or non-realistic element. d. A, B, and C.

d. A, B, and C.

A multipurpose theatre space, where lighting, staging, and seating are flexible is called... a. Proscenium b. Arena c. Thrust d. Black box

d. Black box

When choosing a script, a director considers all but the following: a. Budget b. Personal preferences c. Theatre space d. Non-realistic elements

d. Non-realistic elements

A _______________ stands for something else. For example, the fire escape in The Glass Menagerie is used to illustrate the characters' desire to leave reality. a. Flashback b. Soliloquy c. Anachronism d. Symbol

d. Symbol

The opening scene of a play provides..._____.

exposition

Protagonist

main character

Antagonist

main character's chief opponent

Avante Garden Theatre

nonverbal theatre; improvisational theatre (breaking with traditional)

To make the play interesting a playwright adds __________ along the way to goals. The playwright may add complications (new forces/twists in plot).

obstacles

Representative/quintessential characters

people from every day life; they serve as representatives for others.

Exposition

setting, tone, and style of the play and the start of action.

Musical Theatre:

spoken scenes followed by songs dance routines

Tableaux

static scene onstage

Climactic Structure:

tightly constructed