question

blackface

answer

black makeup used by white performers playing black characters, as in minstrel shows

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cross-cultural theatre

answer

Theatre that joins contrasting ideas -- whether staging techniques or myths and rituals -- from diverse cultures into a single work in order to find parallels between cultures and promote cultural pluralism

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culture

answer

The values, standards, and patterns of behavior of a particular group of people expressed in customs, language, rituals, history, religion, social and political institutions, and art and entertainment.

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enculturation

answer

The process by which we learn about our culture

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ethnocentrism

answer

The practice of using one's own culture as the standard for judging other cultures

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Harlem Renaissance

answer

An African American literary, artistic, and musical movement during the 1920's and 1930's centered int he Harlem neighborhood in NYC.

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minstrel show

answer

...

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multiculturalism

answer

The attempt to achieve a pluralistic society by overcoming all forms of discrimination, including racism, sexism, and homophobia

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pop culture

answer

Short for "popular culture"; the fads and fashions that dominate mainstream media, music, and art for a period of time.

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stereotypes

answer

Generalized assumptions about people who are not like us

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theatre of identity

answer

Plays by and about a particular culture or ethnic group

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theatre of protest

answer

Plays that criticize the policies of the dominant culture and demand justice

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theatre of the people

answer

A type of theatre that provides a forum for everyday people to express themselves

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Yiddish Broadway

answer

The Jewish theatre district on Second Avenue in NYC in the late 19th and early 20th century

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Actors' Equity Association

answer

The union that represents stage actors

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American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)

answer

The trade union that represents talk-show hosts as well as announcers, singers, disc jockeys, newscasters, sportscasters, and even stuntpeople

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blocking rehearsal

answer

A series of rehearsals in which the director and actors work out the blocking, or the movement of the actors on stage during the play.

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callback list

answer

During auditions, a list directors keep of actors they want to call back for subsequent auditions as they narrow the field of candidates.

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cattle call

answer

An auditions to which anyone may come and be given a minute or so to perform; A.K.A "open call"

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character flaw

answer

An inner flaw that hampers a character's good judgement and leads the character to make unfortunate choices; A.K.A fatal flaw, tragic flaw, or hamartia

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cold reading

answer

Audition in which actors read from a script without any preparation

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dark night

answer

The one night of the week when a play is not performed and the theatre is closed; typically Monday night

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dress rehearsal

answer

The final rehearsals, when costumes and makeup are added, before the play opens

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emotional memory

answer

An acting technique pioneered by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls the visual and auditory images, or physical circumstances, of a real-life (or imagined) event in order to relive the emotions accompanying it. A.K.A sense memory or affective memory

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empathy

answer

The ability to understand and identify with another's situation to the extent of experiencing that person's emotions

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Equity waiver

answer

An exception to Actors' Equity Association wage standards that allows members to work for free in small productions

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final dress rehearsal

answer

The last rehearsal before an audience is invited.

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general working rehearsal

answer

Rehearsals during which the director and actors work on individual scenes and concentrate on understanding the character's motivations, emotions, and personality

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given circumstances

answer

Character-analysis approach that begins with examining characters' life circumstances: their situations, problems, and the limits life has placed on them. Can include general background such as upbringing, religion, and social standing, as well as what happened to the character the moment before entering the scene.

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inner conflict

answer

Some sort of unfinished business that is so compelling that it handicaps the character until it is confronted

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International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

answer

A system for transcribing the sounds of speech that is independent of any particular language but applicable to all languages

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magic IF

answer

A technique pioneered by Stanislavsky for developing empathy with a character. It involves searching for the answers to the question "What would I do IF I were this character in these circumstances?" The magic IF allows actors to find similarities between themselves and a character and to explore the intimate emotions and thoughts that result

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method acting

answer

A.K.A "the method"; this sytem of realistic acting was distilled by followers of Stanislavsky and has been taught primarily since the 1930s in America.

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motivation

answer

The conscious or subconscious reason a character takes a particular action

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off-book rehearsal

answer

The rehearsal when the actors must have their lines memorized because they no longer have the script (book) with them on stage.

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run-through

answer

A rehearsal to go through an act or the entire play from beginning to end with as few interruptions as possible

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Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

answer

The union that represents film and television actors

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special rehearsal

answer

A rehearsal for a special element, such as fight scenes, musical numbers, dance numbers, or dialects.

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Stanislavsky system

answer

An individualized, psychological approach to acting pioneered by Stanislavsky; A.K.A method acting

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substitution

answer

Replacing a character's emotions with unrelated personal emotions; a technique used when the actor has not had the experience or emotional reaction of the character

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superobjective

answer

The driving force that governs a character's actions throughout the play

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synthespian

answer

Digital actor created by computer animators

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table work

answer

The first step in the rehearsal process; the actors read through the play while seated around a table. Afterward, the director and actors discuss the characters, motivations, and meaning, and the designers may present their ideas to the cast.

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technical approach

answer

Acting from the outside in, concentrating on physical details.

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tech rehearsal

answer

Rehearsals that include the lights, sound, costumes, more complex props, and final set pieces.

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tragic flaw

answer

An unchangeable trait in a character that brings about his own ruin (ex Oedipus's arrogance in ignoring the oracle). A.K.A character flaw and fatal flaw

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assistant director

answer

A person who helps stage scenes and manage the production crew

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beat

answer

A section of dialogue about a particular subject or idea; the smallest structural element of a script

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blocking

answer

The movement of the actors on stage during a production; the technique the director uses to achieve focus and "picturization"

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casting against type

answer

Casting an actor who is very different from, or even the opposite of, the type of person who would be expected to play the part

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casting director

answer

A person who specializes in finding the right actors for parts; especially common in Hollywood

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casting to type

answer

Casting an actor who physically matches the role or who has a deep understanding of the character's emotions and motivations

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color-blind casting

answer

Casting actors without regard for their race or ethnic background

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concept production

answer

A production of a play dominated by the director's artistic vision, or concept

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creative director

answer

A director who adds concepts, designs, or interpretations that are independent of the playwrights intentions

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cross-gender casting

answer

Intentionally casting men to play women's roles and women to play men's roles

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didaskalos

answer

In ancient Greece, a playwright who staged the plays he wrote, instructing the performers and advising the designers and technicians.

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director

answer

The person who turns a printed script into a stage production, coordinating the work of theatre artists, technicians, and other personnel

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focus

answer

The actor, action, or spot on the stage to which the director draws the audience's attention

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french scene

answer

A structural element of a play that begins with any entrance or exit and continues until the next entrance or exit

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gender-neutral casting

answer

Casting without regard for the character's gender

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interpretive director

answer

A director whose goal is to translate a script from page to stage as faithfully as possible

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Moscow Art Theatre

answer

A theatre company founded in the late 19th century by a group of Russian producers, actors, directors, and dramatists. Made famous by the plays of Anton Chekhov and the acting techniques of Stanislavsky

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picturization

answer

Composing pictures with the actors to reinforce an idea in the story; a technique used by directors

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production concept

answer

The thematic idea, symbol, or allegory that conveys the tone, mood, and theme of a play

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profile

answer

An actor's position at a right angle to the audience; halfway between open and closed

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sharing focus

answer

A position for two or more actors, each with a shoulder thrown back sot hat the audience can see them equally.

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stage area

answer

One of the nine sections of the stage labeled according the actors' point of view, such as downstage right, center stage, or upstage left.

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stealing focus

answer

Taking focus out of turn; A.K.A upstaging

question

triangulation

answer

A technique for drawing focus when three actors or groups of actors are on stage; the person or group at the upstage or downstage apex of the triangle takes the focus.

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upstaging

answer

Taking focus out of turn; A.K.A stealing focus.

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apron

answer

The area of a proscenium arch stage that extends into the audience's side of the picture frame. A.K.A lip

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arena theatre

answer

A type of theatre with the stage in the center, like an island, surrounded on all sides by audience; A.K.A theatre-in-the-round

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basic elements of design

answer

Line, dimension, balance, movement, harmony, color, and texture

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black box theatre

answer

A small theatre that generally holds fewer than a hundred people and has moveable seats so that the audience groupings can be changed for every production

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character makeup

answer

Makeup that completely transforms the way actors look, such as shadows, wrinkles, and gray hair to turn a young actor into an elderly character

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Computer Aided Design

answer

Programs used by set designers to create blueprints for set designs

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costume plate

answer

drawings that indicate how a costume is shaped, where seams and folds are, how the costume flows, and what fabrics are to be used

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dimmer

answer

A computerized light board

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dress parade

answer

A tryout of the completed costumes by the actors for the costume designer and director so that necessary changes can be made before opening night

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elevations

answer

The views of a set design from the front and back

question

expressionism

answer

A style that shows the audience the action of the play though the mind of one character. Instead of seeing photographic reality, the audience sees the character's own emotions and point of view.

question

floor plan

answer

The blueprint of a set design that shows the view from above.

question

fly system

answer

The elaborate network of pulleys, riggings, and counterweights that allows scenic pieces to be "flown" up and out of the audience's sight in a traditional proscenium arch theatre

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found, or created, space

answer

Spaces where theatre can be performed, such as parks, churches, townsquares, basements, warehouses, gymnasiums, jails, subway stations, and street corners.

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gel

answer

Sheets of colored plastic attached to the front of lighting instruments

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gobo

answer

Metal cutouts placed on the front of lighting instruments to project patterns on the stage (such as sunlight coming through the leaves of a tree)

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hand props

answer

Any objects actors handle while on stage, such as pens, cigars, money, and umbrellas

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lighting plot

answer

A detailed drawing that shows the location of each lighting instrument on the hanging grid, where its light will be focuses, its type, wattage, and circuitry needed, and its color.

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limelight

answer

In the mid 1800s, a gas-powered spotlight in which a jet of oxygen and hydrogen was ignited with small bits of line. Now, the word means "the center of attention"

question

motivated light

answer

Stage lighting that comes from an identifiable source, such as a candle, a lamp, or the sun

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nonmotivated light

answer

Stage lighting that reinforces the mood of a scene but doesn't necessarily come from an identifiable or onstage source

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proscenium arch

answer

A formal arch that separates the audience from the actors, or a theatre with such an arch.

question

realism

answer

A style of theatre that attempts to seem like life, with authentic-looking sets, "honest" acting, and dialogue that sounds like everyday speech

question

selective realism

answer

A design style that mixes authentic-looking elements with stylized ones

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set decoration

answer

A prop that is part of the set and is not touched by the actors

question

set props

answer

Any prop that sits on the set, such as sofas, chairs, and beds

question

sight lines

answer

Audience members' view of areas of the stage

question

simplified, or suggested, realism

answer

A design style that suggests rather than exactly duplicates the look of a period

question

straight makeup

answer

makeup that does not change actors' looks but makes their faces look more three dimensional and therefore more visible to the audience

question

surrealism

answer

A genre of theatre that emphasizes the subconscious realities of the character, usually though design, and often includes random sets with dream-like qualities

question

symbolism

answer

A design style or theatre genre in which a certain piece of scenery, a costume, or a light represents the essence of the entire environment

question

thrust stage

answer

A theatre with a lip that protrudes so far into the house that the audience must sit on one of the three sides of the stage.

question

vomitories

answer

Tunnels, like those in sports stadiums, that run into and under the tiers of audience seats to allow actors quick access to the stage

question

wings

answer

Areas out of the audience's sight from which actors make their entrances and in which sets are stored

question

absurdism

answer

An avant-garde "ism" that was the result of the two world wars. It has three types: fatalist, existentialist, and hilarious

question

alienation effect

answer

The result of techniques to keep the audience aware that what they are witnessing is only a play; used by Bertolt Brecht. Alienation techniques include having the actors address the audience out of character, exposing the lights, removing the proscenium arch and curtains, and having the actors perform on bare platforms or simple sets that are sometimes punctuated with political signs.

question

anagnorisis

answer

Element of a Greek tragedy; the tragic hero's self-examination leading to realization of true identity

question

avant-garde

answer

Any work of art that is experimental, innovative, or unconventional

question

blank verse

answer

Poetic lines that do not rhyme

question

Bunraku

answer

Japanese puppet theatre with large wooden puppets with many movable parts, onstage puppeteers dressed in black, and a narrator who chants the script.

question

catharsis

answer

An intense, twofold feeling of pity and fear that is the goal of Greek tragedy

question

chorus

answer

In ancient Greek plays, an all-male group of singers and dancers who commented on and participated in the action

question

comedy of ideas

answer

A form of high comedy comprising cerebral, socially relevant plays that force audiences to reassess their culture, community, and values.

question

comedy of manners

answer

A form of Restoration comedy that features wit and wordplay and often includes themes of sexual gratification, bedroom escapades, and humankind's primitive nature when it comes to sex.

question

dark comedy

answer

Comedy that is gloomy, even sinister, allowing the audience to laugh at the blaker and more absurd aspects of life

question

domestic comedy

answer

A type of play characterized by stories about common everyday people (rather than ones of noble birth) whose problems and complications are lighthearted and entertaining

question

epic theatre

answer

Features plays that have a grand scope, large casts, and cover a long period and a wide range of sometimes unrelated incidents

question

episode

answer

One scene in an ancient Greek play

question

exodos

answer

In ancient Greek theatre, the summation by the chorus on the theme and wisdom of the play

question

farce

answer

A popular form of low comedy where the characters are trapped in a fast-paced situation with wild complications, mistaken identities, and incredible coincidences; A.K.A "door slamming farce" because the pace can be so fast so the characters are constantly running in and out of doors

question

fourth wall

answer

An imaginary wall separating the actors from audience; an innovation of Realism in the theatre in the mid-1800s

question

hamartia

answer

In ancient Greek tragedies, a personal weakness (tragic/fatal flaw) that leads to a tragic hero's downfall.

question

happening

answer

Unstructured theatrical events on street corners, at bus stops, in lobbies, and virtually anywhere else people gather

question

high comedy

answer

A style that depends on sophisticated humor, wit, political satire, or social commentary.

question

hip hop theatre

answer

Productions influenced by hip-hop music, art, and culture.

question

hubris

answer

The term used in classical Greek drama for overbearing pride or arrogance. A type of hamartia

question

iambic pentameter

answer

Poetic lines of a play that describe the accent and length of each line; there are ten syllables per line (pentameter) and the stress goes on the second syllable (iambic)

question

Kabuki

answer

A popular, robust, and spectacular version of the Japanese Noh theatre. The name comes from the characters for "song" (ka), "dance" (bu), and "skill" (ki).

question

Kafkaesque

answer

Marked by surreal distortion and senseless danger; a term that comes from the way that Czech writer Franz Kafka

question

Ki

answer

In Kabuki theatre, wooden clappers whose beats accompany a mie pose at a particularly intense or profound moment

question

low comedy

answer

A style that depends on gags, clowning, puns, and slapstick.

question

melodrama

answer

Most popular in the late 19th C, a type of play that usually features working-class heroes who set out on a great adventure; story lines that praise marriage, God, and country; and florid background music. The word is a blend of "melody" and "drama"

question

mie pose

answer

In Kabuki theatre, a sudden, striking pose (with eyes crossed, chin sharply turned, and the big toe pointed toward the sky) at a particularly intense or profound moment; accompanied by several beats of wood clappers, the ki.

question

Naturalism

answer

A style of the theatrical design and acting whose goal is to imitate real life, including its seamy side. A.K.A "slice of life" theatre.

question

Noh

answer

A form of traditional Japanese drama combining poetry, acting, singing, and dancing that was developed during the 1300s.

question

parodos

answer

The entrance of the chorus into the playing area in ancient Greek theatre.

question

Peking opera

answer

A synthesis of music, dance, acting, and acrobatics first performed in the 1700s in China by strolling players in markets, temples, courtyards, and the streets. Known in China as the "opera of the capital" or CHING-HSI it was founded by Qing dynasty Emperor Ch'ien-lung.

question

performance art

answer

An art form from the mid-20th century in which one or more performers use some combination of visual arts (including video), theatre, dance, music, and poetry, often to dramatize political ideas. The purpose is less to tell a story than to convey a state of being.

question

peripeteia

answer

In ancient Greek tragedies, a radical reversal of fortune experienced by the hero.

question

poetic realism

answer

A style of realism that is expressed through lyrical language.

question

precolonial African theatre

answer

Indigenous African theatre that few out of ritual and predates contact with Europeans. A combination of ritual, ceremony, and drama, it incorporates acting, music, storytelling, poetry, and dance; the costumed actors often wear masks. Audience participation is common.

question

problem plays

answer

A play that expresses a social problem so that it can be remedied.

question

prologue

answer

In ancient Greek theatre, a short introductory speech or scene.

question

Realism

answer

The cultural movement behind theatrical realism, it began around 1850 and popularized the idea that plays could be a force for social and political change.

question

Romantic comedy

answer

A style of theatre that examines the funny side of falling in love -- often with sympathetic young lovers kept apart by complicated circumstances, who in the end surmount any obstacles and live happily ever after.

question

Romantics

answer

Enlightenment-era poets, novelists, and playwrights who questioned the Scientific Revolution's obsession with logic; they felt that science was not adequate to describe the full range of human experience, and stressed instinct, intuition, and feeling their writings.

question

Sanskrit drama

answer

One of the earliest forms of theatre in India, performed in Sanskrit by professional touring companies on special occasions in temples, palaces, or temporary theatres

question

sentimental comedy

answer

A type of comedy that features middle-class characters finding happiness and true love

question

shadow theatre

answer

A form of theatre created by lighting two dimensional figures and casting their shadows on a screen. Probably originated in China around 100 BCE and later became popular in Islamic lands, where people were prohibited from playing characters.

question

stasimon

answer

In ancient Greek plays, a choral interlude between episodes

question

straight plays

answer

The category of plays without music

question

tragedies of the common man

answer

Modern versions of tragedies that, just as in ancient Greek tragedies, leave the audience with a feeling of catharsis but, unlike the ancient Greeks, base heroes on common people

question

tragic hero

answer

In ancient Greek tragedies, an extraordinary but empathetic person of noble birth or a person who has risen to prominence and makes a choice (due to bad judgement or to a character flaw) that leads to trouble, but who ultimately takes responsibility for the choice.

question

tragicomedy

answer

Theatre performance that blends comedy and tragedy

question

verbal scene painting

answer

A technique used by English and Spanish playwrights to set the mood or place of a scene. because the words paint pictures, the audiences "dresses" the stage in their imagination

question

ballad

answer

A love song

question

ballad opera

answer

Comic opera that mixed popular songs of the day with spoken dialogue; brought from England to the colonies during colonial period

question

book

answer

The spoken lines of a dialogue and plot in a musical; written by librettist

question

book musical

answer

A musical with a particularly well-developed story and characters, such as Fiddler on the Roof

question

burlesque

answer

A form of musical entertainment that features bawdy songs, dancing women, and sometimes striptease. Begun in 1840s as a parody of opera and the upper class.

question

comedy number

answer

A song in a musical that provides comic relief

question

comic opera

answer

A style of opera that developed out of comic interludes performed during intermissions of operas. Includes operetta; popularized

question

composer

answer

the person who writes the music for a musical

question

dance musical

answer

A musical that features the work of a director-choreographer such as Tommy Tune of Bob Fosse

question

librettist

answer

The person who writes the book, or the spoken lines of dialogue and plot in a musical.

question

lyric

answer

The sung words for a musical

question

lyricist

answer

The person who writes the sung words for a musical

question

minstrel show

answer

Stage entertainment consisting of songs, dances, and comic scenes performed by white actors in blackface makeup; originated in 19th century

question

music

answer

The orchestrated melodies in a musical script; written by the composer

question

musical

answer

A type of theatre that features song and dance interspersed with spoken text. The genre includes not only modern musicals with popular songs and impressive spectacle (Phantom) but also the masques, operas, burlesques, minstrel shows, variety shows, and music hall reviews of earlier periods.

question

musical comedy

answer

A type of musical characterized by a lighthearted, fast-moving comic story, whose dialogue is interspersed with popular music

question

opera

answer

A type of drama introduced at the end of the 16th century that is entirely sung

question

operatic musical

answer

A musical that is mostly singing, with less spoken dialogue and usually a darker, more dramatic tone than an operetta has. (Les Mis)

question

operetta

answer

Like an opera, a drama set to music, but with a frivolous, comic theme, some spoken dialogue, a melodramatic story, and usually a little dancing. A.K.A light opera; popularized by Gilbert and Sullivan

question

overture

answer

At the beginning of a musical; a medley of the songs played by the orchestra as a preview

question

reprise

answer

In a musical, the repetition of a song, sometimes with new lyrics, in a later scene. The new meaning or subtext makes a dramatic point.

question

revue

answer

A program of satirical sketches, singing, and dancing about a particular theme. A.K.A musical revue

question

rock musical

answer

A musical that uses rock and roll music, psychedelic rock, or contemporary pop and rock.

question

showstopper

answer

In a musical, a big production number which receives so much applause that it stops the show.

question

straight play

answer

In contrast to a musical, the category of plays without music

question

variety show

answer

A program of unrelated singing, dancing, and comedy numbers

question

vaudeville

answer

A popular form of stage entertainment from the 1880s to the 1930s, descended from burlesque. Programs included slapstick comedy routines, song-and-dance numbers, magic acts, juggling, and acrobatic performances

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