chapters 9, 12, & 13

Question 1

first known actor

Answer 1

first known actor

Question 2

the oldest of the theatrical arts

Answer 2

acting

Question 3

most visible member of the collaborative team

Answer 3

actor

Question 4

the actor’s instrument

Answer 4

the actor’s self:

• voice
• body
• imagination
• discipline

Question 5

style of performance: presentational

Answer 5

• external tools at the actor’s disposal
• from the outside in
• classical traditions (until 1750)
• codified acting (asian cultures)

Question 6

classical traditions

Answer 6

• only men on stage who tended towards types
• non-realistic plays
• masks
• declamatory (grand) vocal delivery

Question 7

codified acting

Answer 7

a complex system of signs, including movement, facial expressions, & gestures set by tradition & handed down from teacher to student

Question 8

style of performance: representational

Answer 8

• early 17th century england
• playhouses became more intimate (smaller)
• neoclassical era & restoration

Question 9

neoclassical era & restoration

Answer 9

• women allowed on stage for the first time
• theaters were even smaller
• intimate, drawing-room setting

Question 10

what facilitated the change from presentational to representational?

Answer 10

realism (mid 19th century)

Question 11

Konstantin Stanislavksy

Answer 11

• 1863 ~ 1938
• russian actor/director
• developed a system of actor training (inside-out approach)

Question 12

Stanislavsky system

Answer 12

• not method acting
• given circumstances
• superobjective (spine)
• objective
• beat

Question 13

given circumstances

Answer 13

the overall situation in which the action of the play occurs

Question 14

superobjective (spine)

Answer 14

the main goal a character pursures throughout the whole play

Question 15

objective

Answer 15

what the character wants to achieve at any given moment

   - physical & psychological component
   - expressed as an infinitive verb

Question 16

beat

Answer 16

the smallest division of a play

Question 17

auditions

Answer 17

• resume & headshots
• may include: monologues, songs, dance, cold reads, or improvisation
• rejection is the hall mark of the life of the actor

Question 18

preparing for the role may include

Answer 18

• research (histories, biographies, real-life situations
• immersing themselves in the character’s life
• physical transformation
• script work
• technique is essential to the actor working on the stage

Question 19

rehearsals

Answer 19

• emphasis on process
• a time of experimentation, risk-taking, & exploration
• table work
• memorize lines, blocking, & business
• improvisation
• repetition

Question 20

performances

Answer 20

two-way participatory communication between the actors & the audience

Question 21

an actors process

Answer 21

• audition
• preparing for the role
• rehearsals
• performance