Drama Theory Flashcards
To hold a brainstorm about a possible scenario (framework) for your
production by asking the following questions:
WHAT: What happens in your story? Which aspect
of the theme/issue will you focus on?
WHO: Who are the characters?
What is your relationship to one another?
What is your function in the play?
WHERE: How will this affect your team’s
performance? Where does the story take place?
WHEN: When does the story take place? In the
past, the future?
TO WHOM: Who is the audience? Is it friends,
parents, the community?
What is “Hot Seating”?
This is an exercise to deepen understanding of character.
An actor sits in the hot-seat and is questioned in role, spontaneously
answering questions they may not have considered before.
Hot-seating helps an actor become more familiar with their role.
What is Linear narrative?
when the story is told in the order in which events happened
(chronological order).
What are flashbacks?
when the character and action goes back to an earlier time
What is circular narrative?
Circular narrative when the drama begins at the end.
What is episodic narrative?
when the drama is broken up in separate episodes/ events.
This would allow you to jump in time. A narrator/ commentator may be useful announcing a new episode.
A storyline must have:
a beginning
middle
end
What are the elements of drama?
Characters
place / space
time
plot
What are the 3 different acting skills?
listening and concentration
action and reaction
cause and effect
What is a Proscenium stage?
the most common type of stage:
The audience faces the stage and views it from only one side (end-on).
There are wings on either side of the stage.
There may also be a crossover or passageway behind the stage where actors can move around.
Above the stage there is an area that is used for curtain and scenery rails and for the lights.
The front curtain can be closed before, during and after the performance to hide the stage.
What are the wings of a Proscenium stage?
The areas that are hidden from the audience, on the left and right of the stage
They are used to store props and sets, and actors wait in the wings before they go onstage.
What is the small area infront of the curtain of a Proscenium stage called and what is it used for?
The small area in front of the curtain is called the apron.
There may be an orchestra pit below the apron for musicians.
What is a Thrust Stage?
It is similar to an end-on stage, but the performance area extends into the house.
The audience sits on three sides of the stage.
The actors can enter and exit through the upstage area or through the audience.
What is an Arena Stage?
(What else is it called)
“Theatre in the round” is where the audience is seated on all sides of the action.
the acting space may be circular, square or any other shape.
How does one rid themselves of tension before you perform?
Standing in neutral: stand in a relaxed position with your feet apart, arms at your sides and head in a balanced position at the top of your neck.
How do you warm your hands and fingers before performing?
Start with one hand, and shake out the fingers as though you are shaking off water. Then wriggle all the fingers as though you are typing or playing a piano very quickly. Then stretch the fingers out and curl them in one after the other.
Do this with both hands.
Call someone towards you with your hands. Gesture them away from you.
Indicate that they should move to the left or the right.
With your hands, make pulsing stars all over the sky above your head and behind and in front of your body.
How do you warm you arms and shoulders before performing?
Swing an arm easily in the arm socket.
Swing it forwards and backwards, rocking with the motion.
Make circles with the arm until it feels loose and free in the shoulder socket.
Repeat on the other side.
Push your shoulders up towards your ears, and release while breathing out.
Roll your shoulders backwards and forwards.
Roll them together and alternately.
How do you warm your neck before performing?
Let your head drop down towards your chest. Let it gently nod like you are saying ‘yes’. Then shake it gently like you are saying ‘no’. Let it hang again in centre. Feel the stretch up the back of the neck. Then raise the head slowly, lift up the chin, and opening your mouth, look at the ceiling (feel the stretch up the front of the neck). Make sure that this movement is gentle as necks are delicate areas and need to be warmed up with care.
Facing front, drop your head to the left shoulder and then to the right.
How do you warm your face before performing?
Squeeze your face up very tightly. Then stretch it out as widely as you can.
Make the biggest smile that you can. Imagine that there
is an annoying mosquito flying around your face, and you can’t use your hands to get rid of it. Move facial muscles instead to flick it away.
How do you do vocal warm ups before performing?
Making realistic drum, synthesiser, and other instrument sound effects with your mouth.
What warm ups should you do before performing?
Release the body of tension
Hands and fingers
Arms and shoulders
Neck
Face
Vocals
A few tips before going on stage….
Before you go onto the stage, you need to make sure that all the actors are ready and that everything has been prepared.
Check to see that the acting space is prepared and that everybody knows what needs to be brought onto the stage and at what time.
Make sure that everybody knows where they enter and exit the stage.
Make sure that everybody is sure of their positions on the stage.
Check that all the props are ready.
Remind the group that they should not talk about being nervous. It is natural to feel a bit nervous,
but they should not excite the other members of the group.
Breathe deeply and focus before you go onto the stage.
Enjoy your performance! You work very hard to reach this point and the hard work will ensure a
brilliant and enjoyable performance!
The state of being free of tension is called
relaxation
To make voices strong so they can be heard …
Projection
A performer acting as a person in a story …
Character
