Exam 1 Flashcards
Interdisciplinary
a process of answering a question, solving a problem, or addressing a topic that is too broad or complex to be dealt with adequately by a single discipline or profession and that draws on disciplinary perspectives and integrates their insights to (produce) a more comprehensive understanding
What does thinking in interdisciplinary terms mean?
ability to make conscious connections to seek different perspectives; its about making connections and discovering the value of relationships among disciplines
Script Analysis
you must examine the text section by section
Creativity
the ability to generate new ideas
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
theory argues that humans have a series of needs, some of which must be met before they can turn their towards others; certain universal needs are pressing while others of “acquired” emotions are secondary importance
Hierarchy
a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority
What is the order of the Hierarchy of Needs?
1) biological and physiological needs; 2) safety needs; 3) love and belongingness needs; 4) esteem needs; 5) self-actualization needs
Who created divergent/convergent thinking?
Psychologist J.P. Guilford
Divergent Thinking
the process of generating multiple related ideas for a given topic or solutions to a problem; occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing, ‘non-linear’ manner
Convergent Thinking
the ability to apply rules to arrive at a single ‘correct’ solution to a problem such as the answer to an IG test problem; systematic and linear process
What does divergent thinking equal?
creative thinking
Alternative Uses Task Test
naming all the uses of a brick; the number of different responses or the number of responses given by no one else has provided a measure of how creative a person is; scoring comprised of four components
What are the four components of the Alternative Uses Task Test?
originality- how common is the use; fluency- total number of uses found; flexibility- different categories; elaboration- amount of detail
Imagination
the fuel for creativity
Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligences
verbal/linguistic- using language to present your ideas, to express your feelings or persuade others; logical/mathematical- reasoning, logical thinking, handling mathematical problems; visual/spatial- creating and interpreting visual images, thinking in three dimensions; bodily/kinesthetic- feeling and expressing things physically, doing hands on work; musical/rhythmic- creating and feeling a rhythm to expess a mood, detecting and analysing musical themes; intrapersonal- within the self, understanding your own interior thoughts and feelings in a very clear way; interpersonal- between people, understanding the feelings needs and purposes of others
Inspiration
the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative
Muse(s)
9 muses in Greek mythology; inspirational goddesses of literature, science and the arts; considered the source of knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric, songs, and myths that were related orally for centuries
PLaywright
their words are the skeletal beginning of what will become a fully embodied three dimensional theatrical form; responsible for the initial vision of the play; basic awareness of the physical aspects of theatre necessary
The Western “Canon”
a body of book, music, and art that scholars generally accept as the most important and influential in shaping western culture; by studying their plays we will have both a window to the past and gain insight into what it is to be human
The Human Condition
what it is to be human
What happened in the 1970’s?
scholars began to work to give credit to female and african american playwrights; objective was to introduce people to works of playwrights that were dismissed because of prejudices regarding race and gender
How did you write a play/ideas to get started
Henrik Ibsen wrote an outline; Shakespeare adapted his plays from stories already in existence; Inspiration- current events, personal experiences, historical figures
Devised Theatre
it is a group effort
What is the value of rehearsal?
see and hear the play “on its feet”; use this experience to continue shaping the play; new plays are developed in small theatres before they are produced on the main stage
Previews
are productions that often play for weeks with a paying audience at a somewhat reduced ticket price before the opening; critics are NOT invited
What is Aristotle’s six elements of a play?
plot, character, thought, language, music, spectacle
Exposition
gives the audience a preview of the events to come and gives us insight into the characters, setting, and background. A great deal of information is typically conveyed in the first few scenes
Inciting Incident
an event that hooks the viewer into the story and sets everything else that happens into motion; this moment is when an event thrusts the protagonist into the main action of the story
Rising Actions
small units of action are dramatized that build in emotional intensity
Climax
the emotional high point of the action; the conflict has reached a critical stage; everything in the play has been leading up to this moment
Falling Action
emotional intensity drops
Resolution
AKA denouement; loose ends are tied and balance is restored
What are the 7 things that every play must have?
inciting incident, protagonist, antagonist, a beginning, a middle/the journey, climax, an end
Inciting Incident
event or moment that introduces the protagonists want
Protagonist
character who wants something so badly that they will take whatever action necessary to get it; traditionally this is the character the audience should most identify with/want to win
Antagonist
character who creates obstacles for the protagonist getting what they want and who wants something just as badly; sometimes the antagonist has the same want
A Beginning
where we find out what the protagonist wants and why they must have it; introduces main character, allies and enemies; incites the journey
A Middle/The Journey
where we see the protagonist trying different ways to get what they want, with the antagonist continually getting in the way
Climax
moment where the protagonist has only one option left for getting what they want; most intensity; biggest turning point of the main characters/protagonist
An End
where we see the protagonist either get or not get what they want and how that has changed them
Deus ex Machina
implausible concept or a divine character is introduced into a storyline for the purpose of resolving its conflict and procuring an interesting outcome; sudden unexpected; must be shown that the problem solved by the Deus is one that is unsolvable or hopeless
Aesthetic Distance
an audiences emotional involvement in a story; gap between a viewers conscious reality and the fictional reality presented in theatre; allows us to separate the world of play from reality
Close Aesthetic Distance
when the audience become fully engrossed in the world of the play; at least one character with whom the audience identifies with (usually the protagonist); as if the audience was living through it themselves
Opposite of Close Aesthetic Distance
some playwrights will deliberately increase the aesthetic distance between the audience and the characters as a means of focusing the audiences attention on other aspects of the story
Willing Suspension of Disbelief
refers to one of aristotles principles of theatre in which the audience accepts fiction as reality so as to experience a catharsis; empathy is heightened
Catharsis
releasing of tensions to purify the soul
Without Aesthetic Distance…
we might feel compelled to take action to stop the progression of the play
Without Willing Suspensions of Disbelief…
we are unable to become absorbed into the world of the play, to fully experience it and to empathize with the characters
Style
is dictated by language; identified by character movements and social manners, by changes and fashions in architecture, clothes, furniture, and decoration; expressed by music, painting, and dance; heavily reliant on the period of history
What does the director do?
provide Artistic Vision for the play AKA directors concept; role of director is fairly new; masterful at interpreting plays and convincing actors to take direction in order to coordinate the stage effects and acting ensemble
Who was the first director?
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, George II
Saxe-Meiningen
all leading actors were required to take walk-on roles; insisted on long rehearsals; insisted on authentic sets and costumes; set a new standard- directors worked to provide a unified production
Genre
relates to the kind of emotional response a play creates in the audience; blending of genres can occur
What are the types of Genre?
tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, and melodrama
Tragedy
serious in nature and ends unhappily; Aristotle believe tragedy evoked pity and fear; protagonist faces ethical/moral issue; genre where catharsis is felt the most
How did Aristotle define tragedy?
form of drama in which the protagonist has a tragic flaw (such as excessive pride); flaw causes protagonist to make a choice that leads to a series of unfortunate events which then leads to their own downfall
What is the greatest example of a Tragedy?
Hamlet
Comedy
based on humor, lacks emotional involvement; portrayals society irreverently; consequences are dealt with lightly
Comic Relief
action created to ease emotional tension or contrast with a major event
What are the variations of Comedy?
farce, satire, comedy of manners, romantic comedy, and parody
Farce
light dramatic work; highly improbably plot situations; exaggerated characters; and slapstick elements
Slapstick
boisterous form of comedy marked by chases, collision, and crude practical jokes
Satire
works to make a political point
Comedy of Manners
makes fun of the cultural conventions of a society, usually high society
Romantic Comedy
boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back; unites two lovers who belong together
Parody
makes fun of the content and the form of a work
Tragicomedy
tragic and comic equally mixed; characters are exaggerated; occasionally ends happy with a series of unfortunate events
Melodrama
follows tragicomedy but focuses more on what happens rather than how; overemotional; fast paced action and suspense; audience concerned with what will happen next rather than how the characters will react; soap opera
