Midterm Flashcards
1
Q
Tendency to divide into categories or types. Ex. tragedy, comedy, farce, melodrama ect.
A
Genres
2
Q
Works from several significant periods of the past.
A
Traditional Tragedy
3
Q
Characteristics of Traditional Tragedy (8 things)
A
- 15th CE Greece
- Tragic hero = noble
- circumstances- love, death of family member
- flaw - pride, wrath, jealousy, greed
- Reversal of Fortune - point of no return
- Acceptance of Responsibility
- Verse
- Usually hero dies
4
Q
Characteristics of a Modern Tragedy (4 things)
A
- Prose
- Everyday stuff
- Everyday man/woman represents a group of people
- Ending is often hopeful (still sad)
5
Q
Characteristics of a Tragedy (4 things)
A
- Fatal Flaw
- No happy ending
- Not expected
- A serious play
6
Q
2 contradictory effects of tragedy
A
Pessimism and affirmation (good works of art)
7
Q
Serious drama of any period which incorporates heroic or noble figures and other features of traditional tragedy. Verse and extreme situations yet has a happy ending.
A
Heroic Genre
8
Q
Drama dealing with people of middle or lower class
A
Bourgeois/Domestic Drama
9
Q
Characteristics of a Melodrama
A
- Exaggerated plot and characters
- Appeals to emotions
- Stock characters
- Underscoring of music
10
Q
A play that is light in tone concerned with issues that point out excesses and folly of human behavior, has a happy ending and designed to amuse
A
Comedy
11
Q
Idea or notion or concept in comedy that turns the accepted notion of things upside-down. Serves as springboard for comic dialogue characters and situations.
A
Comic Premise (Aristophasis = master of comic premise)
12
Q
Humorous use of words with same sound and different meanings
A
Pun
13
Q
Sounds like right word but not
A
Malaprop
14
Q
Sophisticated verbal humor “I can resist anything but temptation”
A
Epigram
15
Q
Characters in Comedy
A
- pretend to be someone not
- someone who can’t succeed
- stock characters, stereotypes and characters with dominant traits are emphasized
16
Q
Tools of Comedy
A
- VERBAL
- CHARACTERS
- PHYSICAL HUMOR
17
Q
Characteristics of a Farce
A
- absolutely ridiculous
- no logic/skewed logic
- many plot complications
- simple becomes long
- stereotyped characters(some misunderstood)
- mock violence
- slapstick
ex. funny horror movies
18
Q
Characteristics of Burlesque
A
- cabaret type performance
- sing and dance
- low comedy lots of anatomy jokes
- low humor(pee and poo jokes)
- lots of sex and nakedness
19
Q
Uses irony and exaggeration to attack and expose folly and vice. More intellectual and moral makes fun of people or general things.
A
Satire
20
Q
Comic equivalent of home drama. Funny things happen to a large family.
A
Domestic Comedy
21
Q
Renaissance play having tragic themes and noble characters but happy ending
A
Tragicomedy
22
Q
New plays with sense of absurdity and futility of human experience through dramatic techniques they employ. Alienation and loss of bearings in a ridiculous world and humorous.
A
Theatre of the Absurd
23
Q
Characteristics of Theatre of the Absurd
A
- illogical random plot
- nonsense & Add to dictionary speech
- absurd characters with no personal history or cause for action
24
Q
Greek philosopher. Father of Dramatic critism. Many of his works were lost
A
Aristotle
25
What was to book called that Aristotle wrote?
Poetics
26
What are the 8 Elements of Drama
1. plot - sequence of events
2. character - audience must care, relate and struggle w
3. theme - message of play
4. diction - needs to be well written
5. music - builds suspense and emotion
6. movement - blocking and stage directions visual storytelling
7 spectacle - lights costumes, sets
8 convention - agreement b/w audience and production when to clap and get up ect.
27
Back story of play comes through quick dialogue
Exposition
28
Gets the ball rolling
Inciting Incident
29
Leads to climax
Rising action
30
Most intense part or turn of events
Climax
31
Resolutions is also called
Dénouement
32
Primary demands of plot are?
Logic and Suspense
33
Wealthy person who financed playwriting work at ancient Greek dramatic festivals
Choregus
34
A story or legend handed down from generation to generation
Myth
35
Who was the 1st actor
Thespis
36
Group of performers who sing and dance commentary Greek theatre
Chorus
37
Most important Greek festival where first drama occurred.
City Dionysia
38
Satire versions of Greek history.
Satyr Plays
39
Who was Aeschylus?
1st important Greek dramatist. 12 man chorus and 2 actors with different masks. All men from noble families, Created the trilogy.
40
Who was Sophocles?
Chorus = 15, 3 actors for more characters, masks, good climax, wrote Oedipus Rex
41
Who was Euripides?
"modern" dramatist. Portrayed more realism and mixed tragedy with comedy. Skeptical of gods.
42
Pattern of Greek Tragedy Plot
opening scene (prologue) -> chorus enters (parados) -> episode b/w characters (First Episode) -> 1st chorus song (First Stasimon) repeats till end (Exodus)
43
Who does chorus represent in Greek theatre?
Ordinary citizens the audience can identify with. Often give background to the plot. Balance extreme behavior of principle characters with philosophical observations and conclusions.
44
Greek theatre that pokes fun of social political and cultural conditions and people
Old Comedy
45
Hellenistic Greek and Roman comedies dealing with romantic and domestic situations
New Comedy
46
2 scenes in Old Comedy
Agon - Classic Greek old comedy with debate between 2 opposing forces in day
Parabasis - addresses directly to audience makes fun of spectators and audience members
47
Oval circular or semicircular outdoor theatre with rising tiers of seats
Amphitheatre
48
Circular playing space in Greek theatre
Orchestra
49
Scene which chorus enters
Parados
50
Where audience sits
Theatron
51
Festival in Roman dedicated to Jupiter for theatre
Ludi Romani
52
Entertainment in Rome
Circus Maximus, Colossem, Roman mime, Pantomime
53
What is the form of theatre of Platus (roman)
Similar to Greek new Comedy, domestic situations, stock characters, dialogue ment to be sung, Farces with mistakable identities
54
Terrance form (rome)
more literary less exaggerated comedy, stock characters less farce, more verbal wit, spoken not sun.
55
Most tragic dramatist of Rome
Seneca
56
Roman tragedy
- chorus not integral
- emphasis onstage violence
- Supernatural beings
- influence on Shakespeare (ghost in hamlet)
57
Horace's theory on correct dramatic technique
- comedy and tragedy are distinct
- tragedy = royalty
- comedy = common
58
Leader of an acting troupe in Roman theatre, lead actor, financial arrangements, bought playwright, hired musicians, costumes ect.
Dominus
59
Roman Structures
semicircle area, orchestra, stage house = Seaena, semicircle orchestra for gov seating or sea battle. stage covered with roof and ornate stage houses
60
Why Roman theatre diminished?
War. Fall of Rome by barbarians and Christianity discouraged theatre.
61
Early church drama in medieval times written in Latin about biblical stories
Liturgical drama
62
Preformed in everyday speech of people and in town square or other cities in medieval times. subject usually biblical stories
Vernacular drama
63
"cycle plays" short dramas based on events in Old and New Testament often organized into historical cycles. Medieval
Mystery plays
64
Teaches a lesson characters = allegorical and represent virtues or faults Medieval
Morality Plays
65
Non religious plays. Usually comic and serious integrated.
Episodic and Secular Plays
66
Individual scenic units used for staging religious dramas Medieval
Mansions
67
Low platform mounted on wheels or casters scenery is moved on and off stage Medieval
Wagon Stage
68
Who were groups that preformed plays usually in Medieval times?
Craft Guilds
69
One who supervised the mounting of mystery plays
Pageant Master
70
Elevated stage with no proscenium. Medieval
Platform stage
71
Arts that exist in space and are created to last over time ex. aRchetecture
Spatial Arts
72
Arts that exist only a specific period of time ex. music
Temporal arts
73
Characteristics of performing arts
movement through time and require interpretors and creators, require an AUDIENCE and PREFORMERS
74
Elements of Theatre (6)
1. Audience
2. Performers
3. Script or Test
4. Director
5. Theatre Space
6. Design Elements (visual and nonvisual)
75
Blue print for production material staged by theatre artist
Script
76
Anything on stage/staged needs focus and POV
Text
77
How is theatre a collaborative art?
Need many elements to work, director stages, playwright writes ect. Business aspect producers and managers.
78
Audience desire to believe in relating of what is happening onstage
Willing suspension of disbelief
79
Separation of audience member from performance or work of art to experiences its aesthetic qualities
Aesthetic distance
80
Different groups of people effect acting style true or false?
True
81
Someone who sees production and then analyzes and comments on it. Shark with audience POV of spectator, articles in news magazines and books. Usually serious. Knowledgeable opinion.
Critic
82
Critic who reports on production gives a brief opinion about worth seeing. Works for magazine, news, or professional blog, restricted by time space or both
Reviewer
83
3 questions critic or reviewer must answer
What is Being Attempted?
Have the intentions been achieved?
Was the attempt worth while?
84
Individual works on literary and historical issues with members of artistic team mounting a theatre production
Dramaturge
85
Jobs of Dramaturg
reading poising new plays, working with playwrights developing new scripts, find significant plays from the past, research previous productions. report history of plays, research criticism and interpretations, write articles, usually prepare educational material
86
A more formal review. Not in first person. No personal pronouns. Usually a longer review
Newspaper review
87
Similar in length to newspaper, some use personal pronoun. include pictures of production
Theatre blog review
88
Arch or frame surrounding the stage opening in a box or picture stage
Proscenium
89
Stage entirely surrounded by the audience also known as circle theatre or theatre in the round
Arena
90
Stage space that buts into the audience space. surrounded on 3 sides by audience seating
Thrust
91
A theatre space that is open, flexible and adaptable usually without fixed seating. Very economical and good for experimental works
Black Box
92
Space not originally built as a theatre
Found Space
93
Eliminates the distinction between audience space and actor space
Environmental Theatre
94
Advantages of Proscenium theatre
machinery and scene changes hidden behind proscenium opening, perfect for spectacle, easy to make realistic room, strong central focus, Italian Renaissance roots, prefect for Broadway
95
Disadvantages of Proscenium theatre
Temptation to get carried away with visual pyrotechnics, tends to be remote and formal (not intimate)
96
Advantages of Arena Stage
more intimate, no frame separating performers from audience, unconscious communication, cheaper
97
Disadvantages of Arena Stage
elaborate scenery = impossible, hard for actor, lack of adaptability, cant have large company, challenging to block
98
Advantages of Thrust Stage
intimacy of arena and focused stage like proscenium. can have set changes, developed by Greeks, most widely used/Elizabethan era and Shakespeare, economic, 3d experience
99
Theatre building of Spanish golden age, usually located in the courtyard of a adjoined building
Corral
100
Disadvantages of Trust Stage
Simple sets or else audience can't see, harder to work as actor to get audience connect with you.
101
Theatre in which an original play deals with problems and aspirations of a specific population
Neighborhood theatre
102
Aggressive politically oriented theatre produced by an activist group in streets in an attempt to persuade people to get involved
Guerilla theatre
103
Environment in which more that 1 playing area, multiple things happening at once like everyday life
Multifocus theatre
104
Advantages and Disadvantages of Black Box theatre
easy to configure, cheap and flexible, but sound can be issue
105
Area where stage lowers
traps
106
poles and bars attached to pulley systems
fly system
107
tied to fly system, background tarp
drops
108
the huge cloth that is usually white so colors can bounce off of it with light
cyclorama
109
wooden frame with canvas stretched across it to make walls
flats
110
6 aspects playwrights must address
1. selecting subject of play
2. determining focus
3. establishing purpose
4. developing dramatic structure
5. creating dramatic characters
6. establishing point of view (tragedy, comedy ect.)
111
5 essentials of Drama Structure
1. story must be turned into a plot
2. plot involves action
3. plot has conflict
4. characters who hate each other
5. balance between opposing forces
112
full account of event or series of events in chronological order
story
113
A sequence of events linked by cause and effect with beginning middle and end. Best way to unify a play. Conflict and movement are necessary
Action
114
Point with in play where action reaches an important confrontation or truth. Many of these happen leading up to climax
Crises
115
Delays or prevents achieving a goal by a character creates complication or conflict
Obstacle
116
Introduction of new force that creates imbalance of power and entails a delay in reaching climax
Complication
117
Describe climatic structure
- few scenes -short amount of time passes
| - few locations -chronological - has an exposition - 4-5 acts -no loose ends
118
A resolution device in Greek drama. At last moment supernatural forces save the day.
Deus ex. Machina
119
Describe episodic structure
- many scenes - over a long period of time
- many locations - has subplots
- short scenes alternate with long scenes
120
Secondary plot that reinforces parallel to major plot in an episodic play
subplot
121
Structure that does not build to a climax but stresses contiguity" rather than complete. Open ended serial structure.
Cyclical structure
122
Acts or episodes individual to theatre events. Central theme holds parts to no connection. Ex. musical with short scenes and dance numbers
Serial Structure
123
Describe Avant-Garde & Experimental Structures
1. Interest in ritual and ceremony
2. Emphasis on non verbal theater
3. Reliance on improvision
4. Stress of physical environment
5. Stress different interpretations
124
Conversation between characters in a play. Everything must be enacted through characters. Know people in plays better than we know people in real life.
Dialogue
125
Nobility that represent some sort of extreme human behavior, larger than life
Extraordinary Characters
126
Characters that are ordinary and represent sector of population/whole group
Representative/Quintessential characters
127
Characters who have 1 outstanding trait of human behavior to exclusion of all other traits. Seems like stereotypes
Stock characters
128
Comic theatre about loose scenario calling for a set of stock characters
Comedia dell'arte
129
Found in certain theatrical characters. One paramount trait or tendency that overshadows all others and appears to control the conduct of the character
Dominant Trait
130
Leading character in place one who drama is about
Protagonist
131
Character who opposes the protagonist
Antagonist
132
Stands in contrast to another character but has some similar qualities
Foil
133
Person responsible for overall unity of a production and for coordinating the work or contributing artists
Director
134
Way a play is presented
Style
135
Attepts to put on stage e xact copies of everyday life. often called "slice of life", form of super realism, written circumstances products of heredit and environment, like documentary film, set like real life.
Naturalism
136
What if the foundation for a traditional director?
The script, marries their pov to the script
137
Also known as main action is determined by the goal or primary object of all the characters in a play both collectively and individually.
Spine
138
Plays in which character and their actions resemble real life but a certain license is allowed for other elements in the play. Scenery may be skeletal, words and actions of characters = realistic
Heightened realism
139
Middle ground between naturalism and heighted/selective realism
Realism
140
Symbolic representation of abstract themes through character actions and concrete elements of the play. Lots of symbolism and teaching
Allegeny
141
The attempt in drama to depict a character or group of characters through shush nonrealistic techniques direction, images, and poetic language
Expressionism
142
Controlling idea, vision or point of view that the director eels is appropriate for the play. It should create a unified theatrical experience for the audience
Directors concept
143
2 essential things for production
1. style is appropriate for the play
| 2. consistent through every aspect of the production
144
Describe Post Modern Director
Takes apart text DECONSTURTION, alters, deletes, reassembles
2. Abandonment of narrative or linear structure piece
3. unfair, cross-gender, multicultural casting
145
Fitting preformers into their roles. They resemble the characters they are playing
Typecasting
146
Purposefully put a person in wrong role or part to be comical/funny
Casting against type
147
Memorizing lines gradually
"off book"
148
Things director does during rehearsals
- understands how actors communicate
- knows when to criticize or challenge
- understands personal problems and tries to help
- watches blocking
- special relationships
- acts as eyes of audience
* block, pacing, acting
149
Focuses on running through production with scenery props lighting costumes and sound for 1st time
Technical rehearsal
150
1st full performance of production before preforms in public
Dress rehearsal
151
Tryout performances of a production before an audience before official "opening" performance
Previews
152
Responsible for the business side of the production, raises $$ necesary
Producer
153
In nonprofit theatres organizes, gets resources, and expenditures
Managing director
154
3 directors in noncommercial theatre
1. board - financial affairs fundraising
2. artistic - sets, designers, directors hires creative personnel
3. Managing - building, budget, artistic decisions, advertising, tickets
155
What does an Auteur do?
- takes script and completely changes it
- or writes directs and presents the show
- take script and rewrite or make unrecognizable
- either with free domain or write own usually because hard to get permission to change parts of production
ex. virtigo
156
Directors job 3 parts
1. preproduction: get scripts read and come up with spine
2. Style - realism, naturalism ect.
3. The concept- central metaphor or image brought throughout the play
157
3 things the Directors Concept involves?
1. mood of the play
2. message you want to convey
3. image/visual metaphor
158
Time of rebirth, awakening of arts and learning in western world.
Renaissance began in Italy
159
Short pieces about mythological tales between full plays
Intermezzi
160
Like Greek satyr plays. subject = romance. characters usually shepherds and mythological characters. loves that are threatened ends happy
Pastoral
161
Italians way of recreating Greek tragic style with music. Everything is sung
Opera
162
Short plot outlines with out dialogue. usually 10 performers mostly families preform. and full of stock characters. Italian
Scenarios
163
Rules developed by critics based on aristotle
Neoclassical ideas
164
Thought drama ment true to life but sill have stock dramatic characters
verisimilitude
165
Unities of Italian Dramatic theatre
- occurs in 1 day(unity of time), 1 time (unity of place) and no irrelevant action (unity of action) aka no subplots
- should never mix comedy and tragedy
- must teach lesson and be morally acceptable
- violence = forbidden
- banished chorus and supernatural characters
- dislike soliloquy
166
What stage do the Italians use?
Proscenium arch stage with pits boxes and galleries. Like to use perspective to create depth
167
Tracks on stage floor and above stage that allow for smooth movement of flat winds on and off stage. invented in Italy
Groove System
168
Mechanized means to change scenery. flats attached to poles and wheels and shifted with ropes and pulleys invented in Italy
Pole and Chariot System
169
A bit about Shakespeare life
England during Elizabethian era
- wrote in verse
- well educated
- April 23rd 1564-1616
- lived statford-upon0avon
- parents wealthy
- dad in gov but goes away from church
- marries Anne Hathaway 3 kids
- dies wealthy
170
Shakespeare's plays
histories, tragedies, and comedies,
- platform stage
- episodic plot
- Lord Chamberlain's men = his theatre group
- master of plot construction/episodic
- Globe and The Black Friar's Playhouse
171
Created new interesting characters and first to use dramatic poetry - iambic pentameter verse in plays. career short when stabbed in brawl
Christopher Marlone
172
Outdoor theatres outside city limits to avoid government restrictions. All classes can come. Most notable = Globe theatre
public theatres
173
Stage house in Elizabethan theatre. Scenic background. Also used for changing and storing set pieces. 3 stories.
Tiring House
174
People who stand during performance are called?
groundlings
175
Gound floor or standing area where lower class stands
Yard
176
Where the wealthy would sit in English theatre
Lord's Rooms
177
Indoor theatres lit by candle light. Open to general public, smaller and more expensive, pit has backless benches
private theatres
178
Business organization of Elizabethan acting companies. Elite members of the company shareholders receive percent of troupe's profits. Gove restricts number
Sharing plan
179
Actors lines only with cues
sides
180
outlines of dramatic action kept backstage
plots
181
Ornate professionally staged mythological allegories intended to praise the monarch King James 1st. Sing and dance in courts
Masque
182
Describe Spanish Comedia
3 act, nonreligious, themes love and honor, nobility, extensive or episodic, mix serious and comedy (modern melodrama)
183
Can women act in Spanish theatre?
Yes but only if married or had family in troupe
184
Sharing companies organized by managers who contracted performers for a specific period of time in Spain
companies de paries
185
Located in courtyard of a series of adjoining buildings open air with galleries and boxes with roof, patio is standing area, and cazuela is gallery at the back of theater
The Corrales
186
Refreshment box with food and drinks by main entrance of theatre
Alojero
