specialist drama and theatre terminology

Question 1

what is meant by artistic intention?

Answer 1

artistic intention refers to the decisions made by theatre makers to communicate deeper meaning through their work. Without an artistic intention a piece of drama lacks a purpose of a message for its intended audience

Question 2

what is a birdie?

Answer 2

a compact display luminaire containing a par 16 lamp (a miniature lantern ideal for hiding in small parts of the set or along the downstage end of the stage. It provides a surprisingly bride, soft-edged pool of light)

Question 3

what phrase would you use to describe the ways in which characters communicate or interact with each other?

Answer 3

character interaction

Question 4

what is a choral movement?

Answer 4

when actors perform the same movement at exactly the same time

Question 5

what is choral speaking?

Answer 5

a group of people speaking in unison

Question 6

what phrase would you use to describe clearness of the voice?

Answer 6

clarity of diction

Question 7

what is a cross fade?

Answer 7

a lighting action in which a particular light cue fades down as the next light cue fades up

Question 8

what is a cyclorama?

Answer 8

plain cloth or plastered wall filling the rear of the stage. The term is often loosely applied to a blue skycloth, or any flattage at the rear of the stage. my be curved at the ends.

Question 9

what is distortion in theatre?

Answer 9

usually undesirable result of overloading sound eqipment

Question 10

what is documentary theatre?

Answer 10

it uses pre-existing material (such as newspapers, government reports, interviews, journals and correspondences) as source material for stories about real events and people, frequently without altering the text in performance

Question 11

where is downstage?

Answer 11

the part of the stage closest to the audience

Question 12

what phrase would you use to describe the turning point of a drama, the point of highest tension, or the time when the action starts during which the solution is given

Answer 12

dramatic climax

Question 13

what is the technical word for stage curtains?

Answer 13

drapes

Question 14

what word is used to describe the decorative props (some practical) and furnishings added to a stage setting

Answer 14

Set Dressing

Question 15

what is an emotional range?

Answer 15

a change of voice to express emotion

Question 16

what is end on staging?

Answer 16

the audience faces one side of the stage directly, and may sit at a lower height or in tiered seating (a normal stage)

Question 17

what is epic theatre?

Answer 17

a style of theatre created by bertolt brecht where a range of theatrical devices or techniques are used so that the audience are reminded throughout that they are watching theatre. a presentation of life, not real life itself

Question 18

what word means to increase, decrease or eliminate gradually the brightness of a lantern or the volume of a sound

Answer 18

fade
fade up = increase
fade down = decrease
fade out = eliminate gradually