U2 L1: Performing Arts In The Past

Question 1

When was the period of ‘rebirth’ and European Renaissance?

Answer 1

14 and 17th centuries

Question 2

When was movable type printing invented, and what was its impact?

Answer 2

• 1450
• authors could share large volumes of written communication with others
• people read more and literacy levels increased

Question 3

Who was William Shakespeare? how many plays did he write? Name some examples

Answer 3

• famous poet and playwright
• wrote more than 30 plays
• Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello

Question 4

What was the difference between who theater was aimed to in the Dark Ages and Renaissance?

Answer 4

DA- educating populace about the teachings of the Church

R- endowed by wealthy citizens of European countries

Question 5

What is Stage Craft?

Answer 5

technical skills associated with theater, film or TV production

Question 6

What is Perspective Scenery? Who was it invented by?

Answer 6

• creating an illusion of distance and depth in background scenery by using angles
• Sebastiano Serlio

Question 7

What were the beginnings of Ballet?

Answer 7

• Italy in 15th century
• initially in royal weddings
• considered ‘high art’
• taught to the wealthy

Question 8

What is Choral music?

Answer 8

• popular before Renaissance
• in Religious plays
• 14 to 15 century, choral pieces were based on beatiful poems

Question 9

What is Opera?

Answer 9

• began in late 16th century in Italy
• became dominant form of music in 17th century
• plural of ‘opus’
• entire story is set to music and some or all lines are sung

Question 10

In the 18th century, what were the new developments in performing arts?

Answer 10

symphonies and ballet

Question 11

Who was Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart?

Answer 11

• started music career in 1763

- influenced with religious themes

Question 12

In the late 18th century, what theater was built as a home of ballet and opera?

Answer 12

Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg

Question 13

What was the first American dance theater and when was it opened?

Answer 13

• 1767

- John Street Theater (Walnut Street Theater) in New York

Question 14

How were people in the performing arts affected in the 19th century?

Answer 14

• Europe occupied with wars
• people lost money
• performing arts declined
• But acting gained popularity in the US

Question 15

What was one of the first theaters built in the US and when was it built?

Answer 15

• 1809
• Philadelphia
• The New Circus
• First to install gas footlights

Question 16

What were gas footlights, and what was its significance?

Answer 16

• lanterns fueled by natual gas
• placed in front of stage
• ‘special effects’ of their time (19 century)
• bright, used at various angles and distances
• could alter color
• widened choices for scene designers

Question 17

What was the theater union made by stagehand workers in 1893? And what was their goal?

Answer 17

-The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts
(TIAoTSE MPT AaAC)

-fair wages and safe working conditions

Question 18

Where were most theaters in the US located and Why?

Answer 18

• East Coast and New York

- the west was not yet fully developed

Question 19

How did most people in the US view a job in acting in the 19th century?

Answer 19

• actors were not well respected

- not considered a job of high moral standing

Question 20

Who wrote the US national anthem?

Answer 20

Francis Scott Key in 1814

Question 21

At the start of the 20th century, what led to the rise of new forms in dance in America?

Answer 21

• lack of traditionally trained choreographers

- ongoing creativity

Question 22

What were the two forms of performing arts developed by Americans in the 20th century?

Answer 22

Jazz and Vaudville

Question 23

What was Vaudville?

Answer 23

• popular form of live performance that included a variety of entertainers
• less than 5 minutes long

Question 24

Who were two major influences on dance in America?

Answer 24

• Isadora Duncan

- Fred Astaire

Question 25

How did vaudeville impact the film industry?

Answer 25

• Vaudeville became more popular
• film producers used the same acting techniques popularized in vaudeville
• also used vaudeville stars as actors

Question 26

Describe the timeline of theater and performing arts developments

Answer 26

Before Renaissance- Choral
16(late) 17(popular) cent- opera
18 cent- symphonies and ballet
20 cent- jazz and vaudeville

Question 27

How does the performing arts in the 18th century compare to the 19th century?

Answer 27

• Europe was a center of performing arts
• Wars declined it in the 19th cent
• But theater in the US grew in popularity