Types of Theatre
Almost anything brought to life by human hands to create a performance. Types of puppets include rod, hand, and marionette
Puppetry
A person, male or female, who performs a role in a play or an entertainment.
Actor
The art and technique of bringing the elements of theatre together to make a play.
Directing
The stage representation of an action or a story; a dramatic composition
Play
The highness or lowness of the voice
Pitch
The imitation or representation of life performed for other people; the performance of dramatic literature; drama; the milieu of actors, technicians, and playwrights; the place where dramatic performances take place.
Puppetry
A person, a situation, or the protagonist's own inner conflict in opposition to his or her goals.
Antagonist
The planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage
Blocking
The stage area toward the audience
Downstage
Detailed information revealing the facts of a plot
Exposition
A dramatic form popular in the 1800s and characterized by an emphasis on plot and physical action (versus characterization), cliff-hanging events, heart-tugging emotional appeals, the celebration of virtue, and a strongly moralistic tone
DAILY DOUBLE
Melodrama
The backstage technical crew responsible for running the show. In small theatre companies the same persons build the set and handle the load-in. Then, during performances, they change the scenery and handle the curtain.
Stage crew
A rehearsal moving from start to finish without stopping for corrections or notes.
Run through
A long speech by a single character.
Monologue
The clear and precise pronunciation of words
Articulation
A professional form of theatrical improvisation, developed in Italy in the 1500s, featuring stock characters and standardized plots.
Commedia dell'arte
The director's liaison backstage during rehearsal and performance. Responsible for the running of each performance
Stage Manager
To steal the focus of a scene
Upstage
The point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action.
Climax
Memories of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. It is used to help define a character in a certain situation.
Sense memory
The final few rehearsals just prior to opening night in which the show is run with full technical elements. Full costumes and makeup are worn.
Dress Rehersal
A group of theatrical artists working together to create a theatrical production.
Ensemble
A reading of a script done by actors who have not previously reviewed the play
DAILY DOUBLE
Cold Reading
Information that is implied by a character but not stated by a character in dialogue, including actions and thoughts
Subtext
The purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) caused in a tragedy
DAILY DOUBLE
Catharsis