Quotes and Tools
Define color-conscious casting
Color-conscious casting is a practice in theatre and film where casting decisions intentionally consider the race and ethnicity of actors to address historical inequities, increase representation, or make purposeful artistic statements related to identity and diversity.
This character type highlights the central character’s
qualities, point of view, and actions by
providing a stark contrast.
Foil
For example: Beneatha to Walter; Amy to Jo
This object is at the center of A Raisin in the Sun.
Big Walter's Insurance Check
A Raisin in the Sun is this half of the semester's example of this genre.
Realism
This term refers to the given situation of a play—the who, what, where, when, and why that define the world of the characters.
The Given Circumstances
I will not disappear without a trace
I'll shout and start a riot
Be anything but quiet
Jo in Little Women
This term covers the factual details with a script that define the world of the play such as time and location.
Given Circumstances - Chicago South Side in the 1950s for A Raisin in the Sun, present-day inner-city America for Pipeline
This man is the King of Thebes at the end of Oedipus the King
Kreon
This is the term of what the script of a musical is called.
This element of production is closely connected to choreography.
Spatial Relationships
"Ain’t nobody in my family never let nobody pay ’em no money that was a way of telling us we wasn’t fit to walk the earth. We ain’t never been that poor."
Mama from A Raisin in the Sun
These two elements from Aristotle's Six of Elements are most significant to musical theatre
Music and Spectacle
This character’s perfect dance solo and leadership role make her the star of the team—and the object of jealousy for others.
Amina
True or False - Musicals feature music that can be separated from the story as the musical numbers don't further the plot, but can add to character development
False - Music CANNOT be separated as it supports the plot and character development.
True or False - Wisconsin is 49th in Per Capita Arts Funding with $0.18 per capita
True - Jen compared this to our neighbors, Minnesota, who are 2nd with $10.07 per capita.
Name the main four stage configurations brought up in lecture.
Proscenium, Thrust, Raked, Arena (in-the-round)
Name the five tips Jen gives to read a play.
Title, Character Descriptions/Breakdown, Setting, Playwright, Opening/Closing Moments
True or False - Logan is a caricature of a white theatre education in the United States, which adds to the satirical nature of The Thanksgiving Play
True
True or False - The Thanksgiving Play is an example of satire since it employs exaggerated characters and situations, and depends on familiarity with the situation that's being made fun of.
True
Community Theatre, Educational Theatre, and Semi-Professional Theatre
Define Catharsis
Catharsis is the emotional release or purification experienced by audiences, typically involving feelings of pity and fear, after witnessing dramatic events in tragedy or other intense performances.
True or False - presentational acting is a style of acting that creates realistic, believable, and every day characters.
False - This is defining representational
What's the difference between Climactic Plot structure and Episodic Plot structure?
Climactic structure builds tightly toward a single peak (climax) with a focused, linear plot, starting late in the story for intense effect, while episodic structure features loosely linked, self-contained episodes with broader scope, allowing for multiple subplots and deeper character exploration over time
True or False - Realism is a form most closely associated with ancient Greek tragedy.
False
This playwright attended UW-Madison in 1948-1950, before moving to New York for "an education of another kind."
Lorraine Hansberry, playwright of A Raisin in the Sun