Theatre History
This culture is often credited with the invention of Western Theatre
What are the Greeks?
The person who portrays a character in a play
What is an actor (or actress)?
The person in charge of the play; holds auditions, casts the show, runs rehearsals, and manages the creative vision of the production
Director
Genre of dramatic performance that is generally humorous and light in tone
What is comedy?
The most common form of stage. Our auditorium stage is an example of this.
What is a proscenium?
This playwright was a prominent English thespian, writer, and poet, writing 37 plays and over 100 sonnets during his life
Who is William Shakespeare?
Time spent practicing a play
What is rehearsal?
Person in charge of the money; hires the production team, maintains the contracts for all staff, helps with marketing the show and managing budgets.
What is the producer?
What is tragedy?
Allows for a more dynamic and interesting relationship with the audience. Three of the four sides are surrounded by audience members, creating a 'T' shape
What is a thrust stage?
Greek theatre evolved from religious festivals dedicated to this Greek god of wine and revelry
Who is Dionysus?
The written version of a play
What is a script?
Person in charge of managing schedules, running tech rehearsals, and recording script changes
Who is the stage manager?
Removes the stage and makes the audience a part of the production, often breaking the fourth wall
What is immersive theatre?
Also known as theatre in the round, this kind of stage was made popular in Rome during the gladiator days
What is an arena stage?
You can find examples of this form of theatre across every culture, including religious cultures
What are origin stories/creation myths?
Movement on stage that is developed in rehearsal by the director and the actors
What is blocking?
Person in charge of designing costumes, sets, lighting, sound, props, etc.
A play in which singing and dancing is an essential element
What is a musical?
A simple, versatile performance space that is typically a square room with a black floor and four black walls.
What is a black box theatre?
This group of people were legally banned from performing in plays on stage until after the English Reformation in the late 1600's.
What are women?
The areas to the left and right of the stage where actors and scenery wait to come on
What are wings?
Person in charge of making costumes, set, sound, lights, props, etc.
What is the design crew?
In this theatrical genre, character development takes a backseat to a sensationalized plot. Think of mustache twirling villains and helpless damsels in distress
What is melodrama?
Event space that hosts performances in the open air, meaning that the event is outside. The Maplewood Barn is an example
What is an outdoor theatre/open air theatre?