Plot
Where is In The Heights set and what is one characteristic of that setting?
Washington Heights, NYC. It’s a neighborhood of predominantly immigrants /low income families.
In Pride and Prejudice, why does Mrs. Bennett want one of her daughters to marry Mr. Darcy initially?
He has money and land, and the Bennetts are worse off; marrying him would help the entire family in reputation and status.
What element of production refers to the ways that bodies on stage interact with each-other?
Spatial relationships
Here are the types of theater mentioned in lecture: Non profit/community; educational; semi-prof; non profit/union; for profit. Where does Broadway fit?
Broadway is for profit theater.
What are the basic structures of comedy and tragedy?
Comedy moves from confusion to wedding; a tragedy moves from union to disunion.
In A Raisin in The Sun, what is the source of the money that the Youngers receive?
The death of Mr. Younger; it’s his life insurance money.
In A Raisin in The Sun, what does Beneatha want to become?
A doctor. (Her mother instructs Walter to put some of the money away for her schooling).
What is a theatrical adaptation?
A play or musical that is based on a pre-existing story.
What is the theater equation?
actor + idea + audience
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time
What are the characteristics of expressionism?
Episodic plot, fragmented narrative, confusing or rambling monologues, does not follow a linear timeline.
Which two plays from the second half of the semester have open or ambiguous endings?
Pipeline (we don't know if Omari gets expelled); A Raisin in the Sun (we are left unsure of the Youngers' welcome in their new neighborhood and if, for example, Beneatha moves to Africa.).
In In The Heights, who is the narrator and how is the story framed?
Usnavi; he is telling the story of Washington Heights and his community to a group of children, which we see at the start and at the end (when it becomes clear that he did not actually leave).
Define relevance.
Something is “relevant” if it “connects its audience to the needs, assets, and interests of its community”.
How is a dramatic theme different from a literary theme?
Dramatic theme is a sentence that articulates the play’s POINT OF VIEW on a subject, NOT simply the subject itself.
What is the role of music in Musical Theater?
Music cannot be separated from the story; it furthers plot and character development
She experiences microaggressions, trouble fitting in, and guilt over her father's sacrifices and financial burden.
In In The Heights, which two characters initially want to leave Washington Heights and why?
Usnavi wants to return to where his family is from and buy his father's business.
Vanessa wants to move downtown to pursue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
What is the difference between colorblind and colorconscious casting?
Colorblind casting is casting without taking an actor’s race or ethnicity into account, while colorconscious casting intentionally considers the race and ethnicity of actors and the characters they play in order to oppose racism, honor and respect cultures, foster stronger productions, and contribute to a more equitable world.
What is red lining and how does it affect the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun?
Red lining is a process of color-coding a map to show which neighborhoods should receive economic investments, which frequently falls along racial lines. In Raisin, the Youngers are pressured to accept money instead of moving into a nicer house in a predominantly white neighborhood.
What are some characteristics of 20th century Realism?
This genre focuses on recognizable situations, everyday language and settings, and emphasizes individual choices.
What is the name of the allegorical poem repeated multiple times in Pipeline?
We Real Cool. Its repeated throughout the play and each time it is recited, it becomes clearer to the audience how closely it parallels what Omari is experiencing.
In the last scene of Pipeline, what does Omari tell Nya in list form?
Omari tells his mother how to better relate to him. He leaves the last item unfinished.
Theater, Film, and fiction are all People + ____. What are these equations?
What is an example of how the American Dream manifests in Raisin or In The Heights?
In Raisin, the Youngers are trying to move up in the world and are focused on money as a way to make that happen; they are also focused on creating a better life for their children. In In The Heights, all the characters are pursuing their own individual ambitions and believe in upward mobility. Abuela Claudia’s story is a good example of the American Dream in practice vs. reality.
What is the classic “Marriage Plot” found in Pride and Prejudice?
a common literary form in the 19th-century (particularly novels) that focuses on the romantic entanglements and eventual marriage of the central characters (who are generally upper-class, cisgender, and heterosexual)