Drama Exam Review

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Fourth Wall

 the imaginary wall through which the audience views the stage.

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Cue

 signal that tells an actor, a technician, a stage manager etc to do something (eg; enter, exit, change the stage lights, etc).

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Archetype

 universal, recurring patterns of behaviour or personality that tap into humanity’s collective unconscious. 

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Proscenium

 in front of the scene.

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Subtext

 What your character thinks but does not say.

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Quality

the individual sound of your particular voice.

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Soliloquy

speeches where the actor talks alone or thinks aloud about what is happening, revealing character.

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Aside

 a line spoken directly to the audience.

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Fly Space

storage space above the stage for large set pieces, backdrops, etc.

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FOR 4 POINTS...
Choose one of the following special movement problems to know (and four steps about executing it safely and properly in a scene): shooting OR eating / drinking

 If i had to teach a group of students how to safely perform shooting on stage. Firstly, I would urge them to make it believable and safe for the actors. Secondly, i would tell them that the killer should be downstage of the victim, firing away from the audience. Next, I would advise the students that the killer and the victim should at least have four or five feet between them, preventing  injury or burns from the blank. Lastly, i would explain that they should never fire towards the audience or directly  towards any actor.

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House

where the audience sits to view the play

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Foley Sound

when sound effects are put in during post-production

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Reason and Thought

the actor’s thought process behind the characterization of a role.

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For 4 points..

• Name the two main themes in Barefoot in the Park and give an example of when each was prevalent at some point in the play.  (4 marks)

The two main themes in Barefoot in the park are: 1. Compatibility, the ability to exist together in harmony. An example in the play is where at the beginning, Cory and Paul are free spirited in love and want to be together. 2. Compromise, to settle your differences. This is shown when Paul walks barefoot in the park in the middle of winter.

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Proscenium Opening

just like the fourth wall, the opening through which the audience views the play.

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Cheat Out

pivoting the torso and turning the face towards the audience when sharing a scene with another actor.

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Projecting

Speaking loudly enough, so that you are heard by everyone in the audience.

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Wings

the storage space on both sides of the stage for props and set pieces.

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Green Room

a room, located near the stage and dressing rooms, where actors wait before going to perform.

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For 15 points...

Reflection - reflect on the skills you developed in drama (like communication, collaboration, teamwork, etc); discuss how these skills can help you in other areas of your life; list and explain any obstacles you had to overcome and how; identify what things you’d like to celebrate.  Use specific examples from specific tasks you had to complete throughout the course to help support your answer.

In drama I have developed many skills in teamwork, communication and problem solving. Firstly, I developed teamwork skills through observing different leadership styles and adapting through different conditions like in the barefoot in the park play. I learned different perspectives and used that to enhance my ability to work with others to meet work goals. Next, I developed communication skills through hands-on practice, developing voice projection and clear articulation. This was shown in the choral drama and audition play where I improved and displayed my tempo of volume, articulation and tone effectively. Lastly, I developed problem solving skills through having to navigate issues like not being able to record properly in class for the radio play and having to use other ways to work on it. These skills can help me in other areas of life through real life speeches, having to work in teams in university assignments and in a team work environment at the workplace and using problem solving skills to navigate real world challenges. I had to overcome obstacles through teamwork conflicts, technical issues and I can celebrate my overall new skill in dramatic arts. Thus, I have developed many skills in teamwork, communication and problem solving.                                                                    

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Giving the Scene

shifting the audience’s attention from one actor to another when one actor crosses downstage and then turns slightly upstage towards the other actor who is now in the dominant position.

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6 POINTS...
2 per alphabet so like A= 2 marks, B=2, etc.

• Know how to explain the difference between the following terms:   (6 marks)
  a) Stage buisness vs Blocking

• B) Scene Stealing Vs giving the Scene

• C) Subtext vs Aside

-stage business vs blocking: Stage business is small, sometimes unnoticeable, movements or gestures that add to a scene or define character while blocking is the planned movements and groupings of the actors on stage.

    -scene stealing vs giving the scene: Scene Stealing is to call attention to your presence when it should be on someone else while giving the scene is shifting the audience’s attention from one actor to another when one actor crosses downstage and then turns slightly upstage toward the other actor who is now in the dominant position.

    -subtext vs aside: Subtext is what your character thinks but does not say while Aside is a line spoken directly to the audience.

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Stock Character

rapidly recognizable character types, often defined by a single exaggerated trait, which makes them highly functional for comedy or morality plays.

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For 8 points..

• Your handout Improving Voice has a section on Volume.  Be prepared to know how emphasizing a specific word changes the meaning of the sentence (see the section where the sentence “Was Dave going home?” appears four times).   (8 marks)

Variety in volume helps individual words within dialogue stand out.  By varying the volume of individual words, a specific meaning is communicated.  In the examples below, notice how the change of emphasis or volume shifts the meaning:

    Was Dave going home? (You said so, but did he really?)

    Was Dave going home? (Or was it Bill?)

    Was Dave going home? (Or was he returning from there?)

    Was Dave going home? (Or someplace else?)

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Traverse Stage

a theatrical setup where the audience is seated on two opposite sides of the performance space, facing each other with the acting area in between. (Also known as a corridor or alley stage)