Fundamentals Note
This Greek performer stepped away from the chorus and became known as the first actor.
Who is Thespis?
Moving toward the audience means traveling in this stage direction.
What is downstage?
An improvisor that starts the scene is making a what?
What is an offer?
This simple raised acting surface may stand in a room without a permanent theatre structure.
What is a platform stage?
The spoken exchange between characters is called this.
What is dialogue?
The page in a script where the title is found.
What is the title page?
Ancient Greek theatre festivals honored this god associated with wine and celebration.
Who is Dionysus?
While facing the audience, an actor moves to the actor’s right. Name the direction.
What is stage right?
This skill helps an improviser notice a partner’s words, emotions, and physical choices before responding.
What is active listening?
This performance space presents theatre outdoors rather than inside a traditional building.
What is an open-air stage?
At the start of a scene, this information identifies where and when the action occurs.
What is the setting?
Posture, gesture, pace, pitch, and volume belong to these two areas of performance choices.
What are physical and vocal choices?
Within Aristotle’s six elements, this term means the ordered sequence of events in a play.
What is plot?
This acting area is closest to the audience and centered between left and right.
What is downstage center?
At the beginning of an improvised scene, performers should quickly establish these three basic circumstances.
What are who the characters are, where they are, and what they are doing or want?
This large oval or circular performance space takes its name from ancient venues used for races and spectacles.
What is a hippodrome stage?
A short instruction placed beside a character’s line may suggest tone, movement, or who receives the line.
What is a character direction or parenthetical?
A person, condition, or belief that prevents the character from reaching an objective is called this.
What is an obstacle?
A pantomime actor struggles to push an invisible heavy door. This principle makes the audience believe the door has weight.
What is resistance?
An actor crosses diagonally from the far back corner on the actor’s right to the front corner on the actor’s left. Name both areas.
What are upstage right and downstage left?
One character behaves like a supervisor while the other asks permission. The actors have established this important character connection.
What is status or relationship?
A director wants the audience close on three sides while keeping a strong backstage entrance at one end. This stage type best fits the plan.
What is a thrust stage?
The author of a play is called what?
What is a playwright?
A character says, “I’m fine,” while avoiding eye contact and gripping a chair. The meaning beneath the spoken words is called this.
What is subtext?
An appealing and meaningful arrangement of performers on stage.
What is a tableau?
The line that separates the apron from the stage.
What is the procenium line?
What does C.R.O.W. stand for?
What is Character, Relationship, Objective and Where.
Compare a black box with a proscenium stage. Give one artistic advantage of each.
What are flexible seating and staging in a black box, and a framed view with strong scenery control and hidden backstage areas in a proscenium?
Curtain, fade to black, or blackout at the end of a script is called what?
What is End Designation?
A student character wants a lead role, fears disappointing the family, and auditions despite intense nerves. Identify the objective, motivation, obstacle, and one playable tactic.
What are: objective, earn the lead role; motivation, meet personal or family expectations; obstacle, fear or competition; tactic, impress, connect, command attention, or another playable action?