Greek and Roman
What kind of theaters did the Greeks build?
Amphitheater/Arena Stage
What are the plays that travel on wheels called?
Pageant wagons
What is one country the Renaissance occurred in?
Italy, France, England, or Spain
What is the "fourth wall"?
The imaginary wall which separates a performer or performance from an audience.
What is the difference (in terms of eras) between modern and contemporary theater?
Modern refers to an era of theater making that has recently passed, while contemporary theater refers to the present and future.
What is the name of the group that narrated/commented on what was happening?
The chorus
Where is the longest surviving passion play performed?
In the Oberammergau village, in Bavaria, Germany
What was the Renaissance?
A period of European cultural, economic, artist, and political “rebirth”. It promoted the discovery of philosophy, literature, and art.
Theater Realism occurred in what century?
The late 19th century
Who created the Theater of Cruelty?
Antonin Artaud
What did the chorus typically wear?
Greek masks
What type of play depicts the lives of saints?
Miracle plays
What is the type of theater Shakespeare is attributed to?
The Globe Theater
Which of the following is an element of Realism?
a.) Reaction to Romanticism
b.) Rise of industrialization in America
c.) A desire to show the world as it should be
d.) Writers with an interest in rising science
Answers: a, b, and d are correct
Name 2 absurdist playwrights.
(Any two of the following): Jean Genet, Eugene Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter.
What was the primary difference between Greek and Roman theaters?
Greek theaters were carved out the hillside, while Roman theaters were built up from solid ground.
What type of play is Everyman?
A morality play
What type of theater did the Renaissance take in England?
Elizabethan Theater
Where is the fourth wall located?
Downstage
What is the Definition of “Poor Theatre” in the perspective of Polish Director Jerzy Grotowski?
The theatre that values the body of the actor and its relation with the spector and does away with costumes, decor, and music.
How did the play Oedipus the King end?
He takes his eyes after seeing his Mother/Wife Kill herself.
Why are mystery plays called mystery plays?
1. Their theme is the mysteries of God.
2. They were funded by guilds, which were also called mysteries.
What is one stock character in Commedia dell’arte?
Capitano / Harlequin / Columbina / Pierrot / Pucinella / Pantalone / Il Dottore
Name the 6 major playwrights from the Realism Period.
Henrik Isben, Anton Chekhov, George Bernard Shaw, Eugene O’Neill, Tennesse Williams, and Arthur Miller
Name 3 characteristics of postmodern theater.
(Any 3 of the following): Fragmented Characters, Broken Narrative, Multi- Media Incorporation, a unique Spectacle Each Night, Audience is Included in the Play, Individual Interpretations and Perspectives Valued.