areas of comedy
area of comedy that involves humor and an appeal to the heart
what is middle comedy?
the type of play in which the protagonist does not achieve goals and/or is overcome by opposing forces
what is tragedy?
a cause of laughter in which character, line, or situation is exaggerated or bigger than life
what is exaggeration?
a style of theatre that's done by and/or for children
what is children's theatre?
style in which characters, props, or even the set stand for something else; elements of a play that have a greater meaning
what is symbolism?
area of comedy that involves intellectual thought
what is high comedy?
a line spoken directly to the audience that's unheard by other characters onstage
what is an aside?
a cause of laughter that results from the audience knowing it's not actually happening
what is protection factor?
style of theatre that includes a fourth wall; the performers are not aware of the audience
what is representational?
style rooted in the phrase "human beings do not exist until they define their existence"; is philosophical and includes many analogies/metaphors for life
what is existential theatre?
this area of theatre includes types such as farce, parody, and burlesque
what is low comedy?
excessive pride or overconfidence
what is hubris?
a cause of laughter based upon things that do not fit the time, place, or character
what is incongruity?
a style that includes elements like an unresolved plot, incoherent and disjointed dialogue, surreal and bizarre elements, as well as themes of existentialism
what is theatre of the absurd?
a style made famous by vsevolod meyerhold; he believed the stage should be practicable rather than decorative
what is constructivism?
a type of middle comedy that involves a serious play, or a parody of one, that includes elements such as suspense, greed, and mystery
what is melodrama?
the power to arouse feelings of pity and compassion
what is pathos?
a cause of laughter that comes when pressure is built up and released
what is relief?
the political style of theatre made famous by bertolt brecht; popular between WWI and WII in the 1930s; criticized societal issues and touched on the broad phases of human life
what is epic theatre?
the play titled Everyman written by Anonymous was used to teach the abstract concept of morality to people of the middle ages. this is an example of what style?
what is allegory?
a type of high comedy that makes fun of the foolish actions, thoughts, and pretensions of particular segments of society, usually the upper class
what is comedy of manners?
emotional release or cleansing
what is catharsis?
a cause of laughter based on double meaning of lines or characters
what is ambiguity?
examples of this style include A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen and The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
what is realism?
name the traditional style of japanese puppet theatre that involves life-sized wooden puppets controlled by actors who are visible onstage
what is bunraku?