It's Been Around for a While
It's All Around the World
It's Moving Around
It's Voice & Diction
It's Sometimes Unexpected and/or Odd
100
Claudio Monteverdi, composer of L'Orfeo, is credited with creating the first of these, also the first type of theatre to use what we would call a "set".
What is opera?
100
Having its origins in Russia and Eastern Europe, this type of theatre features small effigies playing roles instead of actors.
What is puppet theatre?
100
These are instructions written by a playwright that tell actors where to go and what to do.
What are stage directions?
100
This is another word for diction.
What is articulation?
100
You never know what might happen on stage. During a live performance of the song "Matchmaker" from Fiddler on the Roof, Ms. Dennie experienced this unexpected event.
What is getting hit/punched in the face?
200
This entity both passed the law forbidding theatre and ended up bringing it back with liturgy, cycle, and mystery plays.
What is the church?
200
India's Kathakali theatre features a unique skill where the actors make this body part "dance".
What are the eyes?
200
All movement on stage needs to be this, which means it is done with a purpose.
What is motivated?
200
To have proper breath support, you want your breath to come from this organ instead of your chest.
What is the diaphragm?
200
Rob Cantor wrote a short, strange musical theatre piece about this movie star because it made him giggle to whisper the man's name really intensely.
Who is Shia LeBeouf?
300
Perhaps the most recognizable element of Greek theatre was this masked group of people, whose function was to provide context, commentary, and summarization to the audience.
What is the chorus?
300
A type of opera hailing from China, very different than the European variety.
What is Peking Opera?
300
When exiting the stage area, you must be careful not to do this until you are out of the audience's sightline or you risk breaking the magic of the show.
What is break character?
300
If you use this voice & diction skill well, you will be able to send your voice to the whole theatre while making it seem like you are speaking at a normal volume.
What is projection/projecting?
300
This is the unexpectedly tricky tongue twister for which Ms. Dennie offered extra credit.
What is "Toy Boat"?
400
Much of the...interesting elements of Roman theatre can be traced to the vulgar entertainment tases of this emperor. Not the best role model.
Who is Nero?
400
Yes! Hailing from Japan, this is one of the oldest types of theatre still performed today.
What is Noh?
400
When standing still on stage, it is best to stand on this part of the foot so that it is easy to move when needed.
What is the ball of the foot?
400
This is the speed at which you are speaking.
What is rate?
400
The modern day version of L'Orfeo (the one we watched in class, made some interesting choices. Among them were having Orpheus wear a backwards suit jacket and choosing to tell Orpheus that Eurydice had died using this prop.
What is a piece of cloth with a woman's face on it?
500
This type of mostly-improvised theatre featured repeated characters such as Arleccino, Pantalone, and Colombina.
What is Comedia Dell'Arte?
500
The unique, primarily motion-based theatre of the Yoruba tribe hails from this country in Africa.
What is Nigeria?
500
When standing on the stage, you normally want to have your body turned towards the audience even if you are talking directly to another character. This is called...
What is "cheating out"?
500
This element of voice and diction refers to where your words are "going". Some examples are rising, sustained, and falling.
What is inflection?
500
This musical re-telling of the Princess and the Pea includes the interesting song "The Minstrel, the Jester, and I" in which three characters perform but only two can be heard.
What is Once Upon a Mattress?