Theatre EOC Review

Method Acting

A form of acting in which the actors use their own experiences to better identify with the characters they play. This style of acting was first developed by Konstantin Stanislavski of the Moscow Art Theatre in response to the Realism movement.

Player-Audience Relationship

The special interactive and “live” relationship that exists between the performers and the audience.

Presentational Acting

A relationship that acknowledges the audience, whether directly by addressing them, or indirectly through a general attitude or specific use of language, looks, gestures or other signs that indicate that the character or actor is aware of the audience’s presence.

Representational Acting

A relationship in which the audience is studiously ignored. The actor behaves as if a fourth wall was present, blocking them from the viewers.

The Fourth Wall

The imaginary “wall” at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play. The fourth wall convention is an established convention of modern realistic theatre, where the actors carry out their actions unaware of the audience.

Proscenium

A four-sided stage built like a box with one side cut away, enabling the audience to view the play as if it were in a “picture frame.”

Suspension of Disbelief

When the audience chooses to pretend that the action is real.

Monologue

A long speech spoken by one person, revealing personal thoughts and feelings.

Dialogue

The conversation between two or more actors onstage.

Stage Blocking

Planning and working out the movement and stage grouping for a play.

Improvisation

A spontaneous style of theatre using unrehearsed and unscripted acting scenes.

Musical Comedy

A light play or movie with songs, dialogue, and dancing, connected by a plot.

Skit

A short comedy sketch or piece of humorous writing.

Pantomime

The use of mime techniques, acting without words, to tell a story.

Drama

A story written to be played out on stage.

Stage Manager

The person in charge of supervising backstage; also calls cues for a show.

House Manager

The person who oversees the entire house and publicity crew, as well as all public areas of the theatre.

Ushers

The members of the house crew that assist patrons in finding their way around the theatre, including helping them find their seats.

Box Office

The place at a theatre or other arts establishment where tickets are bought or reserved.

Prop

Stage properties or items that might be part of the stage directions. Items used by the actors for stage business and characterization.

Places

What the stage manager says when all cast, crew, and orchestra need to be in place immediately for the top of the show or to begin again after an intermission.

Expression

The ability to express feelings. An actor has to have a lot of expression in order to communicate his/her thoughts and feelings to an audience.

Projection

The placement and delivery of voice elements used effectively in communicating to an audience.

Articulation

The shaping and molding of sounds into syllables.

Inflection

The rising and falling of pitch. Inflection adds meaning, color, and rhythm to spoken words.

Stage Directions

The playwright’s insertions of setting, blocking, reactions, gestures, or use of props to clarify the action.

Climax

The highest point of tension or drama.

Exposition

A literary term that refers to the part of a story that sets the stage for the drama to follow: it introduces the theme, setting characters, and circumstances at the story’s beginnings.

Falling Action

The section of the plot following the climax, in which the tension stemming from the story’s central conflict decreases and the story moves toward its conclusion.

Initial Incident

The event that sets the main character or characters on the journey that will occupy them throughout the play.

Costume Plot

Actor-by-actor, scene-by-scene inventory of all the costumes in a production, with a detailed breakdown into every separate item in each costume.

Arena Stage

A theatrical playing space in which the stage is surround by audience members on all sides. Also known as theatre-in-the-round.

Teaser Curtain

A horizontal masking border that is lowered to reduce the height of the opening and/or block the lighting instruments from the audience’s view. It is attached to a batten and suspended just upstage of the proscenium, directly behind the grand drape or act curtain.

Wings

The out of view areas to the sides of the acting area.

Backstage

The part of the stage and theatre which is out of sight of the audience. The service areas of the theatre, behind, beside, or underneath the stage.

Orchestra Pit

The area in the theatre (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform.

Set Designer

Member of the artistic for a show who works with the director to create the scenic ‘look’ for the stage throughout the show and any accompanying props.

Stage Director

There are many types of director. Broadly, the role involves being responsible for the overall artistic vision of a production.

Soliloquy

A speech given directly to the audience, ordinarily with no one else on stage. Usually played as a direct address to the audience, sometimes played as a character thinking aloud in the audience’s presence.

Aside

Lines spoken by an actor to the audience and not supposed to be overheard by other characters on-stage.

Choreographer

Member of the production team responsible for setting dances and movement sequences during the production.

“Keeping Open”

Also known as Cheating or Opening Out: Angling or squaring the body out toward the audience, while still partly facing the other actor/character.

Illusion of the First Time

Stanislavski’s idea of delivering a rehearsed performance in a fresh and new way. Often an actor can create the Illusion of the First Time by becoming totally involved in every moment on stage that they are present.

Breaking Character

In acting, saying or doing something that is not in keeping with the character one is portraying. Most often this is accidental, as when an actor forgets a lone or bit of business, or when distracted by an occurrence in the audience or offstage.

Mugging

In acting, using an exaggerated facial expression, usually in a comedy. The term comes from a slang word for the face (“mug”). Mugging is overacting, which can be viewed positively or negatively.

Stealing Focus

An actor’s seizure of the attention of the audience when he has no right to it, such as by unfairly moving upstage center so that he commands the best position, forcing other actors to turn their backs to the audience. Also referred to as UPSTAGING.

An actor can read the script, do different types of warm ups, and practice to prepare his/her mind, body, and voice for rehearsals and performances.

How can an actor prepare his/her mind, body, and voice for rehearsals and performances?

The actor acknowledges the audience in presentational theatre and interacts with them. In representational theatre, the actor ignores the audience.

Describe and give examples of the different relationships in which actors interact with their audience (presentational and representational).

Costume design is important in a production because costumes play a big role in expressing the character. To the audience, a costume can communicate a character’s personality, economic status, job, position in society (social status), age, and gender. It can also communicate the time period in which the play is taking place.

How is costume design important in a production? What can a costume communicate to an audience?

A costume plot is a list showing the costumes to be worn in a production, scene by scene for each character. The primary purpose of it is to help track the specific costume needs of each character.

What is the primary purpose of a costume plot?

Light design can affect how the setting looks for a particular scene. It can change the mood or theme depending on the scene.

How can scene and light design affect the mood or theme of a play?

The director could change some of the music, costumes, lights, lines (speaking styles), etc.

If a director wanted to do an older play, how could he collaborate with the designers to modernize it?

Participating in theatre can help a person develop the confidence that's essential to speaking clearly, lucidly, and thoughtfully. It can also help people be comfortable in speaking to large groups or audiences.

How does participation in theatre help a person develop life skills?

Good audience etiquette: No talking, unless audience participation is requested by the performers, good posture, no hats, no noises, no lights.

Bad audience etiquette: talking, booing at the actors, taking pictures/selfies, holding up posters (blocking people’s views that are behind you).

Give examples of both good and bad audience etiquette.

Language arts, history, math, science, music, other arts

List subjects outside of Theatre that would be beneficial to the success of a play.

Americans for the Arts

American Stage Theatre Company

Miracle Theatre Coral Gables

Actors Playhouse

and many more

List examples of Florida industries that rely on theatre arts as a part of their business.

Producer: a person who manages all aspects of a production, from overseeing the budget to hiring the director and other artists

Director: responsible for shaping every aspect of the final performance—from the actors' performances to the setting and design choices

Production Crew: producing the play

Stage Crew: in charge of moving scenery, special effects, setting and stage design

House Crew: ensures quality customer service for the audience before, during and after a performance

Make-up & Costume Crew: assisting actors with hair, makeup, and costumes and quick-change needs during technical rehearsals and performances as well as basic maintenance of the costumes during the production

Sound Crew: produce, amplify, mix, record, sync and reproduce sound, effects and music for theatre rehearsals, theatre productions and special events

Light Crew: set up, rig, program, monitor, repair, and operate lighting equipment to enhance events and performances

Describe the various roles of theatre and stage workers (producer, director, production crew, house crew, etc.).

The seated actor shouldn’t be covered up and should be visible to the audience.

Describe blocking which would keep focus on a seated actor other than yourself.

The person would most likely be in the center of the stage and in front of the other actors.

Describe blocking which would direct attention to a specific actor on stage.

Subtext is the underlying message being conveyed by a piece of dialogue. Writers love to use subtext in scripts because it adds an extra layer of complexity to scenes and their characters.

What is subtext and how is it used in a script?

Older theatres were demolished and rebuilt to accommodate larger audiences. In the auditorium, rectangular galleries began to be replaced by horseshoe-shaped balconies that enveloped the stage and provided better viewing. There are a lot more lighting, sound, props, and costumes that are used, compared to before.

How has theatre architecture evolved throughout history? What are some types of stage technology we use nowadays?

Identify the 9 acting areas of proscenium stage.