History of Theater Review

A set of flashcards covering key concepts from the history of theater lecture notes.

It tells us about the theater of today, it provides education to current and future artists, and it delivers valuable insight into the past.

What are some given reasons to study the history of theater?

It lasts for a very short time.

What does it mean when something is described as ephemeral ?

Imitation, role-playing, and storytelling.

What are agreed to be three possible origins of theater?

a narrative approach.

Writing theater history in a manner that relates the past to the present and assumes events build upon one another is:

Both mean group sharing.

Efficaciousness and methexis:

What is valued now may not match what was valued in a tradition's own time.

What is considered significant in theater history is intrinsically difficult to determine because:

It offers better perspective and alters our interpretation of plays and theater practices.

It is valuable when studying theater to consider defining characteristics of the audience (wealthy vs poor, nobility vs common people, general public vs a select group, etc.) for the following reason(s):

The Roman Catholic Church was not as dominant, the feudal system gave way to autocratic rule of kings and princes, and the merchant class rose to wealth and prominence.

Which of the following changes happened in Europe between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?

Humanism.

Made popular during the Renaissance, the focus on people rather than gods in literature and the arts is called:

Acting (in commedia dell'arte), theater architecture, and scene design.

The Italian Renaissance featured major innovations in these three areas of theater arts:

Lazzo.

When Capitano got entangled with his sword so that it emerged from between his legs as a ludicrous phallic symbol, he was performing a(n):

Was also called a picture-frame, fourth wall, or conventional stage. It hides the stage mechanisms for scene changes and special effects, and was an impetus for the development of greater realism in theater.

A proscenium stage:

The area of the stage closest to the audience is called "downstage" and the area of the stage furthest from the audience is called "upstage".

As a result of the rake of the stage utilized in the time of Sebastian Serlio, even now:

Auto sacramentales.

Religious plays written in the latter half of the 16th century for the festival of Corpus Christi in Spain came to be known as:

Molière.

A play written in rhyming couplets, in neoclassical form, with witty and comic dialogue, and with characters resembling those in commedia dell'arte was probably written by:

Elizabethan Period, Early modern England, and English Renaissance.

Which of the following names are acceptable for the period of English history from 1485 - 1642?

Materials that survive from the period.

Theater resources consult primary sources, which are:

That there was not one, homogeneous model of playhouse.

The primary sources researchers have about Elizabethan playhouses suggest:

Senecan revenge dramas, English History, Roman History, and Italian Literature.

From which of the following did Shakespeare borrow plots?

Tragedies, Comedies, Histories, Problem Plays, Romances, and Co-authored Plays.

Which of the following were types of plays Shakespeare wrote?

A marriage.

The majority of Shakespeare's comedies ended how?

Dramatic Scenes, Comedic Scenes, Songs, and Dance.

What theatrical elements would an audience member expect to find in one of Shakespeare's romances?

Portia.

This powerful Shakesperean female disguises herself as a judge in order to deliver one of the more famous monologues of the canon. Her humanity is emphasized by her focus on mercy.

Titus Andronicus.

Representative of Shakespeare rejecting the neoclassical rules, this play includes dismemberment, rape, beheading, and characters baked into a pie and served to their mother.