Chapter 2 - Background and Expectation of the Audience

When we watch a play, a background element that we bring to a performance is

our own personal experiences

our own private fantasies

our own emotional scar

our own individual memories

Often it is critical to enhancing the audience's experience of attending a play by learning more about the play or the

playwright

When we state that "art is a mirror of its age" we mean that

art may question or affirm prevailing views of a particular society.

While women appeared on the stage in sixteenth century continental Europe, which of the following is true of women in theatre during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I?

only boys, noted for their ability to imitate feminine grace, were allowed to perform on the public stage during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I

women were forbidden by law to appear on the public stage during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I

Charles Darwin

evolution

Karl Marx

economics

Sigmund Freud

the unconscious

Albert Einstein

relativity

Which of the following background elements do we bring to our personal viewing experience?

memories

anything that reminds us of our personal experiences.

private fantasies

Major commercial theatres in New York City that offer a variety of productions are referred to as

Broadway.

Examples of background information on the play or playwright might be:

appreciating why Bertolt Brecht interrupts the action of his plays with a song or narrator's speech

understanding a difficult passage in a Shakespeare play

When the art of one age has so defined the characteristics of human beings that it can speak eloquently to another age, we call this ________.

universal

What role did women play in Greek theatre?

many plays featured important female characters, but were acted by men

women may have been allowed to attend the dramatic festivals as spectators but evidence is inconclusive

women were not allowed to perform on the stage at the spring theatre festival City Dionysia

The oldest professional theatre in New York City located in the district near Times Square is referred to as

Broadway

True or false: the historical and global developments over the past many years are reflected in contemporary theatre.

True

Resident professional theatre is also commonly referred to as ___________ theatre.

regional

Audiences who attend the theatre do so for a variety of reasons. These may include:

a desire to be stimulated and challenged both intellectually and emotionally

escapism offered by light entertainment

Off-off-Broadway offers a wide variety of theatre by small independent groups and are often staged in these kinds of spaces.

warehouses

churches

lofts

:

off-off Broadway productions are located in New York City

Which of the following statements are true of Broadway productions that go on tour around the country?

they often use the same performers as found in the original production

they are typically exact replicas of the Broadway production

they usually duplicate the same scene design

Arena Stage in Washington, D.C, the Black Repertory Company of St. Louis, the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis are just a few examples of

resident professional theatre.

What is the purpose of children's theatre?

offer dramatizations on significant historical figures

provide a theatrical experience for young people

offer productions on subject matter that school-age children may find interesting

What are some of the key characteristics of the off-Broadway theatre movement?

originated as an affordable alternative to Broadway

often produces serious classic works and experimental theatre

most of these theatres typically have less than 200 seats

Semiprofessional or nonprofessional theatre that thrives in local communities.

amateur theatre

Theatre for youth is also sometimes referred to as ________ theatre.

children's

This theatre participant observes a theatre production and then comments on it in a serious article discussing the performance as well as how the production fits into the context of time, place, and history.

critic

"I really didn't like this musical because the director's choice to cast against type was problematic." A statement like this from a critic, reviewer, or blogger is an example of __________.

opinion

Broadway

large professional theatre in Times Square district in New York City

community theatre

semiprofessional or nonprofessional theatres that serve local communities

theatre for youth

provides theatrical experiences for young people

off-off Broadway

small theatres located in New York City developed in response to the high cost of producing Broadway productions

regional theatre

resident professional theatres in cities across the country

Which of the following is not a fair criterion for criticism?

what other actor might have done a better job of creating the character

Which of the following are often duties of a dramaturg?

helping new playwrights with the development of new plays

reading new plays and advising theatres on which ones to produce

writing articles, program notes, and educational materials for teachers

Which of the following is true about theatre critics?

they help educate the audience

they bring a wealth of knowledge of theatre

they represent audience members

When a critic or reviewer explains how Maria Irene Fornes has constructed her play Fefu and Her Friends and discusses her purpose and the techniques used to achieve it, the reader understands this as an example of

fact

When determining the three criteria for criticism, we look for the following:

what was being attempted

how successful was the production in its attempt

was the production worthwhile

The _____ is a relatively new theatrical position in the United States that comes from a German word meaning dramatic adviser.

dramaturg

Identify ways to distinguish fact from opinion when reading a critic/reviewer or blogger.

demonstrating how one scene relates to another scene in the play

explaining those moments in a play that may be confusing

noting background material about the playwright

Which of the following are reasons to take criticism with a grain of salt?

there can be many differing critical opinions to one production

you should trust your own instincts and preferences

just because one critic likes or dislikes a production does not necessarily determine your own enjoyment of the production

Which of the following is the best way to use theatrical criticism?

read more than one review of a production and use your own experience to determine the worth of a production