Theater Appreciation Bender

Actor

A performer who portrays a character created by a playwright.

Performer

Someone who entertains an audience but does not necessarily portray a character.

Acting Paradox

The idea that actors must both be themselves and pretend to be someone else at the same time.

Inspirational Acting

An acting approach that uses personal emotions and experiences to create a character.

Technical Acting

An acting approach that builds a character through controlled use of body and voice.

Character

A fictional person created by the playwright and portrayed by an actor.

Script Analysis

The process of studying a script to understand the play and a character's role.

Stage Directions

Instructions in the script describing actions, movement, or staging.

Dialogue

The spoken lines exchanged between characters in a play.

Actor Instrument

The body and voice used by actors to portray a character.

Playwright

A person who writes plays for theater.

Meaning of Playwright

The word “wright” means maker, so a playwright is a maker of plays.

Playwriting

The process of creating dialogue and dramatic action for the stage.

Purpose of Dialogue

Dialogue advances the plot, reveals character, and expresses ideas.

Active Language in Plays

Play dialogue is more intense and selective than everyday speech.

Book Writer

The playwright who writes the dialogue for a musical.

Lyricist

The writer who creates the lyrics for songs in a musical.

Librettist

A writer who creates both dialogue and lyrics for a musical.

Playwriting Collaboration

Some playwrights work together with other writers or artists.

Playwright Inspiration

Ideas for plays can come from real life, news, or conversations.

Playwright Training

Playwrights do not always receive formal training like actors do.

Playwriting Maxim

Common advice for playwrights such as writing what you know and writing action.

Screenplay

A script written for film or television.

Playwright vs Screenwriter

Playwrights write for stage productions while screenwriters write for film or TV.

Royalty

Payment made to a playwright when their play is produced.

Copyright

Legal protection that gives authors ownership of their work.

Play Licensing

Permission granted by organizations allowing theaters to produce a play.

William Shakespeare

A famous playwright who wrote around 38 plays.

Shakespeare Tragedy

A play that ends with catastrophe for the main character.

Shakespeare Comedy

A humorous play that often ends happily.

Shakespeare History

A play about historical rulers or events.

Shakespeare Romance

A later Shakespeare play mixing tragedy and comedy elements.

Shakespeare Legacy

Shakespeare's plays are still performed worldwide centuries later.

Proscenium Stage

A stage framed by a proscenium arch with the audience facing one side.

Proscenium Arch

The frame separating the stage from the audience.

Wings

Areas on the sides of the stage where actors wait before entering.

Rigging System

Equipment used to raise and lower scenery or lighting above the stage.

Thrust Stage

A stage extending into the audience with seating on three sides.

Vomitories

Passageways allowing actors to enter the stage through audience seating.

Arena Stage

A stage surrounded by the audience on all sides.

Theater in the Round

Another name for an arena stage.

Blackbox Theater

A flexible theater space where seating and stage layouts can change.

Environmental Theater

Theater performed in nontraditional locations where actors and audience share space.

Alley Stage

A stage with audience seated on two opposite sides.

Booth Stage

A temporary stage where actors perform in front of a curtain.

Broadway

The highest level of American theater with venues of 500 or more seats.

Tony Awards

Major awards given to Broadway theater productions.

TKTS Booth

A location in New York City selling same-day Broadway tickets at discounts.

Broadway Tour

A traveling production of a Broadway show.

Off Broadway

Theaters with seating between 100 and 499.

Off Off Broadway

Theaters with fewer than 100 seats often used for experimental theater.

Regional Theater

Professional nonprofit theaters located outside New York City.

LORT

League of Resident Theatres contract used by regional theaters.

SPT

Small Professional Theatre contract for smaller theaters.

LOA

Letter of Agreement contract used for individually negotiated productions.

Amateur Theater

Theater performed primarily by volunteers instead of paid professionals.

Educational Theater

Theater programs within schools or universities.

Community Theater

Local theater productions often performed by community volunteers.

Children's Theater

Productions created specifically for young audiences.

Producer

The person responsible for financing and organizing a theatrical production.

Director

The person responsible for shaping the artistic vision of a play.

Designer

Artists responsible for sets, costumes, lighting, and sound.

Audition

The process where actors perform to be considered for roles.

Rehearsal

Practice sessions where actors prepare a performance.

Technical Rehearsal

A rehearsal where lighting, sound, and scenery are integrated.

Preview Performance

A performance before opening night used to refine the show.

Opening Night

The first official public performance of a production.

Strike

The process of dismantling sets and equipment after the show closes.