Theatre Exam

4th wall

the imaginary barrier between performers and the audience

history of athen

birthplace of western theatre, festivals for Dionysus inspired the development of tragedy and comedy

Function of Greek Chorus

a group that comments on action, provides background, represents the community and help audience interpret the story emotionally.

Greek Tragedy

a serious play involving a noble character who falls from power due to a tragic flow or fate, explores human suffering and moral struggles

Greek Comedy

Plays that used humor satire and exaggeration to critique politics society and humanity

Catharsis

emotional release experienced by the audience after witnessing the downfall or suffering of a character in a tragedy

hubris

excessive pride or arrogance that leads a character to ignore warnings and ultimately causes their downfall

dithyramb

a choral hymn sung and danced in honor of Dionysus which evolved into greek drama

hamartia

a character’s tragic flaw or mistake in judgment that leads to their downfall

ovation inflation

modern tendency for audiences to give standing ovations frequently reducing their meaning

color theory

how colors evoke emotion, symbolism and mood

rhythm

the pattern of timing, pacing, and movement within a performance, shapes energy and flow

subtext

what a character really thinks or means beneath spoken dialogue

Wright

playwright, craftsperson who builds the play

imagery

descriptive language that creates sensory pictures or moods for the audience

Dramatic vs Epic theatre

dramatic- emotional immersion, audience empathizes with characters

epic- encourages critical thinking, uses techniques they are watching a play.

presentational vs representational

presentational- actors acknowledge the audience

representational- actors behave as the audience is not there

realism

a style that attempts to represent life truthfully, characters behave like real people

selective realism

mostly realistic but chooses certain elements to distort simplify or emphasize for effect

expressionism

non-realistic style where design and performance reflect a characters inner emotions or psychological state

symbolism

using metaphors or symbolic elements to communicate ideas beyond literal meaning

motif vs leitmotif

motif- a recurring element

leitmotif- a recurring musical phrase tied to a character idea or theme

types of stages

arena- audience on all sides

thrust- audience on three sides

proscenium- audience on one side with framed stage

black box- flexible reconfigurable space

Theatre vs Theater

theatre- artform

theater- building

art vs entertainment

art- challenges confronts or transforms

entertainment- primarily designed to amuse

satyr plays

short comic plays performed after tragedies, crude humor mythological parody

ritual

repeated formal actions with symbolic meaning

group dynamic

how people behave collaborate and interact in groups, ensemble

theatre etiquette

behavior expected from audience members

pre-rehearsal

work done before official rehearsals, script readings research, design, table work

French scene

a section of a play defined by entrance or exit of a character

focus/sharing focus

techniques that guide audience attention, multiple actors hold attention equally

blocking

planned movement of actors onstage directed by a director

director name in greek theatre

Didaskalos- means teacher, early playwrights acted as both writer and director

super objective

a characters overarching goal throughout the entire play (stanislavski)

motivation

the reason behind a character’s action thoughts or lines

inner conflict and character flaw

internal struggles or weaknesses that shape a character’s behavior

given circumstances

facts of the play, setting, time, social conditions, relationships and prior events

magic if

acting tool, if i were in this situation what would i do

substitution

using personal memories or emotions to connect with a characters experience

picturization

creating visually meaningful stage pictures using spacing levels and composition

dynamic lighting

lighting that changes throughout a performance to match mood or action

Motivated vs. Non-Motivated Lighting

Motivated: Light has a logical source (lamp, sun through window).

Non-Motivated: Purely artistic; mood or emphasis without a realistic source.

Selective Visibility

Lighting design principle: you light only what you want the audience to see.

Angle, Color, Intensity

The three controllable properties of light used to shape visibility and mood.

Theatre for Youth vs. Youth Theatre

Theatre for Youth: Adults perform for young audiences.

Youth Theatre: Young people are the performer

Community Theatre vs. Community-Based Theatre

Community Theatre: Amateur theatre made for a community.

Community-Based Theatre: Created with the community; content emerges from their stories.

Applied Theatre / Drama in Education

Using theatre as a tool for learning, therapy, social change, or community engagement.

The Empty Pot

A children’s story/play about honesty where a child proves integrity when his seed (given by the Emperor) does not grow.

Antigone

A Greek tragedy by Sophocles. Antigone defies King Creon to bury her brother according to divine law.

Hamilton

A hip-hop musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda about Alexander Hamilton and the birth of America

Luna

A youth-oriented play about Soledad, a migrant child who befriends the moon; themes of courage, friendship, and growth.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

A play about Christopher, a boy with behavioral differences, solving a mystery while navigating family challenges

Water by the Spoonful

A contemporary drama exploring trauma, addiction, identity, and connection through online and real-world relationships.

The Lion King

Musical by Julie Taymor; combines puppetry, masks, and music to retell Shakespeare’s Hamlet through animals of the Serengeti.

Loose Threads: The Mystery of Cotton County

A play centering on community secrets, history, and identity (often used in youth/educational theatre contexts).

Willing Suspension of Disbelief

The audience’s choice to accept the fiction of the story as real enough to engage emotionally.

Aristotle’s 6 Elements of Drama

plot, character, thought, diction, music, spectacle

Goethe’s formula

1- what is the artist trying to do, 2- did they do it, 3- was it worth it

Formula Plot vs. Non-Formula Plot

Formula: Clear structure (inciting incident, rising action, climax, resolution).

Non-Formula: Experimental, nonlinear, nontraditional.

Equation for Conflict

Objective + Obstacle = Conflict
Conflict occurs when what a character wants is blocked

Safe Distance Hypothesis

Audiences can engage with intense or traumatic stories because they maintain emotional distance—safe enough to process without harm.

Suzuki Method

Actor training technique emphasizing physicality, grounding, and concentration.

Method Acting

Acting technique focusing on emotional truth through personal experience, sense memory, and internal motivation (Stanislavski → Strasberg).

Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides

The three great tragedians of Ancient Greece.

Aeschylus: Added a second actor, expanded drama.

Sophocles: Added a third actor; wrote Antigone and Oedipus Rex.

Euripides: More psychological, realistic characters.

Thespis

Considered the first actor; stepped out of the chorus. “Thespians” are named after him.

Brecht

German playwright/theorist; created Epic Theatre and the “alienation effect.”

Aristotle

Greek philosopher who wrote Poetics, laying out the foundations of dramatic theory

Von Goethe

German writer and critic; created evaluative formula for theatre criticism.

Dramaturg

A theatre professional who provides research, script analysis, context, and helps shape the artistic interpretation.

Julie Taymor

Director and designer known for visual storytelling; created The Lion King Broadway production

Stage Manager

The organizational hub of a production: schedules, communication, running rehearsals, calling cues, maintaining the show.

Director + Types

leader of the artistic vision; interprets the script and guides actors/designers.
Types:

Interpretive (faithful to script)

Creative/Conceptual (adds a unique vision)

Collaborative (includes ensemble input)

Designers

Artists who create visual and auditory world of the play.

Costume Designer: Clothing, makeup, accessories.

Lighting Designer: Light, color, mood, visibility.

Sound Designer: Effects, environment, music.

Set Designer (Scenic Designer): Physical environment and space.

Technical Director

Oversees construction, engineering, safety, and technical aspects of the production.