DRAMA EXAM

What has challenged theatre in the past 100 years?

Radio, movies, tv, streaming and social media

Why has theatre survived technological challenged?

Because of the unique live relationship between performer and audience

What is the role of the spectator?

To observe and respond

What is the difference between participating in theatre and observing it?

Participating involves direct action, observing involves watching and interpreting

What is partcipatrory or immersive theatre?

Theatre where non actors take part in the performance

What is decorum in theatre?

The rules spectators follow while watching a performance

Why does theatre use symbols and metaphors?

To communicate ideas and explain the world around us

What is realistic theatre?

Theatre depicting things that conform to observable reality

What is non realistic theatre?

Theatre including dramas, fantasy, symbols and metaphors

What is aesthetic distance?

The spectators ability to stay separate yet emotionally involved in the show

What ae plays with strong social and political messages called?

Agit-prop (championed by Augusto Boal)

What is the goal of theatre?

To express truth about what it means to be human

What does mimesis mean?

imitation - greek word

What is representation in theatre?

A theatricalized mirror image of the real world

How can objects create representation?

They can stand in for other objects eg. rubber ball= apple

Is using a real object still representation?

yes- because a real apple onstage represents a fictional apple in a fictional world

What two worlds exist in theatre?

The actual world and the fictional world of the performance

What is the representer and what is being represented?

representer= actor, being represented= character

What creates the atmosphere of a theatre event?

The theatre space and environment

What is a proscenium stage?

A ‘picture frame‘ stage with the audience directly facing it

What is an arena stage/in the round

Audience surronds the stage on all sides, can be circle or square

What is a thrust stage?

Stage with audience on three sides

What is a found or created space?

a non theatre space adapted for performance

What is a black box theatre?

a flexible, open, adaptable performance space

What is the essential duality of theatre?

Awareness of both the real world (actor) and the fictional world (character)

What creates theatre according to Peter Brook?

an actor, an audience and a space

What is a quotidian space?

an everyday space before theatrical transformation

What are covert vs overt theatricality?

covert- illusionistic, gap is small

overt- stylized, gap is large

What distinguishes stage acting from everyday acting?

Stage acting uses crafted techniques to create believable truth

Who developed the modern acting system?

Konstantin Stanislavski

What is the magic if?

using imagination to achieve inner truth

What is psychophysical action?

Actions leading to emotions (external to internal)

What is centering?

Body/voice alignment and grounding

What is the goal of acting training?

Integration of inner emotional life and outer physical action

What are affect studies?

Studies of embodied and sensory audience experience

What is affect?

Physiological, pre conscious response eg. sweating, goosebumps

What is emotion?

The minds interpretation of affect

What is mood?

Background atmosphere that influences emotional perception

How does theatre engage affect?

Through sensory, visceral and embodied experience

What is the goal of scene design?

To create an environment and atmosphere for performance

What are the objectives of scene design?

Set tone, style, realism vs nonrealism, time/place, concept, metaphor, coordination, practicality

What are the elements of design?

Line, mass, composition, texture, colour, rhythm, movement

Who oversees scenery construction?

technical Director

Who translates drawings into full scale scenery?

Scenic. charge artist and scenic artists

What info do costumes convey?

character, time, place, relationships, symbolism

What are the objectives of costume design?

Indicate time/place, tone, style, character, symbolism, practicality and unity

What elements do costume designers use?

Line, shape, colour, fabric and accessories

What else is part of costume design?

Makeup and hairstyles

What is theatricality?

The perceptual gap between the actual and fictional worlds

What is artifice?

crafted, creative construction- ‘fakeness‘ in art

What is stylization?

any departure from pure realism

What are the three stylization categories?

dramaturgical(script), scenographic (design), performance based (acting)

What is the purpose of lighting design?

Illumination, mood, focus, style, rhythm

What allowed full control of lighting?

The incandescent electric lamp

What is projection design?

Use of graphic/video/live feed technologies in theatre

What is theatre experiental?

We experience it through our physical bodies in shared spaces

What are the five ‘anatomies‘ of understanding?

Head(intellectual), heart (emotional), gut (visceral), groin (erotic), spirit (transcendent)

What is relationally?

The way bodies share space and create meaning

What is the difference between role and character?

Role= what the character says/does, character= deeper human interpretation created by the actor