David’s Theatre test

Genres of Theatre

Tragedy, Comedy, Historical, Dark Comedy, Farce, Melodrama, and Musicals

Comedy

Comedy ends HAPPILY. An important element in all comedy, from the Greeks to today, is TRUTH. All good comedy must be rooted in what is believable and real, as oftentimes we are laughing at something because we recognize that truth.

Historical

Historical piece based in fact. Shakespeare is often credited as the originator of this genre, with plays like RICHARD III, and all the HENRY, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and THE LARAMIE PROJECT.

Dark Comedy

Comedy that doesn't end all nice and tidy, but has a dark or unresolved ending. The humor itself is dark and pokes fun at things we often might not laugh at.

Farce

Wildly hilarious treatment of a trivial theme. Often with "stock characters" (characters that are very cliched) and stock situations (such as "misheard instructions" , mistaken identity, illicit infatuation, etc...)

Melodrama

Plays that are outwardly serious, but actually very surface and trivial. Highly suspenseful and contrived plot, with very clear distinctions between good and evil. Think of SOAP OPERAS

Musicals

The ONLY genre originated in America. Probably the most popular, lucrative genre for over the last fifty years.

Tragedy

All main characters must be nobility of some sort (Princes, Kings, etc...) The ending is always tragic BUT, despite belief to the contrary, the protagonist does NOT always die in the end. The classic Tragedies are OEDIPUS REX and MEDEA.

Structure of Theatre

Plot, Characters, Theme, Diction, Music, Spectacle

Plot

The "mechanics" of storytelling. What happens from point a, to point b, to point c. Usually the way one describes a play or film when asked to describe it.

Characters

The people who inhabit the world of the play. *NOTE- These characters do not always have to be "living" or "Seen".

Theme

The "main idea" of the piece. It's a topic or "overall statement".

Diction

The pronunciation of spoken dialogue. The text, and the tone, cadence and imagery involved therein. The poetry of the language.

Music

In Aristotle's time, most plays were sung or chanted, hence the words all had a lyrical musicality to them. Today, music can play a direct role and an indirect role.

Spectacle

All visual aspects of a performance. Today, spectacle is very important to most big budget, commercial Theatre. It involves the pageantry of the costumes, the grandeur of the scenery, the lustre of the lighting design, etc...

Pre-Play

Gathering of the audience- How do we get folks in the theatre? Primarily, this is through various PR and publicity avenues. If you don't get "butts in the seats" then the work of the Theatre is all for naught!

Post-Play

The curtain call- The actor's bow and the audience applauds.

Theatre

The acton of performing in or seeing a production

Theater

The physical building that is being performed in.