DRAM1310 Test 1

chapters 2, 6, 7, 8

what do we bring to our viewing experiences?

• private fantasies

• memories

• things that remind us of personal experiences

what is true about a theatre critic?

• they educate the audience

• represent audience member

• bring a wealth of knowledge of theatre

new ways of participating in theatre criticism via social media

• dial testing

• blogging

• tweet seats

what education should a theatre critic have?

• theatre history/acting/directing

• theatrical design

• everything in the book

what role did women play in greek theatre?

• women were not allowed to perform on stage at city dionysia

• they may have been able to attend festivals as spectators

• many plays had female characters played by male actors

when is background information important to the appreciation of a theatrical production?

• production elements in greek theatre

• use of men only in shakespeare plays

• the use of music and titles in bertolt brecht’s epic theatre

what is a dramaturg?

relatively new theatrical term, from german for dramatic adviser

charles darwin

evolution

karl marx

economics

sigmund freud

the unconscious

albert einstein

relativity

major commercial theatres in new york are referred to as

broadway

resident professional theatre is also known as

regional theatre

what is not a fair criteria for criticism

how the production compares to a previous attempt

from the audience perspective, we should

be conscious of the aural and visual signals that are being sent

the person who, alongside the director and playwright, creates the visual world of the play

the scene designer

scene design became more ornate with this development

proscenium

what is one major difference between set designs and the environments we are in in our everyday lives?

scale

The manner in which a work is done, how scenery looks, how a playwright uses language, or how performers portray characters is referred to as

style/tone

the scene design concept is

a unifying idea carried out visually

the five elements of design are

• line

• mass

• composition

• texture

• color

the designer will create this to assist the director etc with locations of furniture, walls, etc

ground plan

a low platform set on wheels that can be brought onstage electronically or by stagehands

wagon

a single unit of canvas stretched across a wood frame to look like a wall is

flat

this gives visual and aural life to the production by creating an environment to place the play

design

a more complete sketch based off of conversations between the director and designer

rendering

technical director

makes sure all designs are carried out as conceived by the scene designer

property designer

creates and executes all props including special furniture, devising magical equipment

scenic change artist

makes sure sets are built and painted according to the specifications of the scene designer

the design work of creating a total environment can mean

going beyond scenery and special effects to design an entire theater space, rearranging seats and orienting the stage to the audience, building an entire theater space out of a gymnasium or warehouse including seats

in the theatre, style refers to

• how a playwrights uses language

• the way in which a work is done, how actors portray characters

• how scenery looks.

line

outline or silhouette of things on stage; predominantly curved lines vs sharply angular lines

mass

overall bulk or weight of scenic elements; series of high, heavy platforms vs a bare stage with a single tree on it

composition

balance and arrangements of elements; mostly to one side of the stage, in a vertical or horizontal configuration, or equally distributed

texture

the feel projected by surfaces and textures; the slickness of chrome or glass vs the roughness of brick or burlap

color

the shadings and contrasts of color combinations

essential design elements of any production

• scene

• lighting

• costume

• sound

objectives of costume design

• establish style

• indicate time and locale

• nature of characters

• relationships

• significance of characters

• meet the needs of performers

• be consistent

• unify with elements

• contrast

along with scenery and lighting, costumes should inform us about

style of the play

important costume collaborators

• cutter draper

• costume shop supervisor

• stage manager

• dresser

• lead stitcher

• design assistant

• buyer

• wardrobe crew

theatre design and execution in all areas, including millinery, accessories, and craft

rely on extensive details, make the visual world of the play compelling

what of the following could suggest time and place of a production?

• costumes from a futuristic time period

• costumes from the era the play takes place, costumes from the era the play was created

what is true of costumes?

• they are crucial in helping an actor create a character

• can suggest a point of view

• require technical skills

• must be integrated as part of the whole

what is true of masks?

• can be ceremonial

• key element in ancient greek theatre

• help us understand a character

• employed for decorative purposes

through silhouette, fabric, and other specifics, costumes can indicate

time and location of a play

when we see how a character is dressed onstage, we

• mentally categorize

• infer things

• form our opinions

the most important function of lighting design is

visibility

the successful lighting designer possesses

• an ability to translate words and actions and feelings into color, direction, and intensity

• a background in the technical and mechanical aspects of lighting

• a broad, creative visual imagination

The purpose of this plan is to show the location, color, and type of every instrument used in the lighting design.

light plot

This Thomas Edison invention allowed for a new era of imaginative stage lighting for the theatre.

incandescent lamp

The four controllable qualities of light used by a lighting designer are

intensity, color, distribution, and movement

The filter materials that are used to change the color of light from a lighting instrument are

gels

Sound amplification in theatre is sometimes thought to be controversial because

its detractors believe it is often overdone with the sound being too loud, mechanical, or artificial

A property of stage lighting is brightness or

intensity

Using a computerized playback system, the operator blends the sounds from various microphones and the master sound recording to make certain that all the production sounds are balanced. This is called

mixing

This classification of sound design amplifies sounds made by a performer or musical instrument.

sound reinforcement

Lights positioned near the stage floor can help create a special effect of

exaggerated shadows under the eyes and chin causing a ghost-like quality

During the past two thousand years, there have been several sources of stage lighting. Which of the following have been used to illuminate the stage?

• sun

• gas light

• incandescent lamps

• oil lamps

• candles

intensity

brightness can be controlled by dimmers making the lights brighter or darker

color

placing a material or "gel" in slots in front of the lighting instrument

distribution

the position and type of lighting instrument as well as the angle at which the light strikes the performer

movement

shifting the audience's focus as it is carried from place to place such as when lights go down in one area and come up in another area

The need for sound amplification is a pressing issue where?

large professional theatre spaces

motivated sounds

• like a car crunching on gravel

• car motor turning off

environmental sounds

noises of everyday life

• street traffic, a cricket

Sound reproduction that is called for in the script, or noises of everyday life that are heard as background, or produced by mechanical or human means to create a sound associated with the play.

• environmental sounds

• sound effects

• motivated sounds