Intro to Theatre: Midterm Prep

Theatre

Requires at least one performer, one audience member, and an action. Transcends space and time.

Performance

Any interaction or chosen action, extending beyond the stage to include religion, fashion, and rituals.

Catharsis

The relief felt after experiencing strong emotions; identified by Aristotle as a purpose of theatre.

Meisner Technique

An acting method that trains actors to be reactive rather than proactive, behaving truthfully in imaginary situations.

"Yes, and…"

An improvisation technique involving accepting a partner's offer and adding new information to advance the scene.

Plot (Mythos)

The structure of events in a play (one of Aristotle's six elements).

Character (Ethos)

The people who perform the actions in a play (one of Aristotle's six elements).

Thought (Dianoia)

The ideas, arguments, and themes of a play (one of Aristotle's six elements).

Diction (Lexis)

The language and dialogue used in a play (one of Aristotle's six elements).

Music (Melos)

The auditory elements of a play (one of Aristotle's six elements).

Spectacle (Opsis)

The visual elements and staging of a play (one of Aristotle's six elements).

Climactic Plot

A cause-to-effect plot structure with a late point of attack, common in Greek Tragedy.

Episodic Plot

A plot structure with an early point of attack that jumps through time and place, common in Shakespeare.

Late Point of Attack

The story starts close to the climax, compressing events to create dramatic tension.

Early Point of Attack

The story starts near the beginning of the events, jumping through time and place to create a broad perspective.

Thespis

The first recognized actor and winner for best actor/writing in an Athenian competition.

Dionysus

The Greek god of the harvest; formal theatre began as a festival offering to him.

Orchestra

The "pit" or playing space in an Ancient Greek theatre.

Skene

The stage house in an Ancient Greek theatre.

Elizabeth I's 1558 Ban

A ban on plays dealing with religious and political subjects, which made theatre secular and purely for entertainment.

William Shakespeare

Wrote 38 plays; his work helped secularize theatre after the 1558 ban on religious/political plays.

First Folio

The first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, published in 1623.

The Globe Theatre

The famous London playhouse on the Southbank where Shakespeare's company performed, opening in 1599.

Proscenium Arch

A traditional "picture frame" stage where the audience sits on one side.

Thrust Stage

A stage where the audience sits on three sides, common in Shakespearean theatre.

Arena Stage

A stage completely surrounded by the audience (theatre-in-the-round).