Introduction to Drama and Theatre Practice Flashcards

A collection of vocabulary flashcards defining key concepts, historical figures, and genres from the origins of drama through the Medieval period.

Drama

A form of literature written to be performed on stage that tells a story through characters' actions, dialogue, conflict, and emotion.

Theatre

The actual live performance of drama in front of an audience, involving acting, directing, set design, costumes, sound, and lighting.

Dran

The Greek word meaning "to do" or "to act" from which the term drama originates.

Ritual

Ceremonial acts performed by early humans to influence supernatural forces, mark life transitions, or ensure survival, serving as a primary precursor to theatre.

Myth

Sacred stories enacted in prehistoric societies to explain life mysteries like creation and natural disasters, linking humans to a cosmic order.

Communal Storytelling

A method of preserving history and teaching morals through solo or group enactments using voice, gestures, and movement.

City Dionysia

A festival held every spring in Athens in honor of Dionysus, where the most illustrious dramatic performances in Greece took place.

Dionysus

The Greek god of wine, fertility, and revelry to whom all major Greek dramatic performances were dedicated.

Tragedy

A genre of Greek drama written by playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides that explored fate, justice, and the human condition.

Comedy

A dramatic genre that used humor, satire, and farce to criticize social norms and public figures, prominently written by Aristophanes.

Orchestra

The circular performance space in a Greek open-air amphitheatre.

Skene

The architectural element of a Greek theatre serving as a backdrop and dressing area.

Thespis of Icaria

The individual credited as the first person to appear on stage as an actor separate from the chorus in $534\,BC$.

Tragoidia

The etymological origin of "Tragedy," believed to come from the words tragos (he-goat) and aeidein (to sing).

Thespians

A modern term for English-speaking actors derived from the name of the ancient Greek innovator Thespis.

Poetics

A treatise written by Aristotle in $335\,BC$ that represents the earliest surviving work of formal dramatic theory.

Hellenistic Period

A time between $323$ and $31\,BCE$ characterized by the spread of Greek culture and the blending of Greek and Roman theatrical traditions.

New Comedy

A dominant theatrical form in the Hellenistic period, featuring domestic situations and personal relationships, led by playwrights like Menander.

Cavea

The grand, semicircular tiered seating area for audiences in Roman theatres.

Naumachiae

Large-scale Roman spectacles involving mock naval battles performed in arenas like the Colosseum.

Liturgical Drama

Early Medieval theatre that began as short dramatized segments within Church religious services to educate the illiterate population.

Tropes

Short, dramatized inserts added to Church liturgy, often depicting Biblical events like the resurrection.

Mystery Plays

Also known as miracle plays, these were based on Biblical narratives and saints' lives, often staged by craft guilds during festivals.

Morality Plays

Allegorical Medieval plays focusing on the struggle between good and evil and lessons about human salvation.

Everyman

The most famous morality play, depicting a man's journey towards death and his search for salvation.

Pageant Wagons

Movable platforms used in the Medieval period to transport and perform plays in different parts of a town.

Farces

Secular comic plays that emerged in the Medieval period, utilizing exaggerated physical humor and social satire.