Theatre History and Forms: Chapters 11-16

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering classical origins, non-Western traditions, Renaissance advancements, and modern dramatic forms based on lecture notes for Chapters 11 through 16.

Abydos Passion Play

The first recorded theatrical performance, documented through the Ikhernofret Stela in ancient Egypt.

City Dionysia

An ancient Greek religious festival honoring Dionysus (god of fertility and theatre) that helped spread theatre throughout the world.

Thespis

The individual recognized as the first actor.

Chorus

A group of performers in classical drama who sang and danced.

Old Comedy

Greek comedy that made fun of social, political, and cultural conditions, characterized by the agon and parabasis.

Agon

A debate between two opposing forces within classical Greek Old Comedy.

Parabasis

A choral passage in Greek Old Comedy where the chorus directly addresses the audience, often making fun of people.

Ludi Romani

A Roman festival dedicated to Jupiter that incorporated theatrical performances.

Cavea

The semicircular seating area in a free-standing Roman theatre.

Scaena Frons

The large stage featuring an elaborate architectural background in a Roman theatre.

Liturgical Drama

Early medieval church drama based on stories from the Bible, performed in monasteries and churches.

Vernacular Drama

Later medieval drama performed in the everyday spoken language rather than Latin.

Mystery Play

A short medieval play based on a biblical story.

Morality Play

A medieval play designed specifically to teach a moral lesson.

Hrosvitha

A German nun who wrote plays during the Medieval period.

Mansion

An individual scenic unit used in medieval religious drama.

Dance Drama

Theatre that incorporates more dance and physical movement than traditional Western drama.

Total Drama

Theatre characterized by the combination of acting, mime, dancing, music, and text.

Natyasastra

The foundational text containing the plays, staging methods, and philosophy of Sanskrit drama, which Hindu tradition states Brahman gave to Bharata.

Rasa

The quality that characterizes a dramatic situation in Sanskrit drama.

Sudtradhara

The lead actor and manager of the acting troupe in early Indian Sanskrit theatre.

Nanxi

A form of southern Chinese drama that developed during the 12th century featuring specific character types.

Sheng

Male characters in southern Chinese Nanxi drama.

Dan

Female characters in southern Chinese Nanxi drama.

Jing

Painted-face characters depicting demons and gods in southern Chinese Nanxi drama.

Chou

Clowns in southern Chinese Nanxi drama.

Zaju

A form of musical theatre adaptating stories to popular songs, mostly sung.

Beijing Opera

Chinese theatrical form that combines singing, music, acting, and movement.

Noh Theatre

A rigidly traditional form of Japanese drama combining music, dance, and lyrics, featuring static scenery and an audience seated on two sides.

Zeami

A pivotal figure who helped develop and establish Noh theatre as an art form.

Yugen

The concept of 'mysterious inner heart' in Noh drama.

Shite

The lead roles in Japanese Noh drama.

Waki

The supporting roles in Japanese Noh drama.

Tsure

Accompanying roles in Japanese Noh drama.

Hashigakari

The angled bridge in Noh drama connecting the dressing room to the roofed stage.

Bunraku

Traditional Japanese puppet theatre.

Joruri

The chanted text and narration that accompanies Bunraku puppet performances.

Kabuki

A popular Japanese theatre style that combines music, dance, and dramatic scenes.

Onnagata

Male actors who specialize in playing female roles in Kabuki theatre.

Hanamichi

A walkway bridge in Kabuki theatre that extends directly through the audience.

Intermezzi

Short Italian Renaissance theatrical pieces depicting mythological stories, typically performed between acts of other events.

Pastoral

Renaissance drama that imitated Greek satyr plays while removing inappropriate elements.

Humanism

A Renaissance movement emphasizing a focus on life and human experiences in the present world.

Commedia dell'arte

Improvised popular theatre staged by traveling professional performers who utilized stock characters and masks.

Zanni

Comic male servants appearing in commedia dell'arte.

Lazzi

Standardized pieces of comic stage business used by characters and actors in commedia dell'arte.

Groove System

A method of moving theatrical scenery along tracks cut directly into the stage floor.

Pole-and-Chariot System

A scenic method where flats are hung on poles and shifted via wheeled carts (chariots) located beneath the stage.

Neoclassical Ideals

Dramatic rules formulated by Renaissance critics to govern the writing and staging of drama.

Dramatic Unities

Neoclassical dramatic requirements stipulating one time, one place, and one single storyline/action.

Tiring House

The backstage building located behind the stage in English Renaissance public theatres.

Sharing Plan

A financial system in English Renaissance theatre where acting company members held different financial roles and shares.

Comedia

A two-act secular Spanish play written during the Renaissance period.

Corral

A traditional Spanish open-air courtyard theatre.

Comedy of Manners

A comedic genre that makes fun of social conventions and behaviors.

Angle Perspective

A scenic painting technique that uses multiple vanishing points to create spatial illusions.

Well-Made Play

A tightly constructed play featuring an organized plot, cause and effect, exposition, obligatory scenes, climactic endings, and a clear resolution.

Sturm und Drang

A German dramatic movement translating to 'storm and stress.'

Box Set

An interior stage setting created from scenic flats joined to form three continuous walls.

Melodrama

A dramatic play characterized by heightened emotional tension and accompanied by music.

Realism

A theatrical style developed by playwrights such as Ibsen, Strindberg, and Chekhov that seeks to resemble real life.

Unit Set

A single scenic setting configured so that it can represent multiple distinct dramatic locations.

Poor Theatre

A form of modern theatre that explicitly rejects commercialism.

Devised Theatre

Theatre that is generated and created collaboratively by a group rather than originating from an existing script.

Postmodernism

A contemporary theatrical approach that integrates and combines elements of realism and abstraction.