THEA101 Midterm

Universal Qualities of Theatre

Universal Qualities of Theatre

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Live

Theater is live and experienced in real-time, creating a unique connection between performers and the audience. This immediacy enhances the emotional impact, distinguishing live theater from recorded media.

Ephemeral

Theater is ephemeral, meaning each performance is fleeting and unique, influenced by the audience and circumstances of the moment. Unlike recorded media, live theater cannot be repeated, creating urgency and immediacy.

Collaborative

Theater requires collaborative teamwork and communication among playwrights, directors, actors, and designers to create a production, enhancing artistic expression and innovation.

Synthesis of Many Arts

Theater is a synthesis of many arts, a collaboration of various forms of creativity, including acting, writing, design and music.

Selective

Theater is selective, meaning it chooses specific content, themes, and artistic styles to communicate to the audience. This selectivity impacts the overall message and experience of the performance.

Postmodernism

A late 20th century concept that replaces absolute values with relativism, opening up the possibility of many new and equally valid forms of artistic expression.

Globalization

The process by which theater practices, forms, and ideas are shared and transformed across cultures, leading to a blending of diverse theatrical traditions and facilitating international collaborations in performance.

Multiculturalism

A philosophy calling for respect for neighboring cultures living under the same political system.

Postcolonialism

A critical framework that examines how the legacy of colonialism affects cultures and societies, particularly in theater, addressing issues of identity, power dynamics, and cultural representation in a postcolonial context.

Interculturalism

Valuing and promoting an exchange and interaction among various cultures that may ignite interest or friction.

Performance Studies

An academic field that looks at theater as one kind of performance on a continuum with other kinds of performance such as ritual and sports events, that helps us understand and discuss today’s varied theatrical forms.

Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)

“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”

German playwright and poet known for his influence on theater and for developing the concept of epic theater, Brecht sought to provoke critical thinking in audiences and promote social change through his art.

Commercial Theatre

Theater done for profit, in which investors back a production and take a capital return if a show is a success.

Not for Profit Theatre

A theatrical institution in which the profit is channeled back into the producing organization to defray costs and to fund new projects.

Educational Theatre

Uses theater to teach and change attitudes, knowledge, and behavior. (Theater of the Oppressed)

Community Theatre

Involves community members in productions, emphasizing local stories and accessibility.

Jerzy Grotowski

Polish theater director known for his innovative approaches to theatrical performance, emphasizing the relationship between the actor and the audience. He is recognized for developing the poor theater concept, which focuses on minimalism and the essential elements of performance.

Safdar Hashmi

Indian playwright and activist who popularized street theater to address social and political issues, co-founding Jana Natya Manch (Janam)

Poor Theatre

A concept by Jerzy Grotowski focusing on minimalism in theater, using only the actor's body and voice without elaborate sets, costumes, or props. It emphasizes the relationship between actor and audience.

Choose Focus

Directing the audience's attention to a specific element, character, or action on stage through lighting, movement, or positioning to highlight key moments or themes.

Actor-audience Relationship

The dynamic interaction between performers and the audience, where actors engage viewers emotionally and physically. This connection can be direct, with actors acknowledging the audience, or indirect, with immersion in the performance. It shapes the overall experience.

“The House”

Refers to the area where the audience sits during a performance, including all seating and sometimes lobby spaces. It contrasts with the stage and backstage areas. Can also refer to the audience itself.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of characters or performers, allowing the audience to connect emotionally with the story. Empathy enhances engagement and deepens the impact of the theatrical experience.

Active Audience

An audience that engages actively with a performance, interpreting, responding, and interacting with the actors and the narrative. This involvement can enhance the emotional experience and create a dynamic theater environment.

Passive Audience

An audience that observes a performance without actively engaging or responding. They receive the narrative and emotions without interaction, leading to a more detached viewing experience.

Realism

A movement that aims to represent everyday life and ordinary people accurately on stage. It focuses on authentic dialogue, relatable characters, and real-life situations, often addressing social issues and human behavior without idealization.

Aesthetic Distance

The gap between the audience's emotional involvement and the fictional world of the play. It allows viewers to critically engage with the performance while maintaining awareness that it is a work of art, fostering analysis and reflection.

Fourth Wall

The imaginary barrier between the performers and the audience. In traditional theater, actors perform as if the audience is not present, while breaking the fourth wall involves acknowledging the audience, creating a direct interaction.

Andre Antoine

André Antoine was a French director and playwright who founded Théâtre Libre in 1887, promoting realism in theater. He emphasized authentic performances and naturalistic staging, breaking away from traditional theater norms and allowing for more experimental and socially relevant works.

Immersive Theatre

A style of performance that invites the audience to become part of the experience, often breaking the fourth wall and allowing viewers to explore the space and interact with actors. This approach creates a more personal and engaging connection to the narrative.

Augusto Boal

A Brazilian theater director and activist known for developing Theatre of the Oppressed, a technique that uses interactive theater to promote social change. Boal's work encourages audience participation, allowing them to explore and challenge social issues through performance.

Theatre of the Oppressed

A form of interactive theater developed by Augusto Boal that encourages audience participation to explore and challenge social injustices.

Participatory

A form of theater that actively involves the audience in the performance, encouraging them to engage, contribute, or influence the narrative. This approach fosters collaboration and creates a shared experience between performers and viewers.

Site-Specific/Responsive

A form of theater designed to be performed in a particular location, using the site's unique characteristics to enhance the narrative. It engages with the environment and can adapt to the space, creating a more immersive and contextual experience for the audience.

Relational Theatre Practice

An approach that emphasizes interaction and collaboration between performers and the audience. It fosters connections and dialogue, often breaking traditional performance barriers, making the audience an integral part of the theatrical experience.

Audience Agency

The power and ability of the audience to influence the performance through their reactions, interpretations, and engagement. This concept emphasizes that the audience's responses can shape the experience and meaning of the theatrical event.

Tracking/Trailing

A directorial technique where the focus shifts from one character or action to another, often following the movement or emotional journey of a character. This approach helps guide the audience's attention and enhances the narrative flow.

Breaking the Fourth Wall

A technique where actors acknowledge the audience directly, disrupting the illusion of the performance. This can create intimacy, humor, or reflection, engaging the audience in a more active role in the narrative.

Casting the Audience

The process of selecting specific audience members to participate in a performance, often involving interaction or engagement with the actors. This technique can enhance the immersive experience and create a unique, shared moment between performers and spectators.

Proscenium

The architectural framework that separates the stage from the audience, typically forming a "picture frame" through which the audience views the performance. It allows for a clear delineation between the performance space and the spectator area.

Presentational Acting

A style of performance where actors are aware of the audience and express emotions and actions in a heightened manner. This approach emphasizes theatricality and often involves breaking the fourth wall, engaging the audience directly.

Representational Acting

A style of performance where actors portray characters realistically, aiming to create a believable illusion of life on stage. This approach emphasizes authenticity in behavior, emotions, and interactions, making the performance relatable and immersive for the audience.

Commedia Dell’arte

An improvisational theatrical form originating in Italy during the 16th century, characterized by stock characters, masks, and exaggerated physical actions. It combines comedy, farce, and social commentary, often performed in public spaces.

David Garrick

An 18th-century English actor, playwright, and theater manager known for his innovative contributions to acting and stagecraft. He emphasized naturalistic performances, emotional depth, and the importance of the actor-audience relationship. Garrick also helped popularize Shakespeare's works and improved theater management practices.

Francois Delsarte

A 19th-century French actor and theorist known for developing a system of expressive gestures and movements to convey emotions in performance. His techniques influenced acting methods and the study of physical expression in theater.

Important Playwrights: Chekhov, Ibsen, Strindberg

Anton Chekhov: Russian playwright known for his nuanced character development and use of subtext, emphasizing human psychology and everyday life in plays like The Cherry Orchard.

Henrik Ibsen: Norwegian playwright credited with pioneering modern drama, focusing on societal issues and moral conflicts in works like A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler.

August Strindberg: Swedish playwright known for his exploration of psychological and social themes, often incorporating naturalism and expressionism in plays like Miss Julie and The Father.

Constantin Stanislavski

A Russian actor and director who developed a method of acting focusing on emotional truth and psychological realism. His system emphasizes understanding characters deeply, using personal experience to create authentic performances, and is foundational in modern acting techniques.

The Stanislavski System

A method developed by Constantin Stanislavski that emphasizes emotional truth and realism in acting. It encourages actors to draw on personal experiences to create authentic characters, focusing on inner motivations, objectives, and relationships to enhance performance.

Script Analysis

The process of examining a play's text to understand its structure, themes, characters, and subtext. It involves breaking down dialogue, action, and context to inform direction, performance, and production choices.

Given Circumstances

The specific context and details surrounding a character's situation, including time, place, environment, relationships, and events that influence their behavior and choices.

Objective

The specific goal or intention of a character in a scene, driving their actions and choices.

Magic “If”

A concept by Konstantin Stanislavski where actors use imaginative scenarios to explore how they would react in a character's situation. This technique helps performers create authentic emotions and connections to their roles, enhancing the believability of their performance.

Beats

The smallest unit of action in a scene, representing a shift in emotion, intention, or focus.

Concentration of Attention

The focus of both actors and audience on the performance, where actors maintain emotional and physical presence, and the audience is fully engaged with the unfolding narrative. This concentration enhances the impact and effectiveness of the theatrical experience.

Relaxation

A technique used by actors to release tension in their bodies and voices, allowing for more natural and expressive performances.

Nameshida Onikenbai (demon sword dance)

A traditional Japanese dance-drama featuring performers dressed as demons wielding swords. It combines vibrant choreography, rhythmic movements, and theatrical elements to depict the struggle between good and evil, often performed during festivals or cultural events.

Anna Deavere Smith

An American actress, playwright, and professor known for her unique style of documentary theater. She creates performances based on interviews, capturing the voices and experiences of real people to explore social issues, identity, and community dynamics.

Docudrama/Verbatim Theater

A form of theater that presents real events and actual dialogue, often using transcripts, interviews, and documentary sources. It aims to portray true stories and social issues authentically, blending documentary research with dramatic storytelling to engage audiences.

Kunqu

A traditional Chinese opera form known for its graceful movements, refined singing, and poetic dialogue. Originating in the 16th century, it blends music, acting, and storytelling, often focusing on themes of love, loyalty, and historical events. Characterized by Chinese opera, role type, stylized acting, painted face roles and water sleeves

The Director’s Process

The series of steps a director takes to create a production, including interpreting the script, casting actors, developing a vision, staging scenes, and collaborating with designers and the cast. It involves guiding performances and ensuring cohesive storytelling throughout the production.

Auditions

A process where actors perform to demonstrate their skills and suitability for a role in a production. Auditions can involve reading scripts, singing, or performing monologues, allowing directors to assess talent and fit for the characters.

Blocking

The precise staging of actors in a performance, including their movements, positioning, and gestures. It helps convey the story, establish relationships, and guide the audience's focus on key moments.

Directorial Vision

The unique perspective and artistic interpretation that a director brings to a production, guiding the overall concept, style, and execution.

Directorial Concept

The guiding vision and interpretation a director brings to a production shapes the overall style, tone, and approach.

Collaboration with Designer

The cooperative process between directors, actors, and designers (set, costume, lighting, sound) to create a cohesive production. This collaboration ensures that visual and auditory elements enhance the storytelling and overall vision of the performance.

Poet/Performer in Ancient Greece

n Ancient Greece, poets and performers were integral to theater, often being the same individual. They composed and performed plays, primarily in festivals honoring the gods, blending poetry, music, and dance to convey stories and explore themes of morality, society, and the human experience.

Pageant Masters

Individuals responsible for organizing and directing large-scale theatrical productions or pageants, often involving elaborate displays, performances, and spectacles. They oversee logistics, coordination, and creative vision to ensure a cohesive and impactful event.

Master Teacher, an Asian tradition

Serves as a mentor or guide who imparts knowledge, techniques, and cultural heritage to students. This role emphasizes the transmission of traditional practices, performance skills, and storytelling methods within a communal learning environment.

Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe

A German playwright, poet, and philosopher known for his influential works in the Sturm und Drang movement and for introducing Weimar Classicism. His play Faust explores deep themes of ambition and redemption, impacting modern drama and theater theory.

Actor/Stage Managers

Performers who also take on managerial roles within a theater company, responsible for overseeing productions, casting, and finances. They often direct and act in performances, blending artistic and administrative duties to ensure the success of the company.

Richard Wagner

A German composer and theater director known for his operas and innovations in musical drama. He emphasized the integration of music, poetry, and visual arts, coining the term "Gesamtkunstwerk" (total artwork). His works, like The Ring Cycle, transformed opera and influenced modern theater.

Gesamtkunstwerk

Total work of art