Theater Study Topics
Elements of Theater
Stage - This is the piece upon which theater is performed. It can be high or low (sometimes on the same surface the audience is on). It can be heavily adorned or very stripped down. It can be viewed from straight on or from all sides. There are many things that can be changed, but the staging is usually determined by the director or those the director has put in charge of the stage with some input from performers.
Actors - There can be one or many more. These are the people who perform the theater, script, or adlib. They are of course and essential part and what is most salient to the audience. Most of the other elements of theater are invisible or fade to the background (director, lighting, background, costuming, etc.). When most people think of theater, they think of the talent level of the actors and how successful their performance was (or wasn't).
Staging - This is how the stage is set up and the elements that make the setup. It can be backgrounds, props, and/or lighting. However, it can also include other things like musical interludes, narrators (think of idioms like setting the stage or setting the mood which both come from theater), and more.
Director - The director is in charge of vision and cohesion. Although all elements of theater are important, the director is perhaps the most important single person in any theater production. This is because they are ultimately in charge of many different decisions which make up the totality of the play. Sometimes they are limited by external factors of production (budget, decisions from the bosses, actors who can't do what they want, inability to make their vision a reality, etc.). However, in general the quality of theater largely falls on the shoulders of the director. This is true both in film and theater. It is funny because we tend to follow actors, but it is best practice to follow directors who continually put out good products that resonate with you., whereas actors simply do whatever their director tells them in whatever production they are part of (more established actors can of course choose to only appear in well-produced stuff, but early career actors don't have this luxury).
Script - This is the written text which makes up the skeleton of any given theatrical production (and film). The majority of theater (and film) productions out there started as a script. The scripts get changed, edited, and actors/directors put their own stamp on them. However, all in all, the script is the skeleton of any production upon which productions are made. With very few exceptions, a bad script leads to a bad production. In the case of theater, the script itself is not quite enough. Reading Shakespeare is of course a wonderful thing to do, but seeing it performed is like the difference between seeing an orca at Sea World and an Orca out in the wild. They are totally different experiences.
Plot Elements (in order)
Exposition - This is the explaining before the play starts of what has come before. Usually done by one of the actors or a narrator. For a film equivalent, think of the text crawl at the beginning of each Star Wars film which explains the context of the film that's about to happen. Speaking of which, we will talk more about exposition when we cover film. At the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, it is explained about the Montagues and Capulets and their hatred for one another.
Inciting Moment - This is what sets things in motion for the story to begin (incipio means beginning in latin). So, in Romeo and Juliet it happens when Romeo and his friends sneak into the opposing family's party and he falls in love with Juliet upon seeing her.
Complication/Problem/Conflict - This is simply what the main characters are dealing with in the story and must either overcome, succumb to, etc. So, in Romeo and Juliet the biggest problem is their love would be a massive insult to everyone in their families. So, they must keep it hidden.
Climax and Resolution - This is the moment of highest tension followed by its being released. So, the climax is the moment where the story gets to its "breaking point" and then afterwards comes the resolution to the story. So, this is when Romeo and Juliet meet their tragic end. The story comes to a climax in the plans they have mixed with the scene of Romeo thinking Juliet has died after taking a sleeping potion and then taking his own life. It resolves when both of them take their own lives, and they are found by the others. This resolves in the tragic/arbitrary hatred between two families costing them their beloved children. The symbolism is open to so many interesting explanations and interpretations.
Denouement - This is the final portion of a play or performance in which the tale is explored again by the narrator, characters, and/or someone else involves with the production. It's purpose is to glean some moral meaning or teaching from what has unfolded and see how they got where they are from where they were.
Note: Not every production will have all of these, but these are the basic building blocks. In recent times, much like other arts we have considered, there has been a playful desire to experiment with these and even transgress against them to see what comes out of it.
Audience Experience
Aristotle and Catharsis - This is the release of ones own stress, emotions, and tension when watching a play. The Greek philosopher Aristotle first coined the term catharsis which simply means "cleansing." Think of how when we are feeling down, watching a comedy can cheer us up. Or, conversely when we are feeling down, watching something sad and getting our own tears out can also feel refreshing and cleansing. This is catharsis, and is one of the many functions of theater. Because we often, whether we are conscious of it or not, project our own feelings, wishes, dreams, desires, emotions, and more upon the characters that we watch. We fill in what we don't know about them with what we do know of ourselves or others around us.
Dramatic Irony - I spoke about this already. This is simply knowing something that a character doesn't. So, we know when they are being foolish, wise, talented, or more. Even though we know something already, rather than deflating tension, it amps it up because we wonder what will happen next. Knowing a character is under the impression their spouse is cheating on them (but we know this isn't true), it makes us wonder what they will do in the following scenes. This is a form of irony because there is a disconnect between what we know and what we expect. The space between them is filled with tension and irony simply pumps that up or deflates it.
Reason for the Production - This is always worth considering as an audience member. Why was this production done and why in this way? Is it simply exploration or aesthetic preference? Was it done to call attention to something? Was it done in protest of something? There are numerous different reasons and knowing in advance can aid in your appreciation of the production.