Chapter 1-5

  • Proscenium Stage: This traditional stage type features a proscenium arch that frames the stage, with the audience facing it directly. It often includes a deep stage area and a curtain

  • Thrust Stage: Extending into the audience, this stage type has seating on three sides, creating a more intimate connection between performers and the audience

  • Arena Stage: Also known as "theater-in-the-round," this stage is surrounded by the audience on all sides, offering an immersive experience

  • Black Box Theater: A flexible, simple performance space that can be configured in various ways. The room is usually painted black, and seating arrangements can be adjusted to suit different performances

  • Found Space: Non-traditional spaces adapted for performances, such as warehouses, parks, or even streets

  • Alley: audience members are on opposite sides of the stage almost like a runway


Chapter 1: The Audience

  • Role of the Audience: Understanding how the audience's presence and reactions influence a live performance.

  • Theatre vs. Film: Differences between experiencing a live theater performance and watching a film.

  • Audience Etiquette: Expected behaviors and norms for theatergoers.

Chapter 2: The Performers

  • Acting Techniques: Various methods and approaches to acting, including Stanislavski's system.

  • Role of the Actor: The responsibilities and challenges actors face in bringing characters to life.

  • Rehearsal Process: Steps involved in preparing for a performance, from initial read-throughs to final dress rehearsals.

Chapter 3: The Playwright

  • Playwriting Process: How plays are written, including the development of plot, characters, and dialogue.

  • Structure of a Play: Common structures and formats used in playwriting, such as the three-act structure.

  • Themes and Genres: Exploration of different themes and genres in theater, from tragedy to comedy.

Chapter 4: The Director

  • Role of the Director: Responsibilities of the director in shaping the vision and execution of a production.

  • Directorial Concepts: Different approaches directors might take, such as auteur or collaborative styles.

  • Staging and Blocking: Techniques for arranging actors on stage and planning their movements.

Chapter 5: The Designers

  • Scenic Design: Elements of set design, including the use of space, materials, and visual aesthetics.

  • Costume Design: How costumes contribute to character development and the overall visual storytelling.

  • Lighting and Sound Design: The impact of lighting and sound on mood, atmosphere, and audience perception.


  • Dramaturg - on the staff of a theatre, a person who consults with the advisor (literary manager)


Aristotle 6 elements: Diction, Character, thought, spectacle, plot, melody


Different kinds of Directors:

Traditional - starts with script or “spine and stays to it

Auteur - rewrites the production to fit their views (Make it their own)

Postmodern - deconstruction of text (deleting a part, alter, or do their own thing for apart of the play)