Theater Midterm

Front 1

How does aristotle define "acting"

Back 1

imitation of action

Front 2

What are aristotle's 6 parts of tragedy

Back 2

Plot, character, thought, diction, music, spectacle

Front 3

Hamartia

Back 3

tragic character flaw that cannot be helped and does not mean that a character is necessarily inherently evil

Front 4

Katharsis

Back 4

emotional purging that would ideally overcome an audience after watching a tragedy

Front 5

Perpetia

Back 5

Reversal that helps lead to katharsis

Front 6

Deus ex Machina

Back 6

Help of a god/machine to help resolve questions. Not good because it is a probable impossibility

Front 7

Protagonist

Back 7

character that resolves the action

Front 8

Antagonist

Back 8

Character that opposes the protagonist

Front 9

Tritagonist

Back 9

3rd actor who usually complicates or advances the conflict in some way

Front 10

Tetragonist

Back 10

4th actor (doesn't have to be a person) who is acted upon by other characters

Front 11

Inciting incidence

Back 11

an occurance that may take place before the play begins and forces the MDQ to surface

Front 12

Point of Attack

Back 12

Point in the play in which the audience discovers the MDQ

Front 13

Major Dramatic Question

Back 13

Major question that the audience expects to get answered. Draws the audience into the play

Front 14

Complication

Back 14

an event or action that temporarily prevents the resolution of the MDQ

Front 15

Climax

Back 15

The point at which the MDQ is answered

Front 16

Resolution

Back 16

the answer of the MDQ

Front 17

Denouement

Back 17

Period after the climax that answers all of the secondary questions

Front 18

Disovery

Back 18

When the character or the audience finds out information that is essential to the development of the plot

Front 19

Reversal

Back 19

A major and usually unexpected change in the fortunes of some character

Front 20

Affective Memory

Back 20

Recalling an emotion from a memory which creates the stimulus to drive the action. Accessing the unconscious through conscious technique

Front 21

Peripetia

Back 21

Reversal that helps lead to katharsis

Front 22

Deus ex Machina

Back 22

Help of a god/machine to resolve things. Not good because it is an improbable possibility

Front 23

Protagonist

Back 23

Character who resolves the action; answers the MDQ

Front 24

Antagonist

Back 24

Opposes the protagonist

Front 25

Tritagonist

Back 25

3rd actor that advances or complicates the conflict

Front 26

Tetragonist

Back 26

4th actor that is usually passive and acted upon by others

Front 27

Inciting incident

Back 27

make take place before the play begins, sets up a condition for the MDQ to surface

Front 28

Point of Attatck

Back 28

The point of a play in which the audience discovers the MDQ

Front 29

Major Dramatic Question

Back 29

major question that the audience expects to get answered. Draws the audience in

Front 30

Complication

Back 30

an event or action that temporarily prevents the resolution of the MDQ

Front 31

Climax

Back 31

The point at which the MDQ is answered

Front 32

Resolution

Back 32

Answering of the MDQ

Front 33

Denouement

Back 33

The period after the climax during which secondary questions are answered

Front 34

Discovery

Back 34

When an important character of the audience learns something new that is essential to the development of the plot

Front 35

Reversal

Back 35

A major and unexpected change in the fortunes of a character

Front 36

Affective Memory

Back 36

Recalling an emotion from memory to create the stimulus which drive the action. Important in Strasberg's method

Front 37

Sensory Imaging

Back 37

recalling sensory feeling in order to portray an action

Front 38

Magic if

Back 38

that actor imagining himself/herself in the characters position

Front 39

What are the types of bad acting according to aristotle

Back 39

Intuitive, Representational, Mechanical, Conventional

Front 40

What is the problem with intuitive acting

Back 40

it is unreliable, sometimes cannot be repeated

Front 41

What is intuitive acting

Back 41

acting that happens right on the spot, empowering the unconscious

Front 42

Representational acting

Back 42

Pressing the "save" button

Front 43

Mechanical Acting

Back 43

Based on deeply embedded procedeure

Front 44

Conventional acting

Back 44

based on theatrical convention, imitation of life, or imitation of another actor

Front 45

"True Art of Acting"

Back 45

Actor is affected in the moment by a stimulus which results in an action that is portrayed to an audience which evokes emotion on the part of the audience

Front 46

Aristotle and Action

Back 46

Action brings about moral choices

Front 47

Stanislavski and Action

Back 47

Action is a stimulus that results in a reaction. How does a character act in order to attain a goal

Front 48

Given circumstances

Back 48

all of the circumstances that are given to an actor to take into account when he/she creates his or her role

Front 49

Indicating v. Acting/Doing

Back 49

Conventional/mechanical = indicating. Acting/Doing is what comes from the subconscious

Front 50

Beat

Back 50

A piece of action that has a beginning and and end and contains an objective of some sort

Front 51

Alignment of objectives

Back 51

Making sure that the actors objectives match the character's objectives. Finding character motivation for what the director tells you to do

Front 52

Meisner Technique

Back 52

Repetition that helps fuel the unconscious