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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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City Dionysia
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The major festival honoring a certain Athenian god happening over several days at the end of March. A theatrical contest in which 3 tragedians had to write 3 interlinked dramas.
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skene
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The scene house in Greek theatre; meaning a hut or tent; used originally as an offstage place where actors could change costumes
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orchestra
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the "dancing place"; in ancient Greek theatre, main performance space in which the chorus sang and danced
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theatron
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the "seeing place"; in ancient Greek theatre, the slope upon which the audience sat to see the plays
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deus ex machina
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"the god from the machine"; common practice of ancient Greece to fly in a god at the end of the play to resolve a difficult dramatic situation
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thymele
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alter
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eccyclema
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the platform, rolled or pushed out of the skene, used to display the corpses of characters slain offstage
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ekkyklema
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the platform, rolled or pushed out of the skene, used to display the corpses of characters slain offstage
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conventions of the Ancient Greek theatre
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-Male actors, because there needs to be a fall from power, and only men had power
-Masks -outdoor theatres with performances in daylight -use of chorus and messenger -Messenger brings us important information that happens off stage (anything audience should know) -tragic character usually doesn't die. |
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farce
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type of comic, secular drama the emphasizes situation over character or idea. Coincidence, misunderstanding, ridiculous violence, rapid pace
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characteristics of the Elizabethan stage
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-male actors
-non-period costuming -minimal representational or emblematic set pieces -on platform thrust stage |
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neoclassicism
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Renaissance to the end of the 18th century. Only two legitimate forms of drama: tragedy and comedy. Two forms should never be mixed. Plays written in five acts, observe the unities of time, place, action, uphold poetic justice in their endings.
-Guiding principle is verisimilitude = likeness to life (reality, morality, universality) -Three unities: place, time, action -tragedy under neoclassicism - treat serious stories of kings and nobles -comedy under neoclassicism- treat the domestic world of the middle or lower class |
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romanticism
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early 19th century, rejected neoclassicism, favored infinite variety over standardized norms, glorified the writer as genius who operated beyond the limitations of rules, expressed in poetry, great spectacle, pull between body and soul
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melodrama
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most popular 19th century, clear distinction of good and evil, virtuous protagonist seeks to overcome insurmountable threats by villain, suspense until the last moment, villain is punished, hero is rescued and rewarded. Elaborate spectacle and music
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well-made play
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logically constructed plays follows pattern of careful exposition, series of complications that creates growing suspense and builds to a climax, after all questions are resolved. Realistic writing of 19th century, villain exposed, small denounement
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realism
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represent characters and events as they are observed in real life, emerged in 1850s, human behavior can be explained in hereditary and environmental influences, plot lost in favor of characters, leaves you feeling unsatisfied
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naturalism
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late 19th century Emile Zola, a slice of life, tries to recreate the details of everyday life, likeness to life, takes the peaks and valleys out of it, observe people in order to play a character
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postmodernism
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certain contemporary artistic tendencies, among them the blurring of distinctions between dramatic forms and the mingling of elements from disparate styles, periods and cultures
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Broadway
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center of the commercial professional theatre in teh US, equivalent to West End in London, mass market theatre produced to make $$, majority of plays on Broadway at any given time are musicals
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Off B'way & Off-Off B'way
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1950's, alternative to B'way fare, produced low budget experimental and avant-garde work. Off B'way gained popularity and recognition, so Off-Off B'Way filled its void
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regional theatres
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professional, non-for-profit tehatres that appeared in major cities in the US in late 1940's, American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, Stockbridge Theatre in Stockbridge
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road house
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a theatre outside NYC that serves as a rental theatre for traveling shows including national touring companies of B'Way shows, don't produce their own plays, in business to make $ (commercial, prof)
Opera House in Boston The Wang Center |
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Actors' Equity
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union of professional stage actors and stage managers
-minimum standards for pay and number of hours, getting into equity is difficult, once you buy into equity you are a professional actor, actor makes $1,703/week, stage manager makes $2,800/week |
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catharsis
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to release pent up emotion; both pity and terror is necessary for the release to happen
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satire
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comic, burlesque, satirical, comic relief
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hamartia
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"missing the mark"; tragic flaw
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reversal
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Tragic character in Greek tragedies experiences a reversal of fortune (perepeteia)
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recognition
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Tragic character in Greek tragedies experiences a recognition of his tragic flaw (anagnorisis)
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thymele
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altar to Dionysus, located in the middle of the orchestra
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layout of ancient Greek theatre
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look up picture
-skene, Parados, orchestra, thymele, Theatron |
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parados
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the professional entrance of the chours in Greek theatre; spaces on either side of the orchestra between the skene and the auditorium, used as exits and entrances
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mekane
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flew actors in or out for the deus ex machina
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Elizabethan theatre
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Rose, Swane, Globe
-Thrust stage, the yard look up picture |
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groundlings
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people who had the cheapest tickets and stood in the yard
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'tiring house
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skene from Greek theatre, used in Elizabethan theatre
-balcony from Romeo and Juliet -dressing rooms, orchestra |
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discovery space
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under roofed area, extra space upstage
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yard
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where the groundlings stood for the play, encircles the thrust stage, also call the pit
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satire
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holding something up to ridicule
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parody
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specific satire (holding something up to ridicule)
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dark comedy
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laughing at disturbing things, ends on an up note
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tragicomedy
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a dramatic composition involving elements of both tragedy and comedy usually with the tragic predominating
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Comedy of Manners
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satirizing the relationships of the upperclass
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
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Adapted for the stage by George Aiken, played everywhere, ultimate melodrama of the 19th century
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piece de bien faite
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well-made play
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Eugene Scribe
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main writer of well-made plays
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Henrik Ibsen
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the father of modern drama, made realism popular (A Doll's House)
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A Doll's House
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about the institution of marriage and determinists (nothing you can do to change your hereditary traits)
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Andre Antoine
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Theatre Libre
-associated with naturalism, slice of life, verisimilitude, likeness to life |
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Theatre of Alienation
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social and political action from theatre, don't get too emotionally involved, see all elements of production, no theatrical illusions, what you're watching is NOT real, actors are workers, present the character (epic or Brechtian theatre)
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Bertolt Brecht
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Theatre of alienation, verfremsdungeffekt = alienation effect, no theatrical illusions, you can see everything, no illusion, influence of the 20th century, wanted to inspire/perpetuate social change, focused on how/why things happen to engage your intellect, no emotional engagement
-Bernliner Ensemble was his theatre company, viewed his actors as workers |
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absurdism
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existentialism, futile, never ending, fruitless, arbitrary, time is meaningless, life is a journey which has no meaning
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Albert Camus
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The Myth of Sisyphus - about a guy who is punished by pushing a rock up a hill, as soon as he gets to the top, it rolls back down and he has to start all over again, meaning the life is meaningless (absurd)
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Waiting for Godot
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By Samuel Beckett, about a guy wiating for another guy, time is meaningless, life is a fruitless journey, part of absurdism
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Thespis
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stepped away form chorus in 534 BCE and put on costume, spoke in dialogue to chorus back and forth
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Aeschylus
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Oldest of 3, adds 2nd actor to the mix, writes with distinctive emphasis on chorus, great poet (ancient Greek theatre)
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Sophocles
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Competes with Aeschylus and Euripedes, wrote Oedipus, catharsis felt by a reversal of fortune, and then recognition of the fatal flaw makes Oedipus; shows noone is safe
-puts 3 actors in his plays |
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Euripides
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Incest, murder of children, etc.
-taboo subjects make him sexy, desirable -tragic character is male and of high stature -popular then and today, leads us into Roman tragedies |
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utile dolce
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Roman philosopher, Horace, used this term to identify a purpose for comedy: sweet instruction
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Medieval cycle plays
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Wakefield Cycle, York Cycle, series of plays performed on pageant wagons
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pageant wagons
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rolling platforms of stages used for Medieval cycle plays
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LORT
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League of Resident Theatres
-most major regional theatres are members of LORT |
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commercial vs. not-for-profit theatres
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Broadway = profit
regional theatres = not-for-profit road houses = profit |
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Eugene Ionesco
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Rhinoceros
-theatre of the absurd, all characters except central character turn into rhinoceroses |
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Berliner Ensemble
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Brecht's company
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Aeschylus
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Who wrote "Agamemnon"?
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Oscar Wilde
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Who wrote "The Importance of Being Earnest"?
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William Shakespeare
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Who wrote "Much Ado About Nothing"?
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Henrik Ibsen
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Who wrote "A Doll's House"?
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Susan Lori Parks
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Who wrote "In the Blood"?
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Clytemnestra
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Who is the index of "Agamemnon"?
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Jack/Ernest
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Who is the index of "The Importance of Being Earnest"?
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Beatrice
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Who is the index of "Much Ado About Nothing"?
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Nora
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Who is the index of "A Doll's House"?
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Hester
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Who is the index of "In the Blood"?
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