Theatre Vocabulary Test

Front 1

Abstraction

Back 1

the removal from everyday life of some elements of the play; more heightening of an element to severe distortion

Front 2

Action

Back 2

a character's main intent in a scene

Front 3

aside

Back 3

a device in which a character breaks from dialogue and directly speaks to the audience

Front 4

backstory

Back 4

the events that precede the beginnning of the play

Front 5

beat

Back 5

a unit of intent, smaller than an action

Front 6

characters

Back 6

individual persons that appear in a play

Front 7

climax

Back 7

most important moment in conflict resolution structure. After climax, there is no longer conflict

Front 8

conflict

Back 8

the essence of drama, which grows out of two or more characters having mutually opposed motives

Front 9

conflict resolution structure

Back 9

process through which the play introduces and resolves its conflict

Front 10

denouement

Back 10

moment after the climax, in which loose ends of the story are tied up.

Front 11

dialogue

Back 11

speech between two or more characters

Front 12

given circumstances

Back 12

info regarding the play's background and environment. Ex; events and relationships that precede the play, the play's time and place, social systems, etc.

Front 13

internal obstacles

Back 13

limits that characters place on themselves

Front 14

intro incident

Back 14

when subject of the conflict is introduced. Must occur during play not before.

Front 15

major dramatic question

Back 15

question that is answered in them moment of the climax

Front 16

moment of engagement

Back 16

moment where protagonist commits to satisfying her goals, occuring after introductory incident.

Front 17

mood

Back 17

feeling evoked by the play.

Front 18

nonrealistic contract

Back 18

theatrical contract in which elements of production are heightenend from everyday life.

Front 19

opposing character forces

Back 19

one or more characters having motives that oppose the protagonist.

Front 20

play analysis

Back 20

process of identifying the constituent parts of a play

Front 21

plot

Back 21

the most important events in a narrative.

Front 22

presentational contract

Back 22

theatric contract where one or more characters directly address the audience. the audience is recognized as being present.

Front 23

protagonist

Back 23

character who's motives and interests drive the play's conflict.

Front 24

realistic contract

Back 24

theatrical contract in which of most of the elements of production conform to everyday life.

Front 25

representational contract

Back 25

theatrical contract in which characters maintain an imaginary fourth wall, between production and audiece, that says the audience is not there.

Front 26

scene

Back 26

unit of clonfict that has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Front 27

soliloquy

Back 27

form of dialogue between single character on stage and the audience

Front 28

s-r-s

Back 28

thought process; stimulus provokes response, that response provokes another stimulus

Front 29

stage directions

Back 29

play's suggestions regarding setting, sound lighting effects, and character behavior

Front 30

theatrical contract

Back 30

informal understanding between a production and its audience. is the production presentational or representational? are the elements of production realistic or or nonrealistic?

Front 31

theatrical conventions

Back 31

techniques shared by a majority of plays in specific epochs of theatre history

Front 32

theme

Back 32

unifying or dominant ideas explored in a work of art