Theater Arts Study Guide Test #2

Acting

The three challenges of acting: 1) To make characters believable 2) Physical acting The use of the voice and body 3) Synthesis and integration Combining Inner and outer skills Realism An attempt to present onstage people and events corresponding to those in everyday life. 1) There were three people who perfected realism a. Henrik Ibsen b. August Strindberg c. Anton Chekhov Stanislavski System A technique for realistic acting 1) Anton Stanlisavski was the co-founder of the Moscow Art Theater in Russia & the director for Anton Chekhovs most important plays. a. Came up with the Magic If (IfI were on vacation in Vegas.) (How would I react if I were in this characters position) 2) Exercises and techniques Stanislavski developed : a. Relaxation b. Concentration and Observation c. Importance of specifics d. Given circumstances e. Inner Truth 3) All action onstage must have a purpose. 4) Through line of a role- Superobjective of the character; What the character wants throughout the play above all other things. 5) Ensemble Playing- Acting that stresses the total artistic unity of a group performance rather than individual performances 6) Psycho-Physical(purposeful action) Meyerhold Developed a program called biomechanics that emphasized physical exercises and full control of the body, in the manner of circus performers such as acrobats and trapeze artists. Centering A way of pulling everything together and allowing the performer to eliminate any blocks that impede either the body or the voice.

Director
1) Directors are a new idea, in the last 100-150 years. 2) Play should be entertaining 3) Director must really know the script in full detail, and has to be able to ask any questions about the play if necessary Spine A characters dominant desire or motivation; usually thought of as an action and expressed as a verb.(Directors first step is to discover the spine of the play Steps for director: 1) 2) 3) 4) Auditions Tryouts held for performers Casting Assigning roles to performers in a production; Table Read Everyone sits down and reads the play in a circle Blocking Pattern and arrangement of performers movements onstage with respect to each other and to the stage space.

Stage Picture Visual composition : How and entire scene onstage will appear to the audience. Pace Rate at which a performance is played Technical Rehearsal Rehearsal at which all the design and technical elements are brought together. Run-Through Rehearsal in which the cast goes through the entire text of the play in the order that it will be performed Dress rehearsal Rehearsal in which a play is performed as it will be for the public, including all the scenery, costumes, and technical effects Directors Collaborators: 1) Composers, lyricists, choreographers, and music directors. 2) Fencing or fight consultants. 3) Vocal Coaches Stage Managers Person who coordinates all the rehearsals for the director and runs the actual show during its performances. Dramaturg Literary manager or dramatic adviser of the theater company.

Producer / Manager
Producer The person responsible for the business side of a production, including raising the necessary money.

1) Responsible For(Commercial theater) a. Raising money to finance the production b. Securing rights to the script c. Dealing with the agents for the playwright, director, and performers d. Hiring the director, performers, designers, and stage crews e. Dealing with theatrical unions f. Renting the theatre space g. Supervising the work of those running the theatre: In the box office, auditorium, and business office h. Supervising the advertising i. Overseeing the budget and the week-to-week financial management of the production. Artistic Director Person responsible for all creative and artistic activities for resident and repertory companies. Front of the house All of the nonproduction elements of the theatre space that relate to the audiences experience, including the auditorium, lobby, and box office.

Chapter 7

Proscenium An arch or frame surrounding the stage opening in a box or picture stage Fourth Wall Convention Pretense that in a proscenium-arch theatre the audience is looking into a room through an invisible fourth wall Rake An upward slope of the stage floor away from the audience Orchestra Ground-floor seating in an auditorium; also a circular playing space in ancient Greek theatres. Fly Loft Space above the stage where scenery may be lifted out of sight by means of ropes and pulleys. Thrust Stage Theatre space in which the audience sits on three sides of the stage. Platform stage Elevated stage with no proscenium Wagon Stage Low platform mounted on wheels by means of which an entire stage is moved place to place Corral Theatre of the Spanish Golden Age, usually located in the courtyard of a series of adjoining buildings.

Arena Stage Circle theatre, or theatre-in-the-round. Has a playing space in the center of a square or circle, with seats for spectators surrounding it. Very intimate, sense of communion Created Space or Found Space Space not originally intended for theatre use which is converted for productions. Multifocus theatre Theatre in which something is going on simultaneously in several playing areas. Multimedia theatre Use of electronic media- such a slides, film and video tape in live theatrical presentations. Black box- A theatre space that is open, flexible, and adaptable, usually without fixed seating or a permanent stage area. It is economical and particularly well suited to experimental work.

Chapter 8

Set Designer - Objectives 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Help set the tone and style of the production Establish the locale and period in which the play takes lpace Develop a design concept consistent with the directors concept Provide a central image or metaphor Ensure that scenery is coordinated with other production elements Solve practical design problems

5 Elements of Set Design 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Line The outline or silhouette of elements onstage Mass The overall bulk or weight of scenic elements Composition - The balance and arrangements of elements Texture The feel projected by surfaces and fabrics Color The shadings and contrasts of color combinations

Ground Plan Floor plan or layout of stage design that outlines the various levels on the stage and indicates the placement of scenery, furniture, doors, windows, and other necessary scenic elements. Right stage Right side of the stage from the point of view of a performer facing the audience Left Stage Left side of the stage from the point of view of a performer facing the audience Downstage Front of the stage toward the audience Upstage At or toward the back of the stage, away from the front edge of the stage.

Flat Single piece of flat, rectangular scenery, used with other similar units to create a set. Scrim Thin, open weave fabric which is nearly transparent when lit from behind and opaque when lit from the front. Computer-Assisted design(CAD) The use of computers to create design components such as ground plans, elevations, and three-dimensional views. Technical Director Person who oversees all technical aspects of a theatre production, especially in the building, painting, and installation of scenery and related elements. Property Designer - The person who creates and executes all properties Scenic charge artist The person responsible for seeing that the sets are built and painted according to t specifications of the designer. Paint charge artist The person responsible for seeing that all painting of scenery is carried out in accordance with the specifications of the designer. Costume Designer Responsible for everyones appearance 1) Responsibilities a. Position / Status of characters b. Gender c. Occupation d. Flamboyant or subdued e. Occasion f. Time period, time of the year g. Special Needs(sword fights, etc) h. Has to have thorough knowledge of the place i. Accessories(earrings, watch, etc) 2) Collaborators a. Wigmaker b. Makeup c. Mask creators d. Seamstresses Pull To choose a costume from an inventory owned by a theatre company Build To create a costume from scratch in a costume shop

Chapter 9

Lighting Designer Functions and Objectives 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Provide Visibility Help establish time and place Help create mood Reinforce the style of the production Provide focus onstage and create visual compositions Establish rhythm of visual movement

Elements of Stage lighting 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Intensity Color Direction Form Movement

Types of Lights 1) Gobo Template in a theatre lighting instrument that determines the shape and arrangement of the beam or pool of light thrown by the instrument 2) Follow Spot Large, powerful spotlight with a sharp focus and narrow beam that is used to follow principal performers as they move about the stage 3) Fresnel Type of spotlight used over relatively short distances with a soft beam edge that allows the light to blend easily with light from other sources 4) Floodlight Lighting instrument used for large or general area lighting 5) Automated lights(moving lights) Generic term for a new type of lighting instrument that can tilt, pan, rotate, change colors, and change focus All electronically by computerized remote control Focus Aiming light on a particular area of the stage Composition How lighted areas are arranged onstage relative to each other Dimmer Device for changing lighting intensity smoothly and at varying rates. Downlighting Lighting that comes from directly overhead Backlighting Lighting that comes from behind

Cue Any prearranged signal, such as the last words in a speech, a piece of business ,or any action or lighting change that indicates to a performer or stage manager that it is a time to proceed to the next line of action Blackout Total darkening of the stage Fade Slow dimming of lights, changing from brighter to darker, or vice versa Light Plot Detailed outline or diagram showing where each lighting instrument is placed in relationship to the stage.

Sound Unseen persuader 1) 2) 3) 4) Sound reproduction The use of motivated or environmental sounds Sound reinforcement Amplification of sounds in the theatre Motivated Sounds - Sounds called for in the script that usually from recognizable sources Environmental Sounds Noises from everyday life that provide background sound in a production.

Microphones 1) Shotgun Mic Aimed microphone that picks up sound in a specific area from a distance 2) General Mic Picks up all the sound in the area 3) Body Mic Mic attached to a person Sound Recordings 1) Editing The arrangement of sounds in the order in which they appear in the script. 2) Mixing Blending of all elements from the many microphones and from the master sound recording. Strobe Light A very powerful, bright gas-discharge light that flashes at rapid intervals