THEATER 2040 Edition 1nd Exam 1 Study Guide Lectures 1 7 Lecture 1 August 27 What forms of entertainment were predicted to kill theater Why did live theater still survive the 20th century Silent Film Radio electronics and color TV were predicted to kill theater Theater survived the 20th century because it has elements other forms of entertainment do not have a relationship between performer and audience historic roots dating back 2 500 years ago and theater encounters timeless observations of human existence Define Art Art is a mirror and reflection of life What are the three main categories of Art Give examples of each 1 Literary i e novels short stories poetry 2 Visual i e paintings sculptures architecture photography 3 Performing arts i e theater dance opera music Important to note Visual arts occupy space NOT time Music occupies time NOT space Theater and dance occupy both time AND space All performing arts share which two characteristics 1 Interpreters and creators 2 Audience What are the 6 elements of theater 1 Audience 2 Performers 3 Script text 4 Director 5 Theater space 6 Design elements List four design elements Costume Lighting Scenery and Sound What are two characteristics of contemporary theater Contemporary theater embraces a wide variety of culture and diversity and reflects the society in which it was produced Lecture 2 August 29 There are several everyday events that are considered to be theatrical What are some examples of these events List the theatrical elements that would be in these everyday events Everyday events that are theatrical include a wedding a funeral Thanksgiving Day parade or a senate hearing Theatrical elements in these events are costumes or uniforms a ritualistic structure or performers and spectators What are theatrical relations between theatre and television Theatrical relations on television include structure dynamics and subject matter What types of characters and structures of story that are found in all theater film and TV Types of characters include heroes villains victims and comic figures Structures of story includes early scenes succession of crisis withholding information and revealing information Elements of theater can be seen in several types of TV shows List these shows and include the elements for each show The first types of shows that has elements of theater are Soap Operas Elements within these shows include suspenseful moment concludes each segment heightened music and emotions and recognizable character types The second types of shows are Nighttime Hospital and Police shows These shows have stereotypical characters focuses on the spectacular and grotesque and have neat and happy resolutions The third type of show is Saturday Night Live This show in particular focuses on domestic situations has language with sexual double meaning incorporates physical humor and creates recognizable situations The last type of show is Reality TV Reality TV has a sense of dramatic tension ongoing suspense and heightened conflict among participants How does Rock n Roll Rap Punk Rock Pop artists create theatrical characterizations Rock n Roll Rap Punk Rock Pop uses costumes props and makeup List and describe the two forms of entertainment media The first form of entertainment media is media observed through a screen This includes movies TV films on computers etc This form of media is similar to theater because there is a spectator a viewer is observing drama and it depicts dramatic fare This form is different from theater because the object scene is not a group of live actors and the audience has no effect on it The second form of entertainment media is media observed in person This includes rock performances amusement parks theme restaurants and half time shows at football games This form of media is similar to theater because it is live happening at the same time it is observed It s different from theater because the content makes no pretense of being a dramatic production Give a definition of theater Theater is a unique theatrical production that requires a stage and a live audience What occurs between the actor and the audience in Theater performance The audience observes responds and is involved with the actors on stage Lecture 3 September 3 What are the two essential elements of Theater For theater one needs an audience and performers What is the biggest difference between film and theater Film not live while theater is Theater has a personal contact List examples of Solitary experiences 1 Painting 2 Sculpture 3 Literature During a theatre performance two types of experience are happening These experiences are Individual experience and group experience What is an intangible communion with those around us The collective mind Describe the two types of theater The first type of theater is observed theater where the audience participates vicariously or empathetically onstage The second type of theater is participatory theater where the audience participates in the theater event Examples of participatory theater include rituals ceremonies contemporary theaters and African Native American theaters Define empathy Empathy is the experience of mental or emotional entering into the feelings or spirit of another person feeling with the actor Who wrote Theater of the Oppressed and what was his her philosophy Augusto Boal wrote Theater of the Oppressed His goal was to eliminate the distinction between audience members and performers Define Aesthetic distance Aesthetic distance is the separation from art to perceive and appreciate its existence to judge it or to gain a different perspective You can t be a performer and a spectator at the same time and audience members must use their imagination to make a play become realistic What does the phrase willing suspension of disbelief imply It is up to the audience to use their imagination to make the theatrical performance come alive What is a dramaturg A dramaturg is a dramatic advisor s he often serves a theater company as a resident or inhouse critic and helps actors and the entire production to enter into the world of the play Lecture 4 September 5 What is a playwright The term wright means one who builds therefore a playwright is a person who makes plays Playwrights rent their scripts to theaters and are paid a royalty money What is at the core of every play Action Playwrights have only which two tools Dialogue and Physical Action What is the theme The theme of a play is the overall attitude toward