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Nilaja Sun
-obie award winning -concerns with ethnicity and identity are pivotal -felt excluded from Latino community because perceived as black -visible identity "masked" ethnic identity -performances articulate her identity as both races -no child 
No Child
-nilaja sun -alludes to no child left behind act -- teaching for the test --assumes everyone is on the same level --related to funding -nilaja plays all characters (teacher, students, janitor, admins) 
August Wilson
(influences, context, etc.) -plays set in pittsburgh hill district (ghettos) that he grew up in 1940s -interested in the socio-economic community 
Fences
-head of household struggles to provide for family, trash collector -Lyons asks to borrow money -Troy reveals affair with Alberta (pregnant) -Cory tries to play football for scholarship, troy forbids, cory kicked out of house -Alberta dies during childhood, Rose and troy adopt Raynell…
Lloyd Richards
-canadian american theatre director, actor, dean at Yale -brought August Wilson to broadway in 1984 in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom -also directed Fences 
Melodrama
-a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions 
Chicano Theatre
-drama for and by US citizens of Mexican descent -english/spanish/a mixture of both -focus on experiences of Mexican-Americans adjusting to US --racial discrimination, drug abuse, unemployment, education, housing 
Los Vendidos
-the sellouts -luis valdez -honest sancho sells various models of mexicans and mexican americans -the secretary comes in and is looking for model to appeal to mexican voters -she is a chicana but ignorant of cultural stereotypes -farm worker > johnny pachuco > revolucionario > mexica…
El Teatro Campesino
-founded by Luis valdez -set the standard for latino theatrical production in US -bilingual theater group based in historic Mission San Juan Bautista, near san jose 
Actos
-one act plays/skits -usually around 15 mins -propaganda theatre 
Agitprop
(agitation and propaganda) -political (originally communist) propaganda, especially in art or literature 
Luis Valdez
-father of chicano theatre -zoot suit, la bamba, los vendidos -created el teatro campesino 
Zoot Suit
-incidental music -based on sleepy lagoon murder and the zoot suit riots -first chicano play on broadway -Henry Reyna and 38th street gang -get into gang fight at party, sleepy lagoon member dies -22 38th street gang members tried/convicted for murder -henrys brother rudy beaten and…
La Bamba
-film -follows the life and career of chicano rock and roll star Ritchie Valens -also covers the effect that Valens' career had on the lives of his half-brother Bob Morales, his girlfriend Donna Ludwig, and the rest of his family 
Functions of light design
-make actors/set visible to audience -evoke appropriate mood -indicate time of day/location -shift emphasis from one stage to another -reinforce production style -make objects appear flat or 3d -blend visual elements on stage into unified whole 
Controllable qualities of light
-intensity -color -direction > shape, quality, and evenness of a lights output -focus > where a light is pointed -position > location of a light within theatre -hanging > placing light in its assigned position 
Colors of stage light and hue
-red blue and green light -have to consider set design/color, makeup, and costumes when determining what colors to use 
Master electrician
-responsible for implementing the lighting design for a production drawn up by the lighting designer -involves preparing, hanging, connecting, and focusing stage lights 
Technical director
-make sure the technical equipment in the theatre is functional, maintained, and safe -ex. lighting and sound equipment 
Function of costume design
-indicate gender, age, social status, economic status, occupation, psychology, time, place, mood, atmosphere -establish/clarify relationships -establish relative importance of characters -establish a style -reflect a formalized convention
Function of set design
-defines performance space -establishes distinctions between on and off stage -delineate areas used for dramatic action -masking can be used (part of the stage that cannot be seen by audience) -entrance/exit -mood/atmosphere 
Proscenium
"Picture frame". Separates audience and actors, arch over stage. Advantages: Changeable scenery, can use the box set (appropriates reality), intricate scenes, don't need much detail because audience is far away. Disadvantages: Further away so more removed from the action, audience can onl…
Thrust stage
Audience is around on three sides. Advantages: see more perspectives of stage, audience is closer to the stage and the actors can use the aisles. Disadvantages: Actors have to play to audience on all sides, set needs to be more dimensional, audience doesn't always get the best view, hard …
Arena stage
"Theater in the round" Audience on all sides, no wings or back wall. Limited scene changes, actors have to have their backs to the audience. Can't have large set pieces. 
Black box stage
Can set up audience however you want. Everything is up close and personal. Limited set design and audience. Interactive, immersive- avant guard. 
Process of set design
sketches > rough drawing drawing > more detailed drafting > preparing a preliminary version of the set renderings > audience view of a set drawn to perspective models > physical 3d representation of design elevation > shows dimensions of set designs section > shows design of indivi…
Set props and hand props
set -large movable items not built into the set -furniture or "sittables" -large props hand -small and movable property used by an actor during the performance -drinking glass or candle 
Dramaturg/dramaturgy
-a professional within a theatre company that deals mainly with research and development of plays -the theory and practice of dramatic composition 
Gotthold Lessing
-considered the first dramaturg -German dramatist during the enlightenment -his plays/writings substantially influenced german literature 
Theatre critic and dramatic criticism
-the act of writing or speaking about the performing arts 
Literary manager/management
-responsible for reading and selecting scripts for production 
Musical theatre
genre, styles, origins in U.S. to contemporary musical theatre in 21st century
Libretto
- the text of an opera or other long vocal work 
A Chorus Line
- musical by Marvin Hamlisch -centered on 17 broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line -the musical is set on the bare stage of a broadway theatre during an audition for a musical -provides glimpse into personalities of performers and choreographer and events that have sh…
Light opera
- a short opera, usually on a light or humorous theme and typically having spoken dialogue 
Musical comedy
-a comedic play in which dialogue is interspersed with songs, especially one with a focus on musical numbers anything goes -Cole Porter -concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from new york to london -stowaway in love with engaged heiress 
Musical drama
-opera in which the musical and dramatic elements are equally important: the music is appropriate to the action show boat - Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein -performers stagehands and dock workers on Mississippi River show boat over 40 years 1887-1927 -racial prejudice and tragic love p…
"Disney" musicals
-beauty and the beast -lion king -hunchback of notre dame -tarzan -little mermaid -aladdin -jungle book -frozen 
Stephen Sondheim
-american composer and lyricist known for half a century of contributions to musical theater - best known artist in musical theatre company = man can't commit into the woods = combines multiple grimm brothers fairy tales 
CRT production of Spamalot
All you need to know is Bryce takes his clothes off 
Production stage manager and assistant stage manager
-head stage manager -member of stage management team -organize and coordinate theatrical productions -timing and communication etc. 
backdrops
-the rear of a stage setting -a painted cloth hing at the back of a stage set 
borders
-horizontal flat scenery pieces hung above the stage 
box set
-A stage set consisting of hard scenic pieces representing the walls and sometimes the ceiling of a room, with one wall left out for the audience to peer into. This set design was developed in the 19th century and remains in use today primarily in realistic plays 
calling a show
-system by which the lighting sound and scene-shift are initiated, done by SM, 
computer aided design (CAD)
-Computer-aided drafting (CAD) is the use of computer systems to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.[1] CAD software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and…
computerized scenographic modeling
-established in 1990s both CAM and CAD are fastest growing technology of the current stage 
costume sketch
-one is made for each character, or set of characters 
creative collaboration
the action of working with someone to produce or create something 
cyclorama
-a hanging fabric stretched tight between upper and lower pipes and curved around to surround the rear and sides of the stage - can be lighted to make skyscapes 
design team
-all design functions of aset are closely interrelated. designers work in close collabortation with the director 
drops
-short for backdrops, large flat sceneryy pieces at the rear of the stage - painted in perspective, created the lifelike illusion of places 
elevators
I'm not even going to entertain this 
flats
-sturdy wooden frames covered in various hard surfaces then painted for vertical walls 
flies
system of lines (e.g., ropes), blocks (pulleys), counterweights and related devices within a theater that enables a stage crew to quickly, quietly and safely fly (hoist) components such as curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects and, sometimes, people 
focus
-ensures that the audience sees what it is supposed to see without distraction 
house management
the selling of tickets, the ushering of patrons in front of house areas, and the maintenance and management of the theatre building 
Mabou Mines and dollhouse
-Ibsen's feminism is metaphorically rendered as a parable of scale -MIDGETS 
Follow-spot
A spotlight, sometimes known as a followspot, is a powerful stage lighting instrument which projects a bright beam of light onto a performance space. 
gel
-when they put the color media(film) in lights 
gobo filters
break light into shadowy fragments - like leaf patterns or atmospheric "fog" 
light plot
a plan showing the placement of each lighting instrument, its type, watage and sixe 
metaphoric scenery
visual images seek to evoke the theme - remind us that we are in theatre - draw us more deeply into the play's larger issues. 
commedia dell'arte
a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century and was responsible for the advent of the actresses and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. 
stage properties/props
object used on stage or on screen by actors during a performance or screen production 
proscenium format
a rectangular room, with the audience on one side facing the stage on the other - separating the two areas is the proscenium arch 
realistic scenery
attempts to depict a specific time and place in the real whorld where that play takes place 
scrim
staple of theatre magic - loosely woven gauzy fabric look see through when lit from the back, but when lit from the front can be seen whatever is painted on it 
technical director
in charge of building and operation of scenery and stage machinery, often in charge of lighting crews too 
visibility
ensures that the audiences sees what it wants to see 
wings
vertical flat scenery pieces standing left and right of the stage - allow for various entrances 
stylization
to conform to a conventional style; specifically : to represent or design according to a style or stylistic pattern rather than according to nature or tradition. 
august wilson's ten-play cycle
August Wilson's crowning achievement is The Pittsburgh Cycle, his series of ten plays that charts the African American experience throughout the twentieth century. All of them are set in Pittsburgh's Hill District except for one, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which is set in Chicago. The cycl…
solo performance
featuring a comedian or actor who stands on stage and entertains an audience. 
directors concept/conceptualization
A directorial concept is how the director envisions the play. It is a written expression of how the director will approach the play and what s(he) wants the audience to take away from the show. The concept defines the central themes, ideas, mood, tone, and visual appeal of the play. 
adaptation vs. interpretation
-Adaptation: cutting and adding. Making it however you want by keeping the same arc of the play -Interpretation: doesn't change a line, but can play with setting, time, costumes, and design elements 
taglines for shows
a catchphrase or slogan, especially as used in advertising, or the punchline of a joke 
konstantin stanislavsky
Psychological approach to acting, living in the moment, objectives, actions/tasks
moscow art theatre
-Konstantin Stanislavski -naturalist theater 
reginald edmund and daughters of the moon
A staged reading of Reginald Edmund's play following a young slave girl who escapes the brutality of the plantation through acts of violence of her own. Her journey towards freedom is costly for all, but survival is a must 
new play development
discover, develop, production 
characteristics of effective playwriting
-speakability, stageability, flow, richness, gravity, intensity, pertinence, characterization, economy and compression, credibility and intrigue, intensity 
conflict, dialogue, and structure
-Conflict Leads to climax which is the highest tension when the conflicts of the play are at their fullest expression 
Lynn Nottage (ruined: intimate apparel: by the way: meet vera stark)
-Ruined: involves the plight of women in the civil war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo -Intimate apparel: young African-American woman who travels to New York to pursue her dreams -a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood 
sarah ruhl (the clean house & dead mans cell phone)
-Clean house: a whimsical romantic comedy centered on Matilde, a Brazilian cleaning woman who would rather be a comedian -explores the paradox of modern technology's ability to both unite and isolate people in the digital age 
copyrighting for playwrights
-the Dramatists Guild has defended for nearly 100 years. In order to protect the dramatist's unique vision, which has always been the strength of the theatre, s/he needs to understand this fundamental principle: dramatists own and control their work. -The Guild recommends that any produc…
dramatists guild
The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market 
david mamet (race, speed the plough, glengarry glen ross)
-Race follows "three attorneys, two black and one white, offered a chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black woman." The plot unfolds as the three lawyers and defendant grapple with the evidence of the case and their own feelings about race. Mamet has said that the…
tony kushner (angels in america, caroline or change)
-Angels in America: The play is a complex, often metaphorical, and at times symbolic examination of AIDS and homosexuality in America in the 1980s. -Caroline or Change: musical set in 1963 in Lake Charles, Louisiana during the American civil rights movement 
david henry hwang (M. butterfly, yellow face)
-M. Butterfly is a play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking opera singer -Yellow Face is a wild satire about cultural identity involves family politics, international intrigue and Senate investigat…
aristotelian plot structure
Plot, character, theme/thought/idea, diction, music, and spectacle 
climactic plot (structure/chronological)
climactic drama takes place in a short period of time, near the climax of the story; has a limited number of characters, scenes, and events; and is tightly constructed 
episodic plot structure/linear
Non-linear, many episodes spread out over long periods of time and number of locales. Episodic drama has many characters and frequently has parallel plots or subplots 
anton chekhov
a Russian playwright and short story writer who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. 
theatre of alienation and bertolt brecht
the use of techniques designed to distance the audience from emotional involvement in the play through jolting reminders of the artificiality of the theatrical performance 
realism
the attempt to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality and avoiding artistic conventions, implausible, exotic and supernatural elements 
naturalism
a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail. 
metatheatre/metatheatrical
the quality or force in a play which challenges theatre's claim to be simply realistic — to be nothing but a mirror in which we view the actions and sufferings of characters like ourselves, suspending our disbelief in their reality 
symbolism
an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. 
henrik ibsen
He is often referred to as "the father of realism" and is one of the founders of Modernism in theatre. 
a doll house
-The play is significant for its critical attitude toward 19th-century marriage norms. It aroused great controversy at the time,[2] as it concludes with the protagonist, Nora, leaving her husband and children because she wants to discover herself -No happy ending 
luigi pirandello
pirandello is always preoccupied with the problem of identity 
six characters in search of an author
An absurdist metatheatrical play about the relationship between authors, their characters, and theatre practitioners 
emile zola
a French novelist, playwright, journalist, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism 
problem plays
-The problem play is a form of drama that emerged during the 19th century as part of the wider movement of realism in the arts, especially following the innovations of Henrik Ibsen. -social issues 
samuel beckett
Beckett's work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human existence, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour 
slice of life
a realistic representation of everyday experience in a movie, play, or book. 
eugene o'neill
an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism 
hairy ape
-The Hairy Ape (1922) is an expressionist play by Eugene O'Neill about a brutish, unthinking laborer known as Yank as he searches for a sense of belonging in a world controlled by the rich
expressionism
present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas 
george bernard shaw
his influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond 
intellectual comedy
More intellectual forms based on clever, often subtle manipulation of language 
theatre of cruelty
The Theatre of Cruelty can be seen as break with traditional Western theatre, and a means by which artists assault the senses of the audience, and allow them to feel the unexpressed emotions of the subconscious 
theatre of the absurd
Their work focused largely on the idea of existentialism and expressed what happens when human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down 
ming cho lee
theatrical set designer

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