54 terms
Intro Test 3
STUDY
PLAY
Terms in this set (...)
divergent thinking
involves fluency and the ability to generate a multitude of ideas from numerous perspectives
creativity
can be a flash of enlightenment but it almost always follows years of hard work, research, and thinking
talent
a natural ability
the 10,000 rule
In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that all masters of creativity -- from Bill Gates to Michael Jordan -- spent a minimum of 10,000 hours practicing before they rose to significant and consistent success
convergent thinking
measured by IQ and involves well defined rational problems that have only one correct answer
performance art
performances that mix theatre, visual arts, music, dance, gesture, and ritual
high comedy (high brow comedy)
includes any play that depends on sophisticated humor, wit, political satire, or social commentary
Ex. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Ex. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
low comedy
depends on gags, clowning, puns, and slapstick
Ex. Tartuffe by Moliere
Ex. Tartuffe by Moliere
farce
traps the characters in a fast paced situation with wild complications, mistaken identities, and incredible coincidences
dark comedy
gloomy, sinister
tragic side of comedy
negative
Ex. The Beauty of Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonough
tragic side of comedy
negative
Ex. The Beauty of Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonough
sentimental/domestic comedies
type of High comedy
take an entertaining look at the problems and complications of common every day people
Ex. The Man Who Cam to Dinner or Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
take an entertaining look at the problems and complications of common every day people
Ex. The Man Who Cam to Dinner or Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
comedy of manners
type of high comedy
plays are set during the age of aristocrats and kings and poke fun at the bedroom escapades, marital infidelities, and hypocrisies of the upper class
Ex. The Beaux Stratagem
plays are set during the age of aristocrats and kings and poke fun at the bedroom escapades, marital infidelities, and hypocrisies of the upper class
Ex. The Beaux Stratagem
comedy of ideas
type of high comedy
re cerebral, socially relevant plays that force audiences to reassess their culture, community, and values
Ex. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
re cerebral, socially relevant plays that force audiences to reassess their culture, community, and values
Ex. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
romantic comedy
type of high comedy
funny side to falling in love, ends with wedded
Ex. Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare
funny side to falling in love, ends with wedded
Ex. Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare
tragedy
takes a serious look at life
catharsis
tragic hero
character flaw/tragic flaw
hamartia and hubris
catharsis
tragic hero
character flaw/tragic flaw
hamartia and hubris
catharsis
audience experiences an intense twofold feeling of pity and fear
character flaw/tragic flaw
personal failing that leads to his or her downfall
hamartia
"falling short"
Greek for character flaw
falling short before hitting the target
Greek for character flaw
falling short before hitting the target
tragedies of the common
no noble birth
ex. Death of a Salesman
ex. Death of a Salesman
problem plays
asking us to examine the way of the world. Sometimes presents a bleak view of the world
why is the world the way it is?
why is the world the way it is?
naturalism
An extreme form of realism, an accurate "slice of life" look at existence
Ex. The Russian playwright Maxim Gorky whose play The Lower Depth took a stark look at people living in the cellar of a Moscow flophouse
Ex. The Russian playwright Maxim Gorky whose play The Lower Depth took a stark look at people living in the cellar of a Moscow flophouse
melodrama
(blend of melody and drama) have formulaic plots filled with oversimplified moral dilemmas and support the values of love, marriage, God and country.
romanticism
Was a reaction to the Enlightenment (1650-1800), a period of great philosophical, scientific, technological, political, and religious revolutions that changed human thought forever
Where is the love? Where does poetry, faith, passion, and romance fit?
Ex. Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerae
Where is the love? Where does poetry, faith, passion, and romance fit?
Ex. Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerae
expressionism
Real concepts made unrealistic and exaggerated with lighting, shapes, patterns, etc.
The Scream painting
was created in response to Realism and Naturalism, which film was better at depicting.
Early 1900s movies affecting theatre
Artist imposes own internal state of mind onto the outside world, a subjective account of a subjective perception
The Scream painting
was created in response to Realism and Naturalism, which film was better at depicting.
Early 1900s movies affecting theatre
Artist imposes own internal state of mind onto the outside world, a subjective account of a subjective perception
avant garde
any work that is experimental
expressionism themes
conflict between life and art, truth and illusion, reality and appearance
epic theatre
Story, play or poem that covers a long period and includes a large number of sometimes unrelated incidents. Often less structured, less focused, and more like real life.
Ex. Angels in America and Mother Courage and Her Children
Ex. Angels in America and Mother Courage and Her Children
background of epic theatre
Existed for hundreds of years- pageant plays
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
Alienation Effect
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)
Alienation Effect
alienation effect
Happens when a dramatist and a director tried to distance or estrange the audience so that they can consciously think about the themes of the play
theatre of the absurd
The background of Absurdism-- Response to WW2
Born in an era of despair and doubt
Nietzsche "God is Dead"
Artists began to think that life was not governed by meaningless rational principles but was unjust and meaningless
Born in an era of despair and doubt
Nietzsche "God is Dead"
Artists began to think that life was not governed by meaningless rational principles but was unjust and meaningless
straight plays
plays without music
shadow theatre
created by lighting two-dimensional figures and casting their shadows on a screen
the audience watches the silhouettes while a narrator tells a story
the audience watches the silhouettes while a narrator tells a story
absurdism
includes fatalist, existentialist, and hilarious values
intentionally ridiculous or bizarre
intentionally ridiculous or bizarre
chorus
comes during the parades (entrance)
tells the audience who they are in the play and provides background information
tells the audience who they are in the play and provides background information
kabuki
called this because the characters for "song" (ka), "dance" (bu), and "skill" (ki)
Part of Japanese theatre
Part of Japanese theatre
opera
drama set entirely to music, all the lines are sung
operetta
light opera, comic theme, some spoken dialogue, a melodramatic story and little dancing
musical comedy
light-hearted, fast-moving comic story, whose dialogue is interspersed with popular music, Guys and Dolls
straight musical
serious plot and theme, West Side Story, Hamilton, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hanson
variety show
unrelated singing, dancing, and comedy numbers
burlesque
what vaudeville descends from, bawdy song, dancing women, and striptease. Parody of opera in the 1840s
librettist
writes the book
jukebox musical
feature a particular band's song (Mamma Mia! Abba)
book musicals
well developed story and characters (Fiddler on the Roof)
dance musicals
feature the work of a director -choreographer (Fosse and Jerome Robbins)
operatic musicals
mostly singing and less spoken dialogue (Les Mis, Evita)
overture
a medley of the show's songs plays as a preview (1975 Chorus Line cut this, optional ever since)
reprise
a repetition of the song, sometimes new lyrics, sometimes not, but with new meaning, or subtext to make a dramatic point
vaudeville
1880s -1940s comedy routines, song/dance numbers, magic, juggling, what variety shows and revues descend from
revues/musical revues
Sketches, singing, dancing, songs pulled from previous sources
composer
writes the music
lyricist
writes the lyrics
ballad
usually a slow love song
opera
Originated in Italy in the 1500s, during the Italian Renaissance
Reached its peak in the 19th century with composers like Wagner, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, and Handel
No spoken dialogue, everything is sung
First opera houses build in Venice in 1673
Wagner, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini, Handel
Reached its peak in the 19th century with composers like Wagner, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, and Handel
No spoken dialogue, everything is sung
First opera houses build in Venice in 1673
Wagner, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini, Handel