acting areas
see center stage, downstage, stage left, stage right and upstage
actor
a person, male or female, who performs a role in a play or an entertainment
actors position
the orientation of the actor to the audience (e.g. full back, full front, right profile, left profile)
antagonist
a person, a situation, or the protagonist's own inner conflict in opposition to his or her goals
articulation
the clear precise pronunciation of words
blocking
the planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage
body positions
full back, full front, right profile, left profile
catharsis
the purification of purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) caused in a tragedy
center stage
the center of the acting area
character
the personality or part an actor recreates
characterization
the development and portrayal of a personality through, action, dialogue, costuming, and makeup
climax
the point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action
cold read
a reading of a script done by actors who have not previously reviewed the play
collaboration
the act of working together in a joint intellectual effort
commedia dell'arte
a professional form of theatrical improvisation, developed in Italy in the 1500's, featuring stock characters and standardized plots
complication
discovery that creates conflict
conflict
the opposition of persons or forces giving rise to dramatic action in a play
context
the interrelated conditions in which a play exists or occurs
convention of theater
the established techniques, practices and devices unique to theatrical productions
costume
any clothing worn by an actor on stage during a performance
creative drama
an improvisational, process-centered form of theater in which participants are guided by a leader to imagine enact, and reflect on human actions
crisis
a decisive point in the plot of a play on which the outcome of the remaining actions depends
critique
opinions and comments based on predetermined criteria that may be used for self evaluation or the evaluation of the actors or the production itself
cue
a signal, either verbal or physical, that indicates something else, such as a line of dialoque or an entrance, is to happen
denouement design
the final resolution of the conflict in a plot
design
the creative process of developing and executing aesthetic or functional designs in a production, such as costumes, lighting, sets, and makeup
dialogue
the conversation between actors on stage
diction
the pronunciation of words, the choice of words, and the manner in which a person expresses himself or herself
directing
the art and technique of bringing the elements of theater together to make a play
director
the person who oversees the entire process of staging a production
downstage
the stage area toward the audience
dramatic play
children's creation of scenes when they play pretend
dramatic structure
the special literary style in which plays are written
dramaturg
a person who provides specific in-depth knowledge and literary resources to a director, producer, theater company, or even the audience
dress rehearsals
the final few rehearsals just prior to opening night in which the show is run with full technical elements. full costume and makeup are worn
electronic media
means of communication characterized by the use of technology (e.g. radio, television, and the internet)
Elizabethan theater
the theater of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 and often extended to the close of the theaters in 1640
ensemble
a group of theatrical artists working together to create a theatrical production
epic theater
theatrical movement of the early 1920's and 1930 characterized by the use of such artificial devices as cartoons, posters, and film sequences distancing the audience from theatrical illusion and allowing focus on the play's message.
exposition
detailed information revealing the facts of a plot
farce
a comedy with exaggerated characterization, abundant physical or visual humor, and, often, an improbable plot
form
the overall structure or shape of a work that frequently follows an established design. May refer to a literary type, or to patterns of meter, line and rhymes.
formal theater
theater that focuses on public performances in front of an audience and in which the final production is most important
genre
literally, kind or type. in literary and dramatic studies, genre refers to the main types of literary form, principally tragedy and comedy. The term can also refer to forms that are specific to given historical era, such as the revenge tragedy, or to more specific subgenres of tragedy and comedy, such as the comedy of manners.
gesture
an expressive movement of the body or limbs
Greek theater
theatrical events in honor the god Dionysus that occurred in Ancient Greece and included play competitions and a chorus of masked actors
improvisation
a spontaneous style of theater in which scenes are created without advance rehearsing or scripting
informal theater
a theatrical performance that focuses on small presentations, such as one taking place in a classroom setting. Usually it is not intended for public view
Kabuki
One of the tradition forms of Japanese theater, originating in the 1600's and combining stylized acting, costumes, makeup, and musical accompaniment.
level
the height of an actor's head actor as determined by his or her body position (e.g. sitting, lying, standing, or elevated by an artificial means)
makeup
cosmetics and sometimes hairstyles that an actor wears on stage to emphasize facial features, historical periods, characterizations, and so forth
masks
coverings worn over the face or part of the face of an actor to emphasize or neutralize facial characteristics
melodramatic
a dramatic form popular in the 1800s and characterized by an emphasis on plot and physical action (versus characterization), cliff-hanging events, heart-tugging emotions appeals, the celebration of virtue and a strongly moralistic tone
mime
an ancient art form based on pantomime in which conventionalized gestures are used to express ideas rather than represent actions; also, a performer of mime
minstrel show
musical theater that usually consisted of performances of traditional African-American music and dance provided by white actors in blackface and characterized by exploitive racial stereotypes
monologue
a long speech by a single character
motivation
a character's reason for doing or saying things in a play
musical theater
a type of entertainment containing music, songs and usually dancing
Noh
one of the tradition form of Japanese theater in which masked male actors use highly stylized dance and poetry to tell stories
objective
a character's goal or intention
pacing
the tempo of an entire theatrical performance
pageant
any elaborate street presentation or a series of tableaux across a stage
pantomime
acting without words through facial expression, gesture, and movement
pitch
the highness or lowness of the voice
play
the stage representation of an action or a story; a dramatic composition
playwright
a person who writes plays
production values
the critical elements of a production, such as acting, direction, lighting, costuming, set and makeup
projection
the placement and delivery of volume, clarity, and distinctness of a voice for communicating to an audience
props (properties)
items carried on stage by an actor; small items on the set used by the actors
proscenium
the enlarged hole cut through a wall to allow the audience to view the stage. It is also called the proscenium arch. the archway is in a sense the frame for the action on stage
protagonist
the main character of a play and the character with whom the audience identifies most strongly
puppetry
almost anything brought to life by human hands to create a performance. Types of puppets include rod, hand, and marionette
reader's theater
a performance created by actors reading script rather working from memory
rehearsal
Practice sessions in which the actors and technicians prepare for public performance through repetition
rising action
the middle part of a plot consisting of complications and discoveries that create conflict
run-through
a rehearsal moving from start to finish without stopping for corrections or notes
script
the written text of a play
sense memory
memories of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. It is used to help define a character in a certain situation
stage
the area where actors perform
stage crew
the backstage technical crew responsible for running the show. In small theater companies the same persons build the set and handle the load-in. Then, during performances, they change the scenery and handle the curtain
stage manager
the director's liaison backstage during rehearsal and performance. The "blank" is responsible for running of each performance
stage left
the left side of the stage from the perspective of an actor facing the audience
stage right
the right side of the stage from perspective of an actor facing the audience
stock characters
established characters, such as young lovers, neighborhood busybodies, sneaky villains, and overprotective fathers, who are immediately recognizable by an audience
style
the distinctive and unique manner in which a writer arranges words to achieve particular affects. "blank" essentially combines the idea to be expressed with the individuality of the author. These arrangements include individual word choices as well as such matters as the length and structure of sentences, tone and use of irony
subtext
information that is implied by a character but not stated by a character in dialogue, including actions and thoughts
tableau
a silent and motionless depiction of a scene created by actors, often from a picture, The plural is tableaux
text
the printed words, including dialogue and the stage directions for a script
theater
the imitation or representation of life performed for other people; the performance of dramatic literature; drama; the milieu of actors, technicians, and playwrights; the place where dramatic performances take place
theater of the absurd
theatrical movement beginning in the 1950's in which playwrights created works representing the universe as unknowable and humankind's existence as meaningless
theatrical conventions
the established techniques, practices, and devices unique to theatrical productions
theatrical experiences
events, activities, and productions associated with theater, film/video, and electronic media
theatrical games
noncompetitive games designed to develop acting skills and popularized by Viola Spolin
upstage
used as a noun, the stage area away from the audience; used as a verb, to steal the focus of a scene
vocal projection
the placement and delivery of volume, clarity and distinctness of voice for communicating to an audience (projecting)
vocal quality
the characteristics of a voice, such as shrill, nasal, raspy, breathy, booming, and so forth
volume
the degree of loudness or intensity of a voice