CSET: Theatre (223/224) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Aristotle's six elements

Plot, character, thought, diction, song, and spectacle, ranked with plot first because tragedy imitates action rather than persons.

Freytag's pyramid

A five-part model of dramatic structure: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement, derived from five-act drama.

Well-made play

A tightly plotted 19th-century form built on cause-effect logic, a hidden secret, and a climactic obligatory scene, associated with Scribe and Sardou.

Verfremdungseffekt

Brecht's alienation effect, using placards, song, and direct address to block empathy and push the audience toward critical judgment.

Theatre of Cruelty

Artaud's vision of theatre as sensory assault through spectacle, sound, and gesture, aiming to shock audiences past rational dialogue.

Commedia dell'arte

Italian improvisational comedy using fixed stock characters, a scenario outline, and lazzi comic bits, flourishing in the 16th century.

Objective and tactic

An objective is what a character wants in a scene; a tactic is the playable verb used to pursue it against an obstacle.

Blocking

The planned stage movement and positioning of actors, recorded in the prompt book to serve composition, focus, and storytelling.

Cheating out

Angling the body toward the audience so the face stays visible, an essential staging adjustment on proscenium and thrust stages.

Table work

Early rehearsal focused on reading and analyzing the script to establish objectives, beats, and units of action before staging.

Beats

Units of action within a scene, marked by a change in objective or tactic, used to score a script for rehearsal.

Given circumstances

The time, place, relationships, and prior events surrounding a scene, anchoring improvisation and Stanislavskian scene study.

Ground plan

A scaled overhead drawing of the set showing walls, platforms, and furniture positions, handed to the scene shop for construction.

Gobo

A metal or glass template placed in an ellipsoidal reflector spotlight to project a pattern or texture onto the stage.

Color temperature

A measure in kelvin of light's warmth: tungsten runs roughly 2700-3200K, daylight roughly 5600K, affecting perceived color.

Cyclorama

A large backdrop at the rear of the stage, lit separately to create sky effects and color washes behind the acting area.

Prop categories

Hand props are carried, set props dress the stage, and personal props are worn or pocketed; a prop list is built from the script.

Technical rehearsal

A rehearsal integrating light, sound, and scene changes with actors, followed by dress rehearsals before opening night.

Prompt book

The authoritative production record containing the script with blocking, cue numbers, and contact sheets, maintained by the stage manager.

Cue calling

The stage manager gives a standby and then a go over headset, executing numbered light, sound, and fly cues in sequence.

Performance rights

Licenses granted per production to perform a script, with royalties paid as a percentage of gross or a flat fee.

Contingency line

A budget reserve, commonly around ten percent, set aside to cover unexpected production costs and overruns.

Front of house

Audience-facing operations including ticketing, ushering, and house management, coordinated with the stage manager on house opening.

Process drama

Classroom drama prioritizing participant inquiry over performance, using conventions such as teacher-in-role and mantle of the expert.

Theatre in Education

Touring interactive programs brought into schools with curriculum links, distinct from professional Theatre for Young Audiences.

Forum theatre

Boal's method in which spectators become spect-actors, stopping the scene to try alternative actions against oppression.

Applied theatre

Theatre practice directed at social goals such as health education, conflict resolution, and community dialogue rather than commercial production.

Mantle of the expert

A drama convention in which students take on expert roles to solve problems, building inquiry and ownership of learning.

Creative drama

Improvisation and story dramatization with children, associated with Winifred Ward, without a scripted production or audience.

Dramaturg

A production collaborator who researches context, advises on the script, and supports the director's interpretation of the play.

Restoration theatre

Post-1660 English theatre that introduced actresses on the public stage, movable scenery, and comedy of manners.

Ellipsoidal reflector spotlight

A lighting instrument giving a sharp, focusable beam, used with gobos and shutters to light specific stage areas.