CSET: Theatre (223/224) study plan

Build a dated timeline from ritual and Greek origins through Roman theatre, noting one defining convention and one surviving text for each era

Define in your own words the terms hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and catharsis, and attach each to a specific moment in Oedipus Rex or Antigone

Compare Aristotle's Poetics with at least two later theorists (for example Horace, Castelvetro, or the French neoclassicists) on the unities and the function of tragedy

Write a one-paragraph summary of the major dramatic genres (tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, farce, melodrama) that distinguishes each by structure rather than tone

Chart the development of English Renaissance theatre from mystery plays through Shakespeare and the closing of the theatres, identifying the physical stage conventions that shaped playwriting

Explain commedia dell'arte stock types and lazzi and trace their influence on Moliere and later comedy

Sequence the major movements from neoclassicism through romanticism, realism, naturalism, symbolism, and expressionism, naming a representative playwright and play for each

Analyze how Ibsen, Chekhov, and Strindberg each use realistic staging to carry thematic weight, citing a specific scene from one play by each

Summarize the contributions of Stanislavski, Meyerhold, Brecht, Artaud, Grotowski, and Boal, matching each to a distinct theory of the actor-audience relationship

Trace American theatre from the Provincetown Players through the Federal Theatre Project, the Group Theatre, and Off-Broadway, noting what each movement changed about production

Identify major non-Western traditions (Noh, Kabuki, Kathakali, Beijing opera) and describe two conventions each that differ from Western realism

Draft a one-page comparison of Stanislavski's system with Brecht's epic theatre as competing answers to how an actor creates meaning

Break a published scene into beats and objectives, writing an objective for each beat using active verbs

Apply given circumstances, magic if, and emotional recall to the same scene and record what each technique reveals that the others miss

Demonstrate score-reading by marking breathing, phrasing, and operative words in a 20-line classical verse passage

Rehearse and record the scene twice with different objectives, then write a self-critique comparing the two takes

Explain the director's responsibilities across preproduction, rehearsal, and performance, and distinguish them from the producer's role

Analyze a full-length play for spine, theme, and ground plan, and produce a directorial concept statement grounded in the text

Build a rehearsal calendar for a four-week process that sequences table work, blocking, polishing, and tech

Describe how a director gives actionable notes, and rewrite three vague notes into specific, playable ones

Identify the parts and functions of a proscenium, thrust, and arena space, and explain how each changes blocking and sightlines

Read and interpret a ground plan and section, correctly locating the proscenium line, center line, and sightlines

Distinguish the roles of set, costume, lighting, sound, and properties designers, and describe what each contributes to storytelling

Explain the color-mixing, gel, and angle basics a lighting designer uses to create visibility, mood, and focus

Sequence a technical rehearsal and describe the cue-calling chain of command during performance

Draft a production budget for a small theatre company covering rights, royalties, materials, labor, marketing, and contingency, and identify which lines are fixed versus variable

Explain the producer's role in rights acquisition, contracts, and union or non-union agreements at a general level

Build a marketing and audience-development plan that names target audiences, channels, and a ticket-pricing rationale

Design a standards-aligned theatre lesson for a K-12 grade band that includes objectives, activities, and assessment

Describe how theatre programs build community through outreach, applied theatre, and inclusive casting and access practices

Take two full-length timed practice tests and log every missed item by domain and error type

Re-teach your three weakest subareas using your own notes, then re-test only those items

Recite from memory the key dates, theorists, designers' roles, and management terms you have flagged as high risk

Write a one-page exam-day strategy covering pacing, flagging, and how you will handle constructed-response prompts