Odisha CHSE +2 Vocational Drama key terms

Ancient Sanskrit treatise on drama, dance and aesthetics attributed to Bharata, describing rasa, bhava and the actor's training. It is the foundational text for classical Indian performance theory.

The aesthetic flavour or emotional relish a spectator experiences when a performance fully evokes a dominant emotion. Classical theory names nine rasas, including shringara, karuna, hasya and raudra.

A felt emotion or psychological state that an actor portrays through face, voice and body. When communicated clearly, bhavas combine to produce rasa in the audience.

The actor's means of communicating meaning to an audience. Classical theory divides it into four: angika (body), vachika (speech), aharya (costume and make-up) and sattvika (inner emotional truth).

The conventional, stylised mode of theatrical presentation using codified gesture, song and symbolic staging. It contrasts with lokadharmi, the realistic mode drawn from everyday behaviour.

The realistic mode of performance that imitates ordinary life, speech and behaviour on stage. It contrasts with natyadharmi, which relies on stylised, conventional theatrical expression.

The Sanskrit word for stage or arena, used in compound terms such as rangamancha (stage) and rangapuja, the ritual performed before a first performance to seek blessings.

A ritual ceremony held before a company's first performance, offering prayers to deities and stage equipment. It marks the consecration of the stage and is common in traditional Odia and Indian theatre.

A popular travelling folk theatre form of Odisha and Bengal, performed in open or temporarily covered arenas with loud music, stylised acting, song and direct address to the audience.

An Odia folk performance form in which a group of singers narrates mythological or devotional stories through song, with a lead singer and refrain chorus. It is often performed at festivals and religious gatherings.

A devotional narrative performance tradition of Odisha combining song, narration and simple acting, usually centred on Krishna or Shiva themes. Performers may use cymbals and drums and perform seated or in procession.

A light-hearted Odia folk theatrical form mixing dialogue, song and dance, often with comic and social themes. It is performed at fairs and festivals and is closely related to other regional folk theatre.

Devotional congregational singing, especially of Krishna's deeds, led by a singer with a responding chorus and percussion. In Odisha it also supplies musical and narrative material for folk theatre.

A masked dance-drama tradition found in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, known for vigorous movement and elaborate masks. The Odia form, Mayurbhanj Chhau, is celebrated for its martial-derived choreography.

An Odia dance tradition in which young boys dress as girls and perform acrobatic dance to devotional songs, historically linked to the development of Odissi dance. It is performed at temples and festivals.

A devotional performance depicting the playful and romantic episodes of Krishna and the gopis, especially Radha. It is performed in many regional styles across India, including Odisha.

The arranged sequence of events and actions in a play, showing cause and effect rather than mere chronology. It usually includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

The central struggle between opposing forces in a play, such as person against person, society, nature or self. Conflict drives the action forward and creates dramatic tension.

The point of highest tension in a play, where the central conflict reaches its decisive turn and the outcome becomes inevitable. It usually occurs near the end of the action.

The final unravelling of a play's complications after the climax, in which remaining questions are answered and the situation settles into a new order. The term literally means unknotting.

The pattern of change a character undergoes across a play, from initial state through испытания to a transformed understanding or fate. A flat arc shows little change; a round arc shows substantial development.

The principal character whose goals and decisions organise the action of a play and whose fate holds the audience's main interest. The protagonist is not necessarily morally good.

The character or force that most directly opposes the protagonist's goals, generating the central conflict. An antagonist may be a person, a group, an institution or an inner tendency.

The specific want that drives a character's action in a scene, often expressed as an active verb such as to persuade or to humiliate. Playing a clear objective makes acting active rather than illustrative.

The meaning beneath the spoken words of a line: what a character really thinks or feels while saying something else. Actors and directors mine the script for subtext to make dialogue layered.

The facts of a play and production that an actor must accept as true: time, place, relationships, past events and social conditions. They anchor character choices in the world of the script.

The planned arrangement and movement of actors on stage, including entrances, exits, crosses and stage positions. Blocking clarifies relationships, focuses attention and keeps compositions visible to the audience.

The conventional divisions of the stage into nine zones named from the actor's viewpoint, such as downstage right or upstage centre. They help directors and actors record positions precisely.

The lines of vision from audience seating to the stage, determining what spectators can see. Set design and blocking must respect sightlines so that key action is never hidden.

The production copy of a script containing blocking, cues for lights and sound, property lists and rehearsal notes. It is the stage manager's master record for running the performance.

A signal, spoken or visual, that triggers a technical or acting action such as a light change, sound effect or entrance. Cues are written into the prompt book and called during performance.

A large plain cloth or wall at the back of the stage used to show sky, colour washes or silhouettes. Lit from the front or below, it can create atmosphere without a built set.

A coloured transparent sheet placed in front of a stage lantern to tint its light. Gels are chosen to suggest time of day, mood or location and must suit the lantern's heat output.

The act of speaking so that the voice reaches the back of the auditorium clearly without shouting. It depends on breath support, open resonance and precise articulation rather than force.

The precise shaping of speech sounds by tongue, lips and palate so that words are clearly distinguished. Weak articulation blurs consonants and makes dialogue hard to follow in a large space.

The choice and clarity of words in speech, covering both pronunciation and the selection of vocabulary suited to character and situation. Clear diction is essential for audibility in theatre.

Spontaneous playing of a scene without a fixed script, guided by a situation, relationship or objective. It is used in training and rehearsal to discover truthful behaviour and fresh stage business.

A short prepared or impromptu performance by an actor to demonstrate suitability for a role. It typically includes a monologue, a cold reading and sometimes movement or voice work.

A candidate's organised collection of evidence from a practical project, such as scripts, photographs, rehearsal notes, cue sheets and reflective writing. It documents process as well as final performance.

An oral examination in which a candidate answers questions about their practical work and portfolio. It tests understanding of process, choices and terminology rather than performance alone.