MATSEC AM Theatre and Performance cheat sheet

Ancient Greek tragedy: Thespis credited as first actor (6th century BCE); Aeschylus adds second actor, Sophocles third; Aristotle's Poetics (c. 335 BCE) defines tragedy via pity, fear and catharsis.

Commedia dell'arte: improvised scenario-based performance, fixed stock types (Arlecchino, Pantalone, Columbina), masks for comic servants; flourished in Italy c. 1550-1750 and shaped Molière and Goldoni.

Naturalism: Zola's essay on naturalism in theatre (1881) and Antoine's Théâtre Libre (1887) championed environmental determinism and the 'fourth wall'; Stanislavski developed his system in response.

Epic theatre: Brecht's Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect) uses placards, song, direct address and historicisation to prevent empathy and provoke critical analysis.

Absurdism: Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter and Genet (post-1945) reject linear plot and logical cause; language is circular and meaning is deliberately withheld.

Restoration comedy (1660-1700): reopened English theatres after 1660; female actors legally on the English stage from 1660; wit, intrigue and the comedy of manners (Congreve, Wycherley).

Irish literary revival: Abbey Theatre founded 1904 by Yeats and Lady Gregory; Synge's Playboy of the Western World (1907) provoked riots over its portrayal of Irish rural life.

Political and postcolonial theatre: Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed (1974) and Forum Theatre cast spectators as 'spect-actors'; Soyinka, Fugard and Churchill dramatise power and resistance.

Units of action: a scene changes when the objective or tactic of a character changes; beat analysis divides text by shifts in intention, not by page breaks.

Given circumstances: the facts a text supplies (time, place, relationships, prior events, social class); inference beyond these must be flagged as interpretation, not fact.

Objective must be active and playable ('to force X to admit Y'), never a state ('to be sad'); obstacle and tactic generate dramatic conflict.

Verse handling: identify the iambic pentameter line and mark irregular lines and shared lines; a shared line signals rapid, overlapping speech between characters.

Structural markers: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, denouement; in classical French drama the unities of time, place and action compress these.

Stage directions: brackets and italics distinguish authorial instruction from dialogue; directions may be prescriptive (blocking) or suggestive (mood).

Status and transaction: analyse who holds power in each exchange by tracking who initiates, who concedes, and who controls exits and silences.

Dramaturgical research: collate textual variants, production history and period vocabulary; a dramaturg's pack links textual evidence to rehearsal choices.

Stanislavski's system: given circumstances, magic if, objectives, through-line of action, emotional memory, and the 'method of physical actions' linking inner life to physical score.

Vocal production chain: breath support from the diaphragm, open resonating spaces, articulation with lips and tongue; projection is supported breath plus forward placement, not shouting.

Vocal warm-up sequence: release of jaw and neck, lip trills, humming resonance, tongue twisters, then text work; warm-ups precede demanding vocal load.

Neutral mask and Laban effort: Laban's effort factors are weight, time, space and flow; combining them yields actions such as punch (heavy/quick/direct) or float (light/sustained/free).

Alexander Technique: primary control at the head-neck-spine relationship; 'inhibition' of habitual response precedes 'direction' of improved use.

Status transactions (Keith Johnstone): high and low status are behaviours (eye contact, stillness, gesture size), not social rank; status can be played against type.

Text into action: score the script with intentions and tactics; rehearse with an active verb on every line so speech becomes a transaction rather than recitation.

Audition protocol: slate (name, piece, playwright), enter with focus, hold a moment before starting, and accept redirection without apology or explanation.

Devising is collaborative authorship: material is generated from stimuli (image, text, object, verbatim testimony) and shaped through improvisation, selection and editing.

Stimulus to score: improvisations are recorded and transcribed; the group selects repeatable moments and fixes them into a physical or verbal score.

Viewpoints (Bogart/Landau): spatial composition uses tempo, duration, kinesthetic response, repetition, shape, gesture, architecture, floor pattern and spatial relationship.

Frantic Assembly's 'chair duets': seated partner sequences built from hand and arm impulses; a repeatable method for generating physical vocabulary.

Ensemble principles: shared ownership, equal contribution, generosity in offers, and 'yes, and' acceptance - refusing an offer stalls the devising process.

Verbatim and documentary method: interview transcripts are edited into a script; ethical consent and anonymisation are required when using real testimony.

Structured feedback: describe what was seen, then question intention; separating observation from evaluation prevents defensiveness in the ensemble.

Rehearsal documentation: a devising log records date, stimulus, exercise, material produced and decisions; it evidences process for assessment.

Stage types: proscenium (picture-frame, one audience side), thrust (three sides), in-the-round/arena (four sides), traverse (two opposing sides), and found/black-box flexible space.

Lighting fundamentals: intensity, colour, angle and focus; key light defines form, back light separates actor from background, side light sculpts; gels alter colour temperature.

Lighting safety: never touch a hot lantern, use gloves when focusing, secure all clamps and safety bonds, and check rigging before any performance.

Set design function: communicates period, place and status, provides acting levels and entrances, and must satisfy sightlines and quick scene changes.

Costume as sign: silhouette, fabric, colour and wear communicate period, class and character; quick-change planning uses poppers, ties and dressers.

Sound: check signal chain (source, mixer, amplifier, speaker), know DI versus microphone, and set cue levels in rehearsal; feedback loops come from mic-speaker proximity.

Stage management: the prompt copy holds blocking, cues and running order; the calling sequence is standby, then 'go', with cue numbers spoken clearly.

Technical rehearsal order: dry tech (cues without actors), cue-to-cue (skipping dialogue), then dress/technical run with full costume and sound.

Evaluation separates description (what happened) from analysis (why it worked) and judgement (how effective) - a response that only describes earns limited credit.

Evidence-based claims cite specific moments: 'at the moment X turned away, the audience...' rather than general statements about the whole production.

Performance evaluation criteria: clarity of intention, vocal and physical control, ensemble cohesion, use of space, and consistency of character.

Design evaluation criteria: does the design serve the text, support the action, work within sightlines, and communicate intended meaning to the audience?

Audience reception evidence: laughter, silence, shifts in attention and post-show talk are observable data; anecdote should be labelled as such.

Rehearsal process reflection: identify a problem, the intervention tried, the outcome, and the next step - a cyclical model (plan, do, review).

Comparative judgement: set the production against its own stated aims, not against a different style; a naturalistic play is not failed for lacking spectacle.

Academic honesty in reflection: distinguish your own contribution from the ensemble's and attribute ideas to their source in the devising process.

Performance timing: monologues are typically 1.5-3 minutes; duologues 3-5 minutes; exceeding the time limit can trigger penalty or cut-off, so rehearse to a stopwatch.

Opening and closing: enter in character with focus, hold a beat before the first line, and hold the final moment before releasing; do not break character to bow mid-piece.

Sightlines: in thrust or in-the-round staging, play to all sides; avoid upstaging yourself by turning your back to a section of the audience for long periods.

Vocal clarity: articulate consonants for audibility, use pauses for emphasis, and vary pace, pitch and volume; monotone delivery reads as low commitment.

Physical score: mark entrances, key gestures and exits so the performance is repeatable; a fixed score frees attention for the live moment.

Technical liaison: supply a cue sheet (piece title, playwright, duration, cues, props) to the operator; confirm lighting and sound states before the performance.

Exam conditions: know the assessment criteria, arrive warmed up, and have a backup plan for prop failure - perform without the prop rather than stop.

Ensemble presentation: match energy and timing with partners, share focus, and never talk over another performer's line; reaction is part of the performance.