Praxis Speech & Theatre flashcards

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

Ethos

Aristotle's term for the speaker's credibility and character as perceived by the audience, established through competence, good will, and trustworthiness.

Pathos

Aristotle's term for emotional appeal, drawing on the audience's feelings, values, and sympathies to move them toward the speaker's position.

Logos

Aristotle's term for logical appeal, relying on evidence, reasoning, statistics, and sound argument structure to persuade an audience.

Extemporaneous delivery

A mode of speaking from a prepared outline or notes in a conversational style, allowing flexibility and eye contact rather than verbatim reading.

Impromptu delivery

Speaking with little or no preparation, requiring quick organization of thoughts and reliance on general knowledge and poise.

Thesis statement

A single declarative sentence that states the central idea of a speech and previews the main points the speaker will develop.

Monroe's motivated sequence

A five-step persuasive pattern: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action, commonly used for speeches advocating a policy change.

Claim of policy

A proposition arguing that a specific action should or should not be taken, often organized with problem-solution or motivated sequence structure.

Claim of value

A proposition judging the worth, morality, or quality of something, requiring criteria and standards to support the judgment.

Ad hominem fallacy

An error of reasoning that attacks the character or motives of a person rather than addressing the substance of the argument.

Bandwagon fallacy

An error of reasoning claiming that an idea is correct or desirable simply because many people believe or do it.

Post hoc fallacy

Also called false cause; assuming that because one event followed another, the first event caused the second.

Critical listening

A listening purpose in which the listener evaluates the accuracy of evidence, the soundness of reasoning, and the credibility of the speaker.

Communication noise

Any interference in the communication process, including physical, psychological, semantic, or physiological factors that distort the message.

Feedback in communication

The receiver's verbal or nonverbal response to a message, allowing the sender to adjust and confirm understanding.

Chronological organization

A speech arrangement that presents main points in time order, from first to last or past to present, suited to historical or process topics.

Aristotle's six elements

In Poetics, the components of drama ranked as plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle, with plot considered most important.

Alienation effect

Brecht's technique of reminding audiences they are watching a play, preventing emotional identification so they think critically about social issues.

Given circumstances

Stanislavski's term for the environmental, historical, and situational facts a character lives within, used by actors to justify behavior.

Super-objective

Stanislavski's term for the character's overarching life goal or ruling desire that unifies all smaller objectives in a play.

Blocking

The planned stage movement and positioning of actors, set by the director and recorded so it can be repeated in performance.

Cheating out

Angling the body or turning the head so the face and torso remain visible to the audience rather than being turned away.

Upstage and downstage

Upstage is the stage area farthest from the audience; downstage is nearest the audience, terms from the historical raked stage.

Stage right and left

Directions determined from the actor's perspective facing the audience, so stage right is the actor's right and the audience's left.

Prompt book

The stage manager's master copy of the script containing blocking, cues, and production notes used to run rehearsals and performances.

Inciting incident

The event that introduces the central conflict and sets the plot in motion, following the exposition in dramatic structure.

Denouement

The final resolution of a play's plot after the climax, in which loose ends are tied and the new situation is established.

Dramaturg

A theatre artist who researches a play's history and context, advises on script interpretation, and supports the director and cast.

Producer

The person responsible for the business side of a production, including budgeting, fundraising, contracts, marketing, and overall logistics.

Greek chorus

A group in ancient Greek drama that comments on the action, provides background, and represents community perspective through song and speech.

Theatrical spectacle

Aristotle's element covering visual and auditory effects such as scenery, costumes, and lighting, ranked lowest among the six elements.

The unities

Neoclassical rules derived from Greek practice requiring unity of action, and often of time (one day) and place (one location).

Cue

A signal, verbal or visual, that prompts an actor's line or a technician's lighting, sound, or set change during a performance.