Q: What is the special nature of live theatre and what role does the audience play in it? The contrast of the experience of seeing drama in a theatre in a theatre with seeing a drama film or television.
A: The special nature of theatre is the reflection of life it conveys. There are many types of art, in which theatre is the performing type. Theatre is so special because of its movement through time and its focus on certain periods of history or current events. It is also special for its necessity of an audience. The audience plays a huge role in a performance because of the exchange that happens between the audience and the performers is so personal. Because art is a mirroring reflection of life, live theatre allows the space to create a connection and evoke certain emotions the audience can relate to. Viewing a film is completely different because, the feeling isn’t live. The acting in the film is already rehearsed and permanent, which may not be as relatable to a live performance which can altered depending on how the actor feeling, or how he or she is connected to the character he or she is conveying. Although film can be traced back to theatre, theatre is the original art that influenced film.
Q: Identify the various elements of theatre and how they are brought together and coordinated to produce the collaborative art of theatre performance.
A: The various elements of theatre are the: audience, performers, script or text, director, theatre space and design elements. The audience is an essential element of theatre because of the interaction between performer and audience. A performance cannot happen if there is not an audience present therefore, the audience is part of the experience of theatre. The Performers are also another essential to theatre because the performers are the actors who present the characters they are playing and convey the image of the character to make it relatable. The performers go through extensive training to make sure their voices are heard to fill a theatre hall and that they are able to convey authenticity when acting their character. Script and Text is an element that is also important because it guides the actors in how to interact with other actors who are performing in the production. The script or text is also an outline as to how the production will convey artistic and dramatic structure. The Director is the person who decides how the production will be performed. For example, the director will choose the setting and coordinate how the actors need to move and play their parts. Without the director the production may be disorganized. Theatre Space is extremely essential because a performance cannot take place if there is nowhere to perform. Also it is important that there is space for audience members to either be seated or stand. Design Element is the last element but also another important one because it includes: costume, lighting, sound and a scenic background. These elements are needed in order to convey the setting of the performance. They will portray the era of when this focus of time took place. All of these elements brought together correctly will create a phenomenal performance because they each play an essential role that creates a masterpiece.
Q: What are the tasks and responsibilities of a playwright in creating the dramatic text of the script?
A: The task of the playwright is to transform a real event or an incident into a drama. The playwright must obtain knowledge of the actual event in order to create a dramatic structure. This process is quite lengthy because the playwright must create characters to fit the event and the actors must be able to bring life to the characters. The playwright creates the mood and setting that will take place in a performance. They are the ones that will create the emotion in the characters and also create the beginning, climax, and ending to the performance. They also need to convey to the actors and audience whether the event is comical or serious. Being the playwright is a huge responsibility when creating a performance but also a rewarding one because the audience is given an experience because of the playwright.
Q: What are the primary elements of tragedy? What are the elements of comedy? Compare and contrast the principal forms of these two genres.
A: Tragedy is a serious setting. In order to convey tragedy there must be action throughout the whole performance to portray the mood of tragedy. The audience must feel sorrow and understand the plot of the performance. The protagonist must portray that he has learned his lesson and that his or her mistakes are the flaws that caused the tragedy. The audience must feel anxious and tension. Although the performance is a tragedy the audience must not feel melancholy. They should feel enlightened because the protagonist overcame the obstacle of the tragedy. A comical performance is also filled with action but the action is energetic and