Ch.1 Intro-Theater Defined
The life changing power of live theater by Andrew Russell (video)
• Artists are the one who change the world
• Theater is how we make sense of ourselves
• Theater allows us to experience wrongness in real time
Key terms & concepts:
• Theater- is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers, typically actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage.
• Arena- (Slovak: Divadlo Aréna) is one of the oldest theatres in Bratislava. It was established in 1828 on the right bank of Danube. In the beginning it served as an open summer amphitheatre, hence the name Arena. The current building was built in 1898.
• Thrust stage-(also known as a platform stage or open stage) is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility of a backstage area.
• Proscenium-is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch(whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame into which the audience observes from a more or less unified angle the events taking place upon the stage during a theatrical performance. The concept of the fourth wall of the theatre stage space that faces the audience is essentially the same.
• Troupe-A company or group of actors, dancers, or other performers.
• Producer- a person who oversees all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The producer is responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backing, and hires personnel for creative positions (writer, director, designers, composer, choreographer—and in some cases, performers
• Director- an instructor in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production (a play, an opera, a musical, or a devised piece of work) by unifying various endeavours and aspects of production. The director's function is to ensure the quality and completeness of theatre production and to lead the members of the creative team into realizing their artistic vision for it.
• Playwright- is a person who writes plays.
• Theater mask-The Ancient Greek term for a mask is prosopon (and was a significant element in the worship of Dionysus at Athens, likely used in ceremonial rites and celebrations.
• Virtual reality- is an interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment, that incorporates mainly auditory and visual, but also other types of sensory feedback like haptic.
• Acoustic- singular in construction : a science that deals with the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of sound singular in construction : a science that deals with the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of sound
The Greatest Theater (video)
• The Theater of Epidaurus had perfect acoustics even when electronics didn’t exist
• Seats 14,000 people outdoors 55 rows
• Building of theater funded by money from healing centers
• Even a coin dropped in the center of theater could be heard in the back rows
Julliard Drama (video)
• Typical day is from 9am-10pm
• Movement class
• Mask class
• Speech class
• Voice class
• Scene Study
• Singing class
• Rehearsal
The Building
• Western scholars say theater buildings of past were more primitive than modern day theaters
• Each seat in Ká in Las Vegas (multi million dollar stage) has its own speaker (more than 5,000 speakers total)
• Elizabethan Theater was large seating 15,000-35,000 seats
• Red Lion theater in London, England built 1567 started as a farm converted into multi sided 40 by 30 feet theater
• The Stage: the area where all of the action occurs sometimes this is performed in the audience area as well.
• The House: usually considered the non playing area or where the audience is seated.
• The Front of House: usually consiting of the lobby and outer areas
• Backstage: sometimes considered offstage is the area where all the work goes on to do the show.
• Arena: Consider structures like the Coliseum in Rome. The action occured in the center. Arena theaters have stages in the center of the building with the audience surrounding the actors.
• Thrust: A thrust stage actually is a building with a stage that goes into the audience allowing the actors to go from the stage to the audience area to perform.
• Proscenium: What one would consider a traditional theater stage and found in most schools and colleges with a stage framed by columns in either side of the stage and an audience area angled for viewing.
• Theatre in the Round: similar of the arena stage only in that the actors perform in the center surrounded by audience members.
• Black Box Theater: Considered bare bones but a more intimate stage for smaller audiences.
• The ancient Greeks were masters at outdoor theater structures in their time. Which of the following was an example of this? Theatre of Epidaurus
Q
Theater as a company/group of people
• Troupes consisted of 13-14 people
• Some stayed in one place others traveled around
• Ability to work with artists from different fields of performing arts
Working Theater
• Theater is hard work, demanding hours passion & dedication
• But rewarding with many benefits
• Plays take around 1 month or 2 to mount
• Playwright could take months and months to write and re-write
• Planning, casting, production design, music, chorerog., costume design, set design, sound & lighting can take a lot of time
Pre-Production Roles
• Playwright
• Producer
• Director
• Scenic Designer
• Lighting Designer
• Set Designer
• Costume Designer
• Sounds Designer
• Property Master
• Production Manager
• Technical Director
• Show Control Designer
• Choreographer
• Makeup Designer
• Actor
• Conductor
• Music Director
Production Roles
• Actor
• Backstage personnel
• Carpenter
• Charge artist
• Electrician
• Front of house
• Master electrician
• Paint crew
• Playbill writer
• Publicist
• Scenic artist
• Stage manager
• Theatrical technician
• Technical director
• Stage hands
• Wardrobe supervisor
• What is a theatrical property master? Designer overseeing any props needed for a production
• Which designer creates sequences of movements and physical bodies? Choreographer
• Theatrical production management is a sub-division of stagecraft