Melodrama, Parody, and Farce (Grade 10) Flashcards
(30 cards)
A melodrama is a dramatic form that does not observe the laws of _______________.
Cause and effect
A melodrama exaggerates ______________.
Emotion
A melodrama emphasizes ___________ or _____________ at the expense of characterization.
plot, action
___________ + ___________ = the art of ____________ to hook the emotions of the viewer (heart strings)
music, drama, overreacting
Melodrama is a style of acting that was popular in the ______________. (Two answers)
19th Century (1800s)
Melodramatic plays ate associated with the ______________ period in history.
Victorian (1835-1901)
Live productions during this ear in theatre were known as ___________ plays (without religion) in which the battle of ________ ___ __________ was personified.
morality, good vs. evil
The outcome of melodramatic plays was already known by the _____________.
audience
Melodrama comes from ___________ which is Greek for song.
melos
Before a melodramatic show, the audience participated in a __________ or ___________ done by the keyboardist
sing-a-long, warm-up
The keyboardist was also known as the ____________.
professor
The __________ consisted of a variety of acts that took place in between scenes or at the end of the show.
olio
The olio usually consisted of the following: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
musical numbers short dance pieces comic skit/monologues blackout jokes talents
The three main characters in any melodrama were always the ________________. (three things)
the hero, the villain, and the heroine
The heroine, who was a symbol of _____________ (two possible answers), often used the following two gestures: frames her face and ___________.
purity/innocence, blows a kiss
These stereotypical characters are also known as ____________ characters.
archetypal
The villain was known for _________, __________, and ___________ (screaming, threatening),
sneering, sulking, lurking
The villain is always _____________ (two answers) in the end.
foiled/defeated
Melodramatic plays were always performed in a _______________ (two words) theatre and featured a detuned __________ piano.
proscenium arch
A common stage convention of the time was the ___________, since actors spoke directly to the audience by removing them from the ____________ wall.
aside, fouth
A melodrama is:
- a sensational drama with exaggerated appeal to the emotions
- a sensational piece of writing, speech, or action that appeals to the emotions
- a sensational dramatic piece with crude appeals to the emotions and usually has a happy ending
A parody is:
- a humorously exaggerated imitation of a piece of writing or work of art
- a poor imitation
- make fun of being imitated
- an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, genre, or person with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect
- a thing done so badly that it seems to be an intentional mockery of what it should be
A farce is:
- a comic dramatic work full of ridiculous or absurd situations
- a kind of humour found in such plays
- a mockery or pretence
- a coarsely comic dramatic work based on ludicrously improbable events
- absolutely futile proceedings
Melodramatic techniques
pregnant pause the stare the double take the turtle take slower, exaggerated, large movements dragged out emotional moments the repetition of action or events plot based on the formula of three the villain breaking the fourth wall
