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Theatre Praxis Prep > Production Concepts in Theatre > Flashcards

Production Concepts in Theatre Flashcards

(92 cards)

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1
Q

production concept

A

unifying creative vision for the design elements of a stage play.

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2
Q

interpretation

A

act of drawing out and communicating underlying meaning from a creative work

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3
Q

context

A

environment, situation & circumstances

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4
Q

atmosphere

A

describes tone, mood & general feeling within the context

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5
Q

composition

A

cohesive integration of line, color, light/shadow, and texture

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6
Q

Sound design

A

Following the production concept & motifs, anything (such as music, sound effects, voice distortion) involving sound in a production.

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7
Q

playwright

A

creates a blueprint for all aspects of a play

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8
Q

plot

A

series of events in a specific order

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9
Q

act

A

rising action, climactic event, unresolved so the audience wants more

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10
Q

scenes

A

the incidents or encounters within an act

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11
Q

characters

A

the people in a play participating in the story’s action

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12
Q

setting

A

time and place in which the play takes place

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13
Q

dialogue

A

words characters speak to each other

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14
Q

soliloquy

A

a character speaking to themselves, alone

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15
Q

monologue

A

long speech, usually delivered to another character

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16
Q

aside

A

a character addressing the audience directly, breaking the fourth wall

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17
Q

stage directions

A

physical movements & gestures; descriptions of visual or aural aspects of productions.

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18
Q

director

A

develops production concept & ensures all elements of a production come together

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19
Q

Production Process

A
  1. auditions
  2. table read
  3. rehearsals
  4. dress rehearsal
  5. performance
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20
Q

beats

A

a complete action by a character

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21
Q

blocking

A

stage directions; how, when, and where actors move on stage

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22
Q

tempo

A

speed of action on stage

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23
Q

mood

A

emotional atmosphere of a scene or play

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24
Q

clarity

A

is each part of the play understandable to the audience

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25
The Method
Lee Strasberg; use your own emotional life to fuel the emotion of the character.
26
Stella Adler
emphasized pulling from imagination over limited personal experience
27
Uta Hagen
emphasized being real & present at all times, using 3 questions: What did I just do? What am I doing right now? What do I want?
28
Sanford Meisner
created the "reality of doing", repetition until the words lose meaning, leaving only the emotion behind.
29
Michael Chekhov
emphasized movement & physical body exercises to begin building the character.
30
vocal qualities
timbre, tone, inflection, resonance
31
vocal production
techniques to create sound & sound distinction for each character
32
projecting
producing large resonant sound by controlling air flow with the diaphragm
33
sound effects
sounds other than the human voice
34
atmospheric sound
sounds for the setting such as wind, rain, or fire.
35
situational sound
gives the audience important info such as footsteps, or the clock striking midnight in Cinderella.
36
Kristen Linklate
Author of Freeing the Natural Voice; techniques for relaxation & creating a clear path from the lower to upper body for projection
37
Stephen Cheng
Developed a meditative approach to voice techniques
38
source music
music that would exist in the setting of the play
39
underscoring
music played for a scene, like a soundtrack, that can set mood or tone, even the emotional state of the character. Can also be a theme/motif for specific characters
40
pre-show music
music played before a show, can set mood or help establish setting
41
exit music
music played after curtain call which can sustain a mood or help transition an audience "back" to the real world.
42
scene change music
keeps audience engaged and in the proper mood as the stage is set
43
corporeal mim
created by Etienne Decroux, body movement is the main source of storytelling
44
mime
completely non-verbal & physical, often short sketches depicting circumstances or emotions
45
pantomime
single story performed by a troupe using speaking, singing, and exaggerated movement.
46
slapstick
choreographed roughhouse physical comedy
47
physical theatre
primarily physical, with some speech or song; usually story-driven dance, clowning and/or mime.
48
labanotation
Created by Rudolf von Laban; a form of dance and movement notation, breaks down movement into isolated, repeatable components
49
Tadashi Suzuki
emphasized the importance of the body; exercises disrupt and disorient breathing & center of gravity to heighten bodily awareness
50
Pina Bausch
created avant-garde, dance based theatre such as Cafe Muler.
51
Cafe Muler
dancers stumbled & crashed about the stage, performing with their eyes closed or blindfolded.
52
Loyd Williamson
founded The Actors Movement Studio; acting is interacting rather than reacting.
53
center
middle of stage, facing audience
54
downstage
moving toward the audience
55
upstage
moving away from the audience
56
stage left
AKA house right; actor moves to their left
57
stage right
AKA house left; actor moves to (their) right.
58
open
actor fully faces the audience
59
closed
actor is completely turned away from the audience
60
facing (apart or close)
determined by the distance actors stand from one another
61
forward/behind
actors looking at one another with one in an open position and the other in a closed position
62
facing away
standing back to back
63
technical theatre
all aspects of theatre meant to enhance the story
64
set designer
designs the set with design team, creates perspective sketches
65
production crew
takes finished set design and begins physical construction of the set
66
platform
weight bearing structure
67
flats
temporary stage walls
68
stairs
provide access to platforms
69
costume designer
designs, acquires, and supervises production of costumes
70
seamsters
take measurements & create patterns, procure materials
71
dresser
helps actors change quickly
72
lighting designer
decides on type of lights used and designs lighting sequences
73
revelation of form
when lighting changes to make a character or object stand out on stage.
74
audio designer
oversees anything in a performance involving sound
75
sound engineer/crew
ensures audio is set at correct sound and volume
76
Giacomo Torelli
introduced changeable scenery using chariots, ropes and pulleys
77
box set
3 sided set to create interior rooms
78
Adolf Appia
introduced representational props
79
representational props
props symbolizing a fully stocked set without crowding the stage
80
thumbnails
preliminary sketches of set design
81
ground map
aerial map of stage in each scene
82
working drawings
scale, detailed drawings; a blueprint for the production crew
83
footlight
lighting at the front of the stage meant to illuminate the actors
84
limelight
calcium light creating a focused beam of light; a spotlight
85
lamps
incandescent spotlights using 1000 watts
86
light bridge
Maude Adams; 2x32' structure with 7 human operated spotlights
87
Abe Feder
USITT Distinguished lighting designer; complex lighting arrangements for over 300 Broadway shows
88
costume plot
chart of costumes, performers, changes & challenges in a production
89
stage manager
coordinates all aspects of a production
90
fourth wall
line between the audience and the stage
91
participatory performance
actors engage with audience directly via conversation or questioning
92
street theatre
performance in a public space

Theatre Praxis Prep (7 decks)

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