Four dimensions of theater
1. Standard drama and musical theater
2. Theatrical arts
a. Opera
b. Ballet
c. Circus
d. Film
3. Fields that make use of theater
4. Theater sensibilities used in life
“There is only one show business” –Penn Julette
Theatrical- using theater as a metaphor

National Theater of the Deaf- The oldest theatre company in the United States that has continually gone on tours and produced original works. The company has visited each of the 50 states in close to 80 national tours, as well as many countries in over 30 international tours. It was founded in 1967 after psychologist Dr. Edna Simon Levine, set designer David Hays, and Broadway's director Arthur Penn and actress Anne Barcroft of The Miracle Worker began planning and fundraising in the 1950s.

Wheel chair dance

Industrial/ corporate show

Svoboda

Black box theater

The Spelling of Theatre/ Theater
Theatre is the British of French spelling
Theater is the American and German spelling
Tree Different Ways to us Theater
• The building
• The discipline/ study
• The company of artists
The function of theater is to communicate ideas
Naturalism- Reality
Snuff Films- movies with actual deaths
Genres of Plays
Shakespeare
1. Comedy
2. Tragedy
3. History
Protagonist- main character that moves action forward or action is centered on
Antagonist- hold action back, opposite of protagonist
Hamartia- some problem that cannot be overcome (flaw, circumstance)
Hubris- overconfidence, think you can do no wrong, usually downfall
Catharsis- release felt at the end of tragedy
Comedy- to explore human condition form “other side”
• Farce- over the top
• Slapstick- physical
• Dark comedy- funny then sad
• Tragic comedy- more serious play with happy ending
Interlude- play/movie in between a larger play/movie
Plot- storyline and order of events
Theme- abstract, intellectual meaning
Music- music or musical language
Spectacle- the visual component
• Blocking- actors moving on stage
• Choreography- dancing movement on stage
Convention- way to communicate with style/clothes/music, “everywhere short-cut”
The Order of the Play
1. Gathering of the audience
2. Exposition (background info)- setting, character history/relationship, character names, costumes, background
3. Conflict- “plot holds suspenseonly when it holds alternatives and choices”
a. Inciting incedent od pragmatic question
b. Tipping point or crisis- point of no return
c. Climax- greatest tension
d. Denouement/ falling action- how story ends, wrap-up
e. Criticism
Acting
Internal vs External
Stanislavski- father of realistic acting, started Moscow Art Theater, associated with Chekhov, realistic acting
Zadacha- the character’s problem or “super objective” (psychological approach)
Method acting
• Zadacha
• Tactics
• Research
The actors disease- they think like/become the characters they act (internal acting contributes)
Director- captain of the ship (hired by producer)
• Directing is rather new
• Used to be playwright or actor
Three phases of directors
1. Teacher directors
2. Realism directors
3. Styling directors- perceived reality, what’s happening on the inside
Duties of the director
• Vision- what is going on
• Mission- what you want to achieve
• Strategies- conceptualization (central metaphor), execution
Specific duties
• Organizational
• Play selection (in college)
• Conceptualization
• Design consultation
• Casting (choosing actors to play roles) Casting director assembles people to audition
• Staging
• Paring
• Coaching
• Coordinating
• Presenting
5 resources for directors
1. Space
2. People
3. Text
4. Materials
5. Purpose
The golden triangle Super or supernumerary- not speaking role (extra is film name)
George Spelvin- fake actor name
Alan Smithee- fake director name
Playwriting
Work to get produced
Workshop process- a bunch of writers working together, a chorus line and Laramie project used the