Test your basic knowledge |

Theatre Basics

Subject : performing-arts
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Type of theatre that grew out of ritual - incorporated acting - music - storytelling - poetry - dance - costumes - and lots of masks to create a theatre that combined ritual and ceremony with drama






2. Most famous Restoration-era woman to make her living by writing plays






3. Grew out of the theatre of Thespis in Ancient Greece; passed from the Athenians to the Romans to the medieval Europeans






4. More serious plot and theme; West Side Story (1957)






5. A program of unrelated singing - dancing and comedy numbers






6. Spoken lines of dialogue as well as the plot






7. A repetition of the song - sometimes with new lyrics - sometimes with the same lyrics but with new meaning or subtext in order to make a dramatic point






8. The sung words






9. A robust and spectacular version of Noh; named after the characters for 'song' - 'dance' - and 'skill'; created by a woman named Okuni - owner of a brothel






10. Book - music - and lyrics






11. Brought Western-style theatre to Africa to dramatize Bible stories in order to win converts






12. Developed from the dance-prayers of Buddhist priests; has five possible subjects: the deities - the deeds of heroic samurai - women - insanity - and famous legends






13. One of the most popular Kabuki and Bunraku playwrights - who - like Shakespeare - wrote crowd-pleasing plays that combined poetry and prose in dramatic tales of comedy - tragedy - love - and war






14. Includes all other forms of drama - from the ancient ritual theatre of Africa to the traditional theatre of Asia to the shadow and puppet theatre of Muslim lands






15. Studied the history of class conflict






16. Musicals that are mostly singing and have less spoken dialogue; similar to operattas - but thier tone is often much darker and more dramatic






17. Holds that human beings are naturally alone - without purpose or mission - in a universe that has no God; not a negative - for without God humans can create their own existences - purpose and meaning






18. Where more experts agree that human beings came into existence






19. Exposed the squalid living conditions of the urban poor and explores scandalous topics like poverty - venereal disease and prostitution; 'Sordid Realism'






20. Set out to break all the neoclassical rules - attacked the three unities






21. Type of Islamic theatre - religious drama of Iran which allowed for actors - both professional and amateur - and has been performed in open-air playing spaces and on some occasions in specially constructed indoor stages for hundreds of years

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22. One of the most famous Sanskrit dramas - a love story in seven acts written by the playwright Kalidasa






23. A blend of melody and drama and refers to the background music often played during these performances






24. Would be removed in the box set to give audience a real life look into the scene






25. One of the most famous Sanskrit dramas - a love story in seven acts written by the playwright Kalidasa






26. Wrote plays about the rugged lives of Irish peasants using their dialect; Riders to the Sea (1904) & The Playboy of the Western World (1907)






27. Unstructured theatrical events on street corners - bus stops and anywhere else people gathered






28. Most popular type of theatre during the Restoration; often featured great wit and wordplay and told stories about sexual gratification - bedroom escapades - and humankind's unrefined nature when it comes to sex






29. Set out to break all the neoclassical rules - attacked the three unities






30. First black woman playwright to be producted on Broadway; Raisin in the Sun based of her actual childhood






31. French philosopher and playwright; The Flies (1943) & No Exit (1944)






32. Africa's greatest living playwright; born in Nigeria; plays combine symbolism - mysticism - beautiful dialogue - and they make strong political points; plays are deeply rooted in African myths - dance - and rituals but also influenced by Western dram






33. No spoken dialogue - entirely sung; comes from the Latin word 'work' and may have originally meant 'works in music' or 'musical works for the stage'; first operas were in Italy in late 1500s






34. Based off the idea that before a problem can be solved - society must first understand that the problem exists; 'attack the message - not the messenger'






35. The orchestrated melodies






36. Most famous surrealist and was a French writer and director; studied Asian religions - mysticism - and ancient cultures; declared theatre should should wake the nerves and heart; argued that proscenium arch theatres create a barrier between the audie






37. A production of British actor Charles Kean; had realistic costumes - set and props that he had researched to make sure they were historically correct

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38. What western theatre is often called:






39. Nigerian playwright that was executed for trying to protect the Ogoni people against encroachments of Shell oil company






40. Romanian-born French playwright best categorized as a hilarious absurdist; The Bald Soprano (1949) & Rhinoceros (1959)






41. Musicals that feature a particular band's songs






42. First female theatre manager in London; was also an actor and singer; managed first theatre to have a box set; Olympic Theatre in London






43. Writers who felt science was not adequate to describe the full range of human experience - and their writings stressed instinct - intuition - and feeling






44. Attacked the evils and restrictions of society; tried to reveal the higher reality of the unconscious mind with fantastic imagery and contradictory images; performances were often violent and cruel as they tried to shock the audience into the realiza






45. Writes the music






46. Writers who felt science was not adequate to describe the full range of human experience - and their writings stressed instinct - intuition - and feeling






47. Characters were not individuals but types; standard roles included scholar - lover - hero - maiden - old woman - coquette - virtuous wife - and acrobatic warrior-maiden






48. Highlights the insanity of life in a comical way






49. Named new 'photographic' realism NATURALISM and his phrase 'slice of life' is quoted description of it






50. An extreme form of realism; an acurate 'documentary' of everyday life - including its seamy side