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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. Book - music - and lyrics






2. Writes the lyrics






3. Divided into fatalist - hilarious and existentialist






4. Form of theatre that mixed traditional African ritual theatre and Western-style drama; encouraged African nationalism - glorified Africa's past - and advanced African customs - rituals - and culture; also dealt with serious political themes and appla






5. 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'






6. 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






7. Kabuki borrowed many of these movements to make Kabuki acting highly stylized and almost puppet-like






8. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (2005); The Dumb Waiter (1957)






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






10. The audience remains alienated from the performance so they could critically consider the play's themes






11. Comic operas that mixed popular songs of the day with spoken dialogue






12. Third part of a Noh play - the protagonist appears as a new self - and the cause of torment is resolved






13. The orchestrated melodies






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






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






16. The realism of the play is expressed through lyrical language






17. 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






18. Proclaimed 'God is dead...and we have killed him.'; felt taht absence of God was a tragedy - but believed human beings needed to accept the tragedy and move forward in a world that was unjust and meaningless






19. All lines are sung - usually to grand classical music; Madama Butterfly (1904)






20. 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






21. Greatest of the Sturm und Drang playwrights; was also a critic - journalist - painter - biologist - statesman - poet - novelist - philosopher - scientist - and the manager of the Duke of Weimar's playhouse






22. Studied the history of class conflict






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






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






25. Three parts of a Noh play






26. Proclaimed 'God is dead...and we have killed him.'; felt taht absence of God was a tragedy - but believed human beings needed to accept the tragedy and move forward in a world that was unjust and meaningless






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






28. Instead of learning how to conjure real emotions - actors of Sanskrit drama studied for many years to learn representations of emotions through:






29. The first all-black show to pay at a top Broadway theatre






30. Sarcastic label of Scribe's plays; the sympathetic protagonist suffers at the hands of an evil antagonist in the course of intense action - suspense - and contrived play devices; ending is always happy and the loose ends are neatly tied up






31. 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






32. A medley of the show's songs played as a preview; usually the beginning of a traditional musical; lets the audience know that it's time to stop talking because the performance is about to begin






33. Estrangement; essentially the alienation effect






34. A synthesis of music - dance - acting - and acrobatics; it was first performed by strolling players in markets - temples - courtyards - and the streets






35. 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






36. Would agitate the masses - attack the spectators' sensibilities and purge people of their destructive tendencies; wanted stylized - ritualized performances - not realism - which they felt restricted the theatre to the study of psychological problems






37. A popular form of stage entertainment from the 1880s to the 1940s; included a dozen or so slapstick comedy routines - song-and-dance numbers - magic acts and juggling or acrobatic performances






38. Islam's holy book - contains a warning about 'graven images' similar to the one in the Bible - prohibition applies to dolls - statues - portraits - and people playing a character






39. Highlights the insanity of life in a comical way






40. Contemporary form of Sanskrit Theatre - dramatized version of the Hindu epic poems Ramayana and Mahabharata






41. A permanent - professional theatre outside NYC; founded in 1947 by Margo Jones; stage new plays alongside commercial hits and historical plays; appeal to the intellectual audiences that Hollywood seldom serves






42. Peking Opera was dramatically altered when:






43. Play by Wole Soyinka; celebrates Nigerian independence but also warns against returning to Nigeria's violent past






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






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






46. Comic interludes performed during the intermissions of opera






47. Writes the book






48. The first theatre in the world to be lit with electric lights






49. Used giant puppets and actors to enact parables denouncing the Vietnam War and materialism






50. Comic operas that mixed popular songs of the day with spoken dialogue






Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?



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