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Theatre Arts
Beginning Notes
What is Theatre?
• Theatre is an art form
• SO…. What is ART?
• Art is anything which is a product of
expression and in which it can be
interpreted
– Personal expression: playwright, director,
actors, and audience
– Visual expression: technical (lights, set,
sound, costume, make-up, props, etc)
3 Parts to Theatre
• The play or script
• The performers (actors, musicians,
technicians) who show the expression
• The audience who interpret the
expression
What is the script?
• The what (or focus) is shown (or
physicalized) about people (or
characters) that have problems (or
conflicts) for some reason (or
motivation) in some particular place (or
setting).
An actor’s job ….
is to make the audience
Understand the script
Believe they are the character(s) they are
cast as
Respond to the other actors on the stage
An audience’s job….
is to
Be Attentive to the performers
Understand the story,script,and performers
Respond or critique the performance (usually
by applause)
Theatre and games/sports are the same!
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Why do we play games?
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To have fun
 To win
 To get better/improve our skills
In THEATRE we
• Have FUN (are involved)
• WIN (communicate clearly)
• Improve our talents (thinking, speaking,
movement, stage skills)
In what other ways are theatre and sports similar?
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Both establish rules
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Both require all members to work together
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Both must work towards a goal
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Both help develop a skill
The vocab is different but the meaning is the same
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Coach
Players
Spectators
Team
Field/Pool/Court
Uniforms
Equipment
Practice
Match
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Director
Actor/Technician
Audience
Cast
Stage
Costumes
Props
Rehearsal
Performance
The GOAL OF ACTING is…
To solve a problem in a manner or way the
audience can understand, accept, and
become emotionally involved.
The RULES OF ACTING ARE …
1. Be Aware (focus/concentrate)
2. Think (be mentally involved)
3. Do (be physically involved)
4. Have ensembleness (team work)
What is ensembleness?
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Working together as a team to solve a
problem.
If you are not working together then you are
working against one another.
Ensemble work requires each performer to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Listen
Give and take
Relinquish “power”
Trust that partners will make workable choices
Ensemble Notes (cont.)
• Ensemble should foster self-confidence
and allow you to feel free on stage.
• Ensemble should result in a safe,
creative working environment. There is
nothing quite so frightening as being
onstage with performers you don’t trust.
Ensemble Notes (cont)
• Skills strengthened through good
ensembleness:
• Better Eye Contact
• Better Awareness of Self on Stage (open
positions, not upstaging)
• Better Give and Take (not pulling focus while
on stage, yet knowing when to take focus in a
scene
• Avoid pulling focus by
– Moving only on your own lines
– Staying, listening, reacting, and responding in
character
Class Vocabulary
• “Warning” – means to get ready for a performance
– Backstage– the stage manager will tell actors and
technicians “---- minutes” until they get to “2 minutes,
places”. This tells all the performers to go where they need
to be at the beginning of the show.
– In the theater – the lights dimmer or flicker or a bell is
chimed so the audience knows the performance is about to
begin and they need to get to their seats.
– In class – the teacher or cadet will tell you “--- minute
warning”. This is how many minutes you have left to work on
the performance/assignment before your time is up.
Class Vocabulary
• “Curtain” – the beginning and end of action
– In the theater – a physical curtain opens or rises
and falls or closes and the beginning and end of
acts.
– In class – a performer will say “curtain” at the
beginning and ends of performances to let the
audience know a performance has begun or is
over.
Class Vocabulary
• “Curtain Call” – to acknowledge or recognize a
performance
– In a theater – actor’s take a bow and acknowledge
the talents of the cast/crew/orchestra or anyone
else who worked on the production while the
audience applauds.
– In class – we applaud and then volunteer to
verbally critique the performance.
Oral Critique Guidelines
• Give Positive Feedback –
remember everyone needs
positive reinforcement. Praise 1-2 things that the performers did
well.
• Be Selective in your Critique – avoid overwhelming
the performers by identifying everything you felt they did wrong.
Pick 1-2 things that you fell they need to be aware of. Listen to
others who are critiquing as well – there is no need to repeat
what has already been said.
• Suggest Improvements – mention what the performer
could do to improve their next performance.
• Be Specific – give details about the performance. “I
thought it was good” is not helpful to a performer.