Question | Answer |
melodrama | drama with exaggerated characters and plot intended to appeal to the emotions |
comedy | a work of theater wherein the sympathetic main characters experience a happy ending |
exposition | an opening which introduces the characters and their circumstances, the setting, the mood, and the situation, giving the audience information essential for understanding the story |
discovery | the moment when the main character becomes aware of an essential truth about himself or his situation; also called recognition |
mise-en-scène | the visual elements of drama |
verisimilitude | the appearance of truth or reality in theater (stage set, dialogue, etc.) |
aside | a monologue delivered with another character present |
suspension of disbelief | an audience's willingness to accept events onstage as true or plausible during a performance |
tragic flaw | a defect in the hero's character |
Theater of Alienation | dramatic genre associated with Bertold Brecht which sought to create emotional distance by highlighting artificiality of the theater, so the audience would watch objectively and focus on ideas |
performance art | a type of experimental theater that bridges the disciplines of theater and the visual arts |
denouement | moment when a drama's action comes to its proper conclusion and a resolution is near |
theater | the art of writing and producing plays, a collaborative medium of artistic expression |
foreshadowing | the deliberate introduction of information (verbally, visually or otherwise) suggesting an event that will take place later in the story |
complication | middle section of a drama where conflicts inherent in the situation are elaborated and developed, and dramatic tension builds until a moment of maximum intensity and interest, called the climax |
subtext | unstated motivations, ideas, or tensions beneath the surface of a drama's text |
tragedy | a drama with a unpleasant ending, generally involving the downfall of a flawed protagonist, which often involves catharsis |
Theater of Cruelty | dramatic genre which assaults the senses through shocking scenes with a goal of alienation and entertainment |
farce | a comedy characterized by broad often physical humor, superficial characters, and improbable situations |
catharsis | the purging of a spectator's strong emotions through experiencing tragedy; Aristotle's concept |
Unities | neoclassical requirements for theater: unity of time; unity of place; and unity of action |
aesthetic distance | an audience's detachment or non-involvement with the characters or situation that allows for contemplation or reflection |
chorus | in Greek drama, a group of actors who comment on the action and provide society's view of the events |
drama | the enduring literary component of theater |
protagonist | the main, and most important, character of a drama; Aristotle saw this character as one who chooses, learns, and changes |
deus ex machina | the resolution of a plot by use of a highly improbable chance or coincidence; in Latin, "god from the machine" |
soliloquy | speech by the character in a drama expressing his or her inmost thoughts, heard by the audience but not by any other character |
suspense | in drama, the creation of anticipation |
low comedy | comedy which is often vulgar, rude, coarse and physical |
high comedy | comedy which is subtle, sophisticated, tasteful and intellectual |