Deck 6: Creating the World of the Play

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a convention of dramatic structure?

A) limited space
B) limited time
C) limited conflict
D) strongly opposed forces

Answer 1

limited conflict

Question 2

A full account of an event or series of events, usually told in chronological order, is called a

A) plot.
B) story.
C) crisis.
D) climax.

Answer 2

story.

Question 3

A selection and arrangement of scenes from a story is called a

A) plot.
B) story.
C) crisis.
D) climax.

Answer 3

plot.

Question 4

An impediment that is put in a character's way is called a(n)

A) complication.
B) obstacle.
C) climax.
D) crisis.

Question 5

An outside force or new twist in the plot introduced at an opportune moment is a(n)

A) complication.
B) obstacle.
C) climax.
D) crisis.

Question 6

The final and most significant crisis is referred to as the

A) complication.
B) obstacle.
C) climax.
D) crisis.

Question 7

"To portray a story in a comic manner" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 8

"The story of Electra" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 9

"To entertain royalty" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 10

"To present events as heroic" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 11

"The events of the Holocaust" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 12

"A love story" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 13

"To escape" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 14

"To reinforce religious beliefs" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 15

"The world is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel" is a

A) purpose.
B) viewpoint.
C) subject.

Question 16

The word drama is derived from a Greek root, the verb dran, which means

A) to do
B) to act
C) to be
D) a. and b.
E) b. and c.

Question 17

A playwright, composer, or architect who envisions a work sets about putting the idea into a that will be recognizable to those who will bring the idea to ultimate realization.

A) blueprint
B) composition
C) design
D) rendering

Question 18

The subject of theatre is always

A) cultural issues.
B) people.
C) entertain.
D) educate.

Question 19

A hard-fought and relatively equal contest

A) strongly opposed forces.
B) a balance of forces.
C) incentive and motivation.

Question 20

The subject of drama varies greatly, and at certain times throughout theatre history, drama has focused on human beings, but more often than not the subjects of drama are quite different.

Question 21

An example of point of view in film might be the various angles of vision and perspectives that the camera selects for us.

Question 22

If two or more playwrights create a play based on the same story, it is important that the facts of that story remain consistent from one play to the next.

Question 23

Dramatic action is the essence of drama, and even the word drama derives from the word dran, which means "to act"
or "to do."

Question 24

The viewpoint of a theatre artist actually provides the audience with a key to understanding the actions and words of the characters on stage.

Question 25

Politicians and advertisers often hide their point of view, whereas a playwright's imposition of their point of view is direct and deliberate.

Question 26

Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined this statement regarding a playwright's point of view: "The world is a comedy to those that think and a tragedy to those that feel."

Question 27

Two periods that were particularly conducive to the creation of tragic drama were the eighteenth century (the age of enlightenment) and the nineteenth century (the century of progress).

Question 28

In our contemporary world it is important to recognize a feminist or woman's point of view in analyzing and understanding dramatic works as that viewpoint has not always been considered or respected throughout history but it is essential to the future development of dramatic works.

Question 29

The action of a play is generally confined to a "world"
of its own-that is, to a fictional universe that contains all the characters and events of the play-and none of the characters or actions moves outside the orbit of that world. This is an example of limited time.

Question 30

Describe an event, from personal experience, which was viewed differently by two different people. What accounts for the differences? Is one interpretation more "true"
than the other?

Question 31

Discuss how children use selectivity when presenting a story, especially if they have done something wrong. How does this relate to selectivity in theatre?

Question 32

Many times, playwrights use historical and cultural events as the basis for their plays. Discuss how the playwright's personal viewpoint might affect the way he or she presents the story. For instance, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible during the McCarthy era, when he and many of his friends were being accused of being communist sympathizers. LeRoi Jones wrote about race relations in Dutchman, Larry Kramer about the advent of the AIDS crisis in New York City in The Normal Heart, David Henry Hwang asks what race really means in Yellow Face, and Lorraine Hansberry wrote about the aspirations of the Younger family in A Raisin in the Sun. How do the playwright's personal viewpoints appear in their plays?

Question 33

Explain how people define themselves in terms of action. "We get to know people not by what they say or who they are but by what they do."
Discuss in terms of daily life and personal experience.

Question 34

In the Greek tragedy Medea by Euripides, Medea murders her children to get revenge on her husband Jason, who has betrayed her. Why might this ancient Greek play still be meaningful for a twenty-first century audience in the United States of America? Instead of producing the play with actors using masks and cothornous (wooden shoes with tall heels) as they did in ancient Greece, how might you produce such a play to make it more meaningful to a contemporary audience?

Question 35

Every medium presents a story differently according to what options are available to it. Discuss how various media differ in this regard. For instance, how does a novel differ from a play? How does a movie differ from a play?

Question 36

Discuss why a story that shows characters under stressful conditions might be more interesting than a story of everyday life. Can stories of everyday life also be interesting on the stage? Why or why not?

Question 37

How do you feel at a sporting event that ends in a tie or is stopped because of bad weather? How does this apply to drama?

Question 38

Examine a contemporary play, movie, or TV show to determine the protagonist and antagonist.

Question 39

Discuss a series of movies or plays and determine what scene is the climax. Where in the plot does this scene tend to occur? Why would this be? Are there any common characteristics shared by the climaxes?

Question 40

After watching a popular film, describe how the opening scene aids in setting the action. Identify one or two of the complications in the film. Can you discuss the film's point of view?

Question 41

If you were to write a play about a family you know (your own or another), what point of view would you take? Why? Are there strongly opposed forces or balanced forces in this family?

Question 42

Both Bertolt Brecht and Thornton Wilder were greatly influenced by Asian theatre. Discuss the various influences on their work. Do you see any of these influences in contemporary theatre practice today?