Cinema and Theatre

Theatre and Cinema
Nowadays, the theatre is less popular than the cinema. Due to the popularity
of television and since the appearance of video, theatre has lost a great deal of
its attraction. Besides, theatre tickets are very expensive, especially in good
theatres. So we can say that a visit to a famous theatre has become a luxury.
Although many theatre-goers try to buy a seasonal ticket before the beginning of
a new season. It may include tickets to several performances and the price for
each will be much cheaper than usual.
Still, the theatre is an inseparable part of the intellectual life of any country. We
can even say that the theatre as an art form reflects the state of society and of the
mind of the nation. In every country theatre has its own history, traditions and
peculiarities.
There are a lot of theatres in Russia and some of them are popular all over the
world. In Moscow theatre-goers try not to miss the first nights at the
Vakhtangov, Sovremennik, or Khudozhestvenny (Art) theatres. St. Petersburg
also has a variety of theatres, which meet all the tastes. Lovers of classic music
never miss a chance to visit the Philharmonic Society Hall. Opera and ballet
lovers can go to the Mariinsky opera house and the Maly opera house. Those
who are fond of drama visit the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, Alexandrinsky Theatre,
Open Theatre and many others. Many new theatres and studios have appeared
during the last five or ten years. Many theatres are famous for their excellent
companies, sets and great directors.
I'm not a regular theatre-goer, but sometimes I like to go and see an interesting
performance. One of my favourite theatres is the Bolshoi Drama Theatre. It is so
not only because of its wonderful company, but I like the interior as well. It is
quite a problem to get a ticket there; they are sold out long in advance.
The house is separated from the stage by the curtain. Of all the seats I prefer to
sit in the stalls or in the dress circle. From there I can get a good view of the
stage and can hear and see equally well without opera-glasses. But I don't like to
sit in the balcony.
I usually buy the tickets at the box office. When the day of the performance
comes, I dress up and arrive at the theatre about twenty minutes before the
performance to enjoy the atmosphere.
I leave my coat and hat in the cloakroom and buy a programme from the usher
because I want to know what the cast is like. At last the performance begins.
The house is full. Everybody is deeply involved in what happens on the stage.
The setting is marvellous and the costumes are wonderful.
I like the cinema too, even if it doesn't create so festive atmosphere. When I
have free time I often go to see some new film. There is a cinema not far from
my house. It is quite a modern building with a very large hall.
Before every show you can see a newsreel or a documentary. In the foyer you
can see photos of film stars and advertisements for the films to be shown soon.
When I want to go to the cinema I search for information about new films on the
Internet. You can easily find a list of all the cinemas in the city and what is on
there today. Then I phone my friend and we discuss what is worth seeing. We
like films with a lot of action and suspense, or good comedies.
My parents prefer love stories and musicals. Once they persuaded me to watch
the famous «Gone with the Wind», and I did not regret doing so. The film is
based on the famous novel by Margaret Mitchell. It was produced in the 1930s,
but you do not feel that it is 80 years old. It is a powerful and moving story. The
English actress Vivien Leigh played the main role, and her male counterpart was
Clark Gable.

Vocabulary:
based on - основанный на
box office - касса
cartoon, animation - мультфильм
cast - состав исполнителей
company - труппа
counterpart - партнер
director - режиссер
documentary - документальный фильм
dress circle - бельэтаж
dress up - наряжаться
feature film - художественный фильм
first night - премьера
house - зд. зал
include - включать в себя
to keep in suspence - держать в напряжении
newsreel - киножурнал
opera-glasses - бинокль
opera house - оперный театр
orchestra stalls - первые ряды партера
performance - представление, спектакль
pit— партер
season ticket - абонемент
set- декорации
stage - сцена
theatre-goer - театрал
Answer the questions

1 What is more popular now: cinema or theatre? Why?
2. What is the role of the theatre in the intellectual life of a country?
3. What famous Russian theatres do you know?
4. What is your favourite theatre? Why?
5. Are you a regular theatre-goer? When did you go to the theatre last?
6. Where do you buy the tickets?
7. Where do you like to sit during the performance? -
8. What do you like in the theatre most of all?
9. Do you like going to the cinema? Why?
10. Do you have a cinema near your house?
11. How do you choose the film you want to see?
12. What films do you prefer?
13. What is your favourite film? Why?
14. Translate the underlines expressions. Make 3 sentences with each structure.
Use these expressions in your text about theatre and cinema.
15. Reread the text and write out vocabulary about cinema and vocabulary about
theatre. Add 3 more words to each list.

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