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Historical Context

This document provides information on various stage types including arena, thrust, in-the-round, and proscenium arch stages. It also discusses genre, style, constituent features of plays such as action, space, emotion, and plot/narrative development. The document aims to communicate research findings on the historical context and technical aspects of performance material.

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jellicoetheatre5678
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23 views

Historical Context

This document provides information on various stage types including arena, thrust, in-the-round, and proscenium arch stages. It also discusses genre, style, constituent features of plays such as action, space, emotion, and plot/narrative development. The document aims to communicate research findings on the historical context and technical aspects of performance material.

Uploaded by

jellicoetheatre5678
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HISTORICAL

CONTEXT
Unit 4
STAGE TYPES
ARENA

Where the stage is surrounded on three or four


sides by the auditorium, which is raised and
tiered higher than the stage
THRUST

A stage that projects out into the auditorium


with the audience surrounding it on three
sides
IN-THE-ROUND

The acting space is in the centre of the


audience
PROSCENIUM ARCH

The stage is framed by a wall, typically with an


arch or rectangular opening separating the
front of the stage from the auditorium
TRAVERSE

The audience sits on either side of the stage


ROSTRA

Plural for rostrum, meaning a raised area


FINDING THE GENRE
Tragedy
Farce
Revue
Comedy
Melodrama
Multimedia
Musical theatre
Epic
Experimental/ surrealistic
STYLE

Style is the category of the play depending on


the particular techniques it uses, including
its language, action, movement and staging
as well as costume and make up
STYLE
Naturalistic

A ‘realistic’ drama aiming to depict life as it


really is, or selecting aspects of reality on
which to the play draws
STYLE
Epic
Theatre using techniques that aim to disrupt
the illusion of reality by reminding the
audience they are watching a play in a
theatre. This technique is known as the
‘distancing effect’. Epic dramas also aim to
educate audiences and emphasise social and
political issues.
STYLE
Expressionistic

A style of drama focusing on expressing intense


emotional states through stylised use of
voice, movement, staging, design and
technology
STYLE
Surrealistic/experimental

Performers that challenge accepted


conventions and norms in theatre.
Surrealistic drama tends to make use of
dream-like images and events to question
what we term ‘reality’
CONSTITUENT FEATURES

Constituent features are all the various


elements that come together in the staging
of a play.
They include:
ACTION

The events that take place during the play.


Action is a series of conflicts and their
outcomes that form the story of the play and
relates to what the characters do and say
through the story.
SPACE

The staging in terms of type of theatre (arena,


thrust, proscenium, etc) and how the space
is used in representing the world of the play
in which the action takes place.
EMOTION

The feelings of the characters as well as the


intended effect and impact the play has on
the audience.
DYNAMICS

The way the characters behave and react to


one another and to the events and situations
in the play; also how this turn impacts on the
audience
PLOT AND NARRATIVE
DEVELOPMENT

The plot is the main sequence of events in the


play and how this in turn impacts the
audience.

It includes the following:


A CRISIS

The event at the beginning of the play that


triggers the plot, usually presenting a
conflict for the main characters. The plot
then follows a series of further crisis and
conflicts, each presenting an exciting and
important dramatic climax, until the main
climax towards the end of the play.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

As a result of the crisis, conflict and resolution


of the drama, the characters will have
changed in some way. This change is known
as character development. This is shown
through exposition, meaning what the
character says and does will explain this
development to the audience.
ACTS AND SCENES

Plays are generally divided into two or three


acts which in turn are divided into smaller
scenes. There may be a combination of
reasons why the playwright has divided the
action in this way, such as separating the
action according to different locations and
times, allowing for changes of scenery or
costume, and/or to build to a cool down
from dramatic climaxes
UNIT CONTENT
Know the historical context of performance material

 Performance material: eg plays, dances, ballets, musical


theatre, circus acts
 Historical: eg historical events, performance conditions,
influences, practitioners
 Social: eg audience, media, values, fashion
 Political: eg censorship, legislation, propaganda, current
events, satire
 Economic: eg private/public funding, resource costs
 Technical: eg digital technologies, industry standards,
communication technologies, stage technology
 Cultural: eg minority groups, world influence,
communities, other art forms
UNIT CONTENT
Know how to contextualise current practical work

 Performance material: eg plays, dances,


ballet, musical theatre, circus acts
 Context: eg relationship between historical
contexts and own practice, director’s
concept, choreographic
 concept, presentation concept
 Knowledge: eg conventions, practitioners,
events, venues, technology
UNIT CONTENT
Be able to communicate research findings
 Primary sources: eg personal observation, visits to
sites and venues, interviews
 Secondary sources: eg books, articles, videotape,
audiotape, internet, broadcast programmes, class
notes
 Research skills: eg note taking, visual recording,
editing, analysis, compiling, structuring
 Presentation: medium and format eg written
document, lecture, demonstration, audio/video
presentation,
 performance, CD ROM, website/blog; references
and sources; supporting evidence; conclusions

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