COSI
The following words should be understood and used in your discussion and written analysis.
Definition
Synonyms and similar terms
asylum
A place for the care and maintenance of the
mentally ill and other people requiring
specialized care.
Protection or sanctuary from attack or danger.
safe house, refuge, shelter, sanctuary,
protection, institution, mental hospital, nut
house
audience
The spectators of an event or play. The location
and expectations of an audience will impact on
the staging of any performance.
auditory, audible, spectators, attendants,
house, crowd, audition
black comedy
A theatrical form that allows serious or sensitive farce
issues to be presented in a comical context. The
audience are encouraged to laugh at things that
are not normally considered humorous.
Examples of issues dealt with in black comedy
include danger, confusion, death, misfortune.
The plan of the positions and moves of the
layout, plan, setup
actors. This is usually done early in the
rehearsal period.
blocking
bourgeois
Having conventional ideas, tastes or values.
Often used as an insult.
bourgeoisie, middle class, know-it-all
Links to COSI
cast
The actors who will rehearse and play the roles
of the characters in the play.
crew, group, ensemble, company
comatose
In a state of deep sleep, from which it is hard to
awaken.
listless, coma, unconscious, drowsy, out of
it, oblivious, dull, sluggish, apathetic,
senseless, lethargic, drugged
conscription
Compulsory military service.
When a country needs people to fight in a war,
but there aren't enough volunteers, sometimes
they'll begin conscription, which is a law that
says if you are able to fight, you have to fight.
Being unchanging, constant or faithful.
conscripted, forced, selected, drafted,
mustered, corralled, recruited, mobilized,
coerced, conspire
costume
The clothing worn by an actor to designate
character.
apparel, clothing, attire, garb, dress, outfit,
guise, costumed, uniform, garments
design
The conceptualisation of the staging of the play.
The overall design concept includes lighting,
staging, sound, costume and make-up.
designer, appearance, designed, layout,
scheme, sketch, plan, concept, blueprint,
arrangement, project
dialogue
Speech delivered by more than one speaker.
conversation, talk, discussion, discuss
constancy
constant, loyal, devoted, devotion,
allegiance, regular, stable, persevere,
perseverance, devotional, loyalty, firm,
steadfast, true, permanent, dogged
director
The person with the overall concept of the
production. The director manages all rehearsals
and oversees the work of the designers.
direct, direction, manager, arranger,
conductor, boss, chief, head, principal,
leader, overseer, in charge
electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT)
A medical procedure, done under general
anaesthesia, in which small electric currents are
passed through the brain, intentionally
triggering a brief seizure.
It seems to cause changes in brain chemistry
that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain
mental illnesses. It is often applied when other
treatments are unsuccessful.
A performing group that shows a strong sense
of trust, belonging and working well together.
shock treatment, zapped
farce
A comedy involving a series of ridiculously
unlikely or absurd events or situations.
ludicrous, ridiculous, farcical, unbelievable,
absurd, strange, laughable, unlikely
form
The structure of a play. The form often relates
to traditional drama structures.
format, formative, formula, formation,
given
circumstances
Background information, at any given moment,
that helps with the interpretation of the text. It
may include information about previous
incidents or events, relationships between
characters, motivation and so on.
A person who has too much of something,
usually food.
synopsis, background, back story, reasons,
influences, conditions, situation
ensemble
glutton
assemble, group, cast, whole, band, all,
comrades, family, troupe, company
glut, pig, greedy, eater,
idealism
A belief that things can be perfect.
idea, ideal, optimism, optimistic, nobleminded, utopian
idiosyncrasy
A person’s thoughts or actions that are different
to others.
idiot, idiotic, peculiar, individual,
eccentric, eccentricities, singular,
singularity, different, aberration, abnormal,
abnormality, attribute, foible, oddity,
peculiarity, characteristic
illusion
Something false that people believe to exist or
be true.
falsehood, imagination, trick, fantasy,
vision, phantom, fallacy, magic, error,
magical, magician, illusionist,
misconception, misconceive, ghost, dream
infidelity
Not being faithful to something or someone.
unfaithful, fidelity, false, treachery,
treacherous, underhand, disloyal, cheat,
cheating, dishonest, adultery, adulterer
inmates
People confined to a prison or hospital.
resident, prisoner, captive, patient,
occupant, incumbent, detainee, inpatient
institutionalised To place a person in an institution or place
where their needs are cared for. The person is
usually unable to leave voluntarily.
interpretation
The meaning made of a given piece of text,
based on the evidence found within that text.
locked up, institute, institution
interpret, definition, version, rendering,
translation, reading, understanding,
illustrate, illustrator, interpreter, clarify
liaison
Communication or interaction between different
parties.
A collaboration between people, often illicit or
involving a hidden sexual relationship
liaise, network, schmooze, affair,
assignation
lighting
The way lights are used and modified by
changing focus, colour or intensity to draw
attention to aspects of a production.
lit, illumination, spotlight, lighten, light
Lithium
A drug used to cure or treat periods of manic
depression. It is designed to stabilise mood
swings.
lithe, Valium, downer
lobotomy
A surgical operation involving operating on the
prefrontal lobe of the brain, formerly used to
treat mental illness.
psychosurgery, lobe
mad
nuts, loony, wild, demented, absurd, lunatic,
daft, foolish, maddening, frenzied, frazzled,
senseless, maniacal, strange, odd
manic
depression
Mentally disturbed - Wildly excited - Enraged
or angry or greatly irritated - Extremely foolish
or unwise.
The state of being mad or insane - In a rage or
frenzy
A mental disorder that alternates between
feelings of excitement and depression.
misogyny
A hatred of women.
abhorrence, dislike, bigotry, aversion,
antipathy
madness
manic, depressed, low, funk, high, euphoric,
roller coaster
monologue
A lengthy speech by a single speaker, which
may reveal thoughts, feelings and motivation.
talking to yourself, speech, recitation, solo,
aside, talk, lecture, soliloquy
moratorium
A temporary ban, delay or stopping of some
activity.
cessation, halt, deferment, reprieve,
postponement, freeze, truce, break, suspend,
pause
motivation
The driving force behind the words and actions
of a character.
cause, reason, drive, impulse, provocation,
stimulation, inducement, spur, motive,
encouragement, influence, motivate
naturalism
A style of writing or performance designed to
be realistic, not exaggerated or unnatural.
pragmatic, real, natural, literal, faithful,
authentic
obsessive
compulsive
disorder
(OCD)
A persistent and uncontrollable drive to
complete a particular activity or series of them.
driven, feverish, fanatical, fixated,
compelling, forced, controlling, irresistible,
compulsory, disturbed, illness, ill, sick,
troubled
patients
People under medical care or suffering from
something that requires attention.
clients, patience, inmates, sick, sufferers,
patient
play review
An evaluation of a performance of a play. Play
reviews are usually written.
response, critic, criticism, opinion,
inspection, inspect, examination, survey,
investigate, scrutiny, check
plot
The story or sequence of action of a play.
story, plan, outline, layout, design
pragmatic
Dealing with things in a practical way.
black-and-white, simple, straight forward,
clear, unambiguous, pragmatism, practical,
sensible, down-to-earth, matter-of-fact,
realistic, logical, useful, rational, functional
props
Moveable objects used by characters as part of
the dramatic action.
equipment, tools, supports, property,
belongings
psychosis
A severe mental disorder that affects their
whole personality and behaviour.
psycho, psychiatrist, madness, psychotic,
mania, derangement, deranged, manic,
maniac, crazy, disturbed, ill, illness, mental
illness, lunacy, lunatic, neurosis, sickness
pyromania
A compulsion to set things on fire
arsonist, pyromaniac, pyro, fire, burn
scenes
The sections into which a play is divided by the
playwright.
scenic, scenery
set
Stage/acting area complete with furniture,
decorations, props and scenery.
stage, performance space, layout
setting
The location of the action of the play.
scene, surroundings, place, site, spot,
environment, locale
Socialism
A political system or belief that values equality
and social justice for people.
democracy, equality, freedom, choice,
collective
stage directions
Information in the written play text that gives
advice to the actors and director about the
setting, characters’ actions or movement, or
how lines are to be delivered.
prompt, instructions, cues
stage manager
The individual who manages and supervises all
backstage action. The stage manager ‘calls’ the
show by cuing the lighting and sound operators
and the changes of set, props or curtains.
boss, controller, organiser, facilitator,
director
style
The way or manner in which a play is written or
performed.
fashion, approach, kind, genre, label, type,
technique, form
sub-text
The underlying idea behind what is said.
meaning,
technician
The person who operates the machinery,
lighting, sound equipment or computers used to
enhance a production.
technical, technicality, practitioner,
tradesman, craftsman, expert, authority,
master, operator
therapeutic
Something that is healing or provides relief
from sickness or disease.
therapy, therapist, remedial, curative, cure,
medicinal, medicine, medical, beneficial,
remedy, good, worthwhile, relieving,
recuperative, helpful
thespian
An actor or actress, usually in a drama or
tragedy.
actor, actress, performer, theatrical, player,
stage player, theatre, ham, character, star,
dramatist, tragic, theatrical