DRAMA ONE
DRAMA ONE PRE-KNOWLEDGE SURVEY
Name __________________________________________________ Date ______________ Period _______
Welcome to Drama One!
I want to know more about you and see what you know so that I can pace the class accordingly. Please
read through the following questions and answer them as completely and honestly as you can (and of
course, please be kind.)
Have you seen a live stage show before? If so, please list what you’ve seen:
Have you ever been in a show or worked as a crew member of a show? If yes, please list shows and
your responsibilities:
If you signed up for this class as your elective, what drew you to this class?
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
1
What do you think we’ll be doing in this class throughout the year?
What do you hope we’ll be doing in this class throughout the year?
Are there any plays you’d like to either act in or work on this year?
Who’s your favorite actor and why?
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
2
What’s your favorite hobby or activity (outside of theatre)?
Is there anything you’d like to tell me about yourself?
What’s one question you have about me?
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
3
CONTENT QUESTIONS:
The following questions are about the things we’re going to learn throughout the course of the year.
Please answer these questions to the best of your ability. If you don’t know the answer, give it the best
guess that you can. You’ll answer similar questions at the end of the semester so this is a great way for
me to know if I’m explaining everything as clearly as I possible. Thanks for your help!
What do you think are the 3 most important tools of an actor and why?
What is the part of a script called that the actors don’t speak out loud but gives information about the
scene and the action?
Why do we use the terms “upstage” and “downstage” in theatre?
Where is the diaphragm muscle and what does it do?
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
4
Articulators are involved in the creation of speech. What do articulators do? Please list them:
Who was the Greek god of wine and agriculture?
Please list any Ancient Greek playwrights that you’ve heard of or have read:
In improvisation there is a guideline that says “Accept the offer” what do you think that means?
What is a stock character? List examples of a stock character:
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
5
What was The Renaissance? What effect do you think it had on theatre?
What clues do actors look for in a script?
Who was Constantin Stanislavski?
What does it means when someone “raises the stakes”? What do you think that means for an actor?
Who was William Shakespeare? Please list as many details about him as you can:
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
6
In Kabuki, a Japanese style of theatre, who plays all of the women’s roles?
How many puppeteers control one puppet in Bunraku (a form of Japanese puppetry)?
What is a prop and who uses it in theatre?
What is the person called who’s in charge of props in theatre?
What is the name of the drawing of a set from above? This same type of drawing is also used to show
the layout of rooms in a house, building, or apartment.
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
7
What does it mean when something is “drawn to scale?”
What’s the first thing a scenic designer does when he or she designs a show?
What do you call a person who writes a play? Please spell it correctly!
What’s the term for when one person is speaking in a play?
What’s the term for when two or more people are speaking in a play?
Who was Aristotle and what were the “unities” he wrote about in his book The Poetics?
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
8
What information is in a press release?
What information should be on a poster to promote a show?
What do you think the house manager does in a theatre company? (please don’t write “manages the
house”)
Why do people study theatre?
Drama Teacher
ACADEMY
© Karen Loftus 2016
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