JM Nelson: HUM1020
Theatre Terms
THEATRE TERMS
GENRE- Types of plays:
 Tragedy- a serious drama in which conflict between a protagonist and
a superior force (often fate) concludes in disaster for the hero, who
often has a tragic flaw that participates in his own downfall
 Comedy- a genre that deals with the light or the amusing or with
serious matters in a light or satiric manner. A farce is wildly active
with a trivial theme; a satire uses ridicule and irony
 Tragicomedy- a drama combining the qualities of tragedy and comedy,
a mixed form that may have no happy ending, but at least catastrophe
is avoided
 Melodrama- this genre is characterized by stereotyped characters,
implausible plots, and an emphasis on spectacle; for instanced, the
forces of good and evil battling in exaggerated circumstances
ELEMENTS OF PRODUCTION- How it is put together:
 Script- the written document that contains the dialogue used by the
actors, with its language & tone
 Plot- structure of the play, the skeleton that gives the play shape and
on which the elements are hung. How the play moves through time,
from one moment to the next
 Climax- the ultimate crisis, in order to keep our attention, the
dynamics of the play rise in intensity until they reach the climax
 Denouement- after the climax, the events of the play relax through a
resolution called the denouement to the end of the play. The final
resolution of the plot, ideally the denouement brings about a clear and
ordered resolution
 Exposition- this is the necessary background information through
which the playwright introduces the characters, their personalities,
relationships, backgrounds, and present situation. This is often a
recognizable section at the beginning of a play, and can be presented
through dialogue, narration, setting, lighting, and/or costume
 Point of attack- where the playwright takes up the story; the amount
of exposition depends on this; a play told chronologically may need
little expositional material
1
JM Nelson: HUM1020








Theatre Terms
Complication- this is something that frustrates the normally expected
course of events, giving the audience a reason to be interested in the
outcome.
Inciting incident- introduces the complication. The inciting incident is
an action or decision that upsets the current state of affairs, and
opens the middle part of the play or the complication.
Foreshadowing- preparation for subsequent action, it provides
credibility for future action, and moves the play forward by pointing
to events that will occur later
Discovery- revelation of information about characters, their
personalities, relationships, and feelings
Reversal –any turn of fortune. In comedy it often changes the roles of
the social classes
Character- the psychological motivation of the persons in play;
Interest in the drama lies in the exploration of how persons with
specific character motivations react to the circumstances they find
themselves in
Protagonist- central personage, we journey through the workings of
the play by the actions and decisions of the protagonist. This is not
always clear, and may depend upon who the director chooses to focus
Theme- the ideas that comprise the intellectual content of the play;
not necessarily the plot, which is what the play is about, but the
thought behind the play which is for us to discover and develop
There are three aspects of this
a) The playwright’s idea,
b) The interpretation of the director & his decisions, and
c) The audience’s perception
VISUAL ELEMENTS
 Theatre types- the theatre setting provides aesthetic distance. This
allows us to become involved in what we know is fictitious. Our
response to a production is shaped by the design of the space in which
the play is produced.
1. Arena- the audience surrounds the playing area on all sides
2. Thrust- a three-quarter theatre, in which the audience
surrounds the playing area on three sides
3. Proscenium- the audience sits on one side only and views the
action through a frame
2
JM Nelson: HUM1020
Theatre Terms
Scene design (stage setting) - the purpose is to create an
environment conducive to the production’s ends. The same tools of
composition are used- line, form, mass, color, repetition, and unity- as
in painting. Also, since the stage design occupies three-dimensional
space and must allow for the movement of the actors, the set or
scene designer is also a sculptor. The scene designer is limited by the
stage space and concepts of the director, as well as the abilities of
the staff available to execute the design.
 Lighting design- the lighting designer works to sculpt with light and
shadows; they must enhance the color of a costume, accent the
physique of an actor and reinforce the plasticity of a setting. They
reinforce the dramatic structure and dynamics of the play, working
within the framework of light and shade. Without shadows and
highlights, the human face and body become imperceptible.
 Stage Costuming- costume designers work with the entire body of the
actor including hair styles and makeup to suit a specific purpose.
Stage costuming has three functions:
1. accents which actors are the most important, and shows the
relationships between them
2. reflects- a particular era, time of day, climate, season,
location, or occasion
3. reveals -the style of the performance, the characters of
the personages, and the personages’ social position,
profession, cleanliness, age, physique, and health
Properties- two groups:
1. Set props- these are part of the set design, such as
furniture, pictures, rugs, fireplace accessories, etc. They
identify the mood of the play and the character of those
who inhabit the world they portray
2. Hand props- these are used by the actors to help portray
characters, such as cigarettes, papers, glasses, etc.
Properties can be significant to our understanding of a playif all is neat and in order as the curtain opens, but as the
play develops the actors disrupt the properties, that
transition can help illustrate what may have happened
Aural elements- this also contributes to our understanding of the play. It
includes background music, the actor’s voices, and sound effects



3
JM Nelson: HUM1020
Theatre Terms
Dynamics – this is the structural pattern of a play, the patterns help to
hold the interest of the audience. The production must employ devices
whereby our interest can peak and relax. The director controls where and
how high these peaks occur by controlling the volume & intensity of the
actors.
 The Actor: the main channel of communication between the playwright
and the audience. The actor’s portrayal of a role that enhance our
response and understanding are two-fold:
1.) Speech, or the manner in which the lines (written by the
playwright) are delivered; the actor’s interpretation of the lines
2) Physical reinforcement of the character’s motivation.
The consistency of the motivations drives the decisions and actions of the
actor. These further aid our understanding of the play.

4