An Introduction to THEATRE

“Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and

necessary to sustain life. But the arts, poetry, beauty, romance, these are

what we stay alive for.”

What is theatre?• The difference between theater and theatre…– Theater is the space– Theatre is the art-form

• “Theater” means “The place for seeing”

What is a play?

• A play is a piece of literature, written by a playwright, and performed in a theater by an actor.

Basic Drama terms:

• Play- A script that is performed on stage. AKA “show”• Playwright- the author of a play• Character- the person an actor plays (not real)• Cast- all the actors in a show• Actor/Actress- the person who plays the character• Crew- anyone involved in a play besides the actors• Technical theatre- All the aspects outside of acting

(costumes, lights, set, etc.)• Thespian- A term for a person regularly involved in

theatre

Basic Types of theatre:A.K.A. “Genres”

• Drama- “Action.” – Not always sad, just serious!– Tragedy (sad ending)– Melodrama- overly dramatic

• Comedy– Usually funny plays with big “styles.”– Farce- making fun of something

• Plays usually include moments of both comedy AND drama.

• Musical– Usually very stylized plays with music.

Places for theatre:

• Broadway- in NY, NY. Musicals only

• Off-Broadway- in the area outside of Broadway, still in NY. Here they do straight plays (non musical plays) and lower budget plays

• Community- in any community in the US

• Touring theatre- professional shows that travel around the country