1.2 - What Is Theatre?
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Introduction to Theatre: Definition and Key Characteristics
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today, we’ll explore the definition of theatre. It’s simply a performing art where stories are shared through live performance. Can anyone tell me what some key characteristics of theatre might be?
It has to be live!
Exactly! Live performance is fundamental. Theatre also involves scripted or improvised storytelling and includes stagecraft like lighting and costumes. Can anyone remember what we mean by stagecraft?
It's all the visual and sound elements that help tell the story!
That's correct! So, remember—L.S.C. stands for Live, Scripted, and Craft—these are key characteristics of theatre.
What about the people involved?
Good question! Collaboration is essential. It involves actors, directors, writers, and designers working together.
To summarize, theatre is a live, collaborative art form that uses storytelling and stagecraft to engage an audience.
MYP Theatre Objectives
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Let’s dive into the four key objectives of the MYP Theatre curriculum. Who can recall what investigating involves?
Exploring different styles and traditions!
Absolutely! Now, how about developing?
Learning and applying skills like acting and directing!
Exactly! Moving on to creating—what’s our focus there?
Making our own performances, right?
Yes! And finally, responding involves reflecting on our work. To remember these, use the acronym I.D.C.R., Investigating, Developing, Creating, and Responding. Can anyone explain the importance of these objectives?
They help us grow as performers and think critically!
Perfectly summed up!
Elements of Drama
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Let’s explore the elements of drama. The first element is plot. Can someone summarize what we mean by plot?
It’s the story—like what happens in the play!
Right! What about character?
The people in the play?
Exactly. Next is theme—a more abstract concept.
Is it the message the play conveys?
Spot on! And dialogue?
The spoken words and conversations between characters!
Great job! Keep in mind the mnemonic P.C.T.D.M.S.T., which stands for Plot, Character, Theme, Dialogue, Movement, Space, and Time as you remember the elements of drama.
Theatrical Forms and Styles
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Theatre is not just one style; there are many forms. Who can give an example of a theatrical form?
Realism!
Excellent! Realism focuses on naturalistic acting. What’s another form?
Commedia dell'Arte, with masked characters and improvisation!
Yes! And we also have styles like Expressionism and Epic Theatre. Remember, R.C.E.B.P., standing for Realism, Commedia, Expressionism, Brechtian, and Physical Theatre, can help you recall these forms. Why do you think different styles are significant in theatre?
They offer various ways to tell stories and express emotions!
Exactly, and that enhances the audience’s experience!
Key Roles in a Theatre Production
🔒 Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Lastly, let’s discuss the key roles in a theatre production. What role does an actor play?
They perform the characters!
Correct! What about the role of a director?
They guide the actors and oversee the vision of the production.
Exactly! We also have playwrights, set designers, and costume designers. Remember the acronym A.D.P.S.C.L.S., which stands for Actor, Director, Playwright, Stage Manager, Costume Designer, and Lighting Designer, to recall these roles efficiently.
Why are these roles important?
Each role contributes to the storytelling process, which showcases the importance of collaboration in theatre!
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
Theatre blends storytelling, performance, and collaboration, encompassing key elements such as acting, stage design, and direction. In the MYP curriculum, it aims to enhance students’ creativity and reflection while exploring global theatre traditions, roles in production, and the importance of critical analysis.
Detailed
Theatre is defined as a live performance art that presents stories through acting, movement, voice, and visual design, often accompanied by music. It is characterized by its live nature, collaboration between various roles, and the use of stagecraft such as lighting and costumes. Within the MYP Theatre curriculum, students engage with four objectives: investigating various traditions and techniques, developing performance skills, creating original works, and responding through reflection and critique. The elements of drama include plot, character, theme, dialogue, movement, space, time, and tension. Different theatrical forms like realism, expressionism, and the Theatre of the Absurd offer diverse approaches to storytelling. Additionally, key production roles such as actors and directors will enable students to understand the complexities behind the scenes. The integration of technology in modern theatre, the role of theatre in reflecting society, and the encouragement of personal reflection through tasks like process journals further enrich the learning experience.
Youtube Videos
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Definition of Theatre
Chapter 1 of 3
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Theatre is a performing art where stories are presented to an audience through live performance. It combines acting, movement, voice, visual design, and often music to create a compelling experience.
Detailed Explanation
Theatre is defined as a performing art, which means that it involves live performance—actors performing stories for an audience to witness in real time. This art form combines several elements: acting, which is the portrayal of characters; movement, which refers to how actors move on stage; and voice, which includes dialogue and expression. Visual design encompasses the physical aspects of the stage, like scenery, costumes, and lighting. Music can also play a crucial role, enhancing emotions or setting the mood for the performance.
Examples & Analogies
Think of theatre like a movie, but instead of being recorded, it happens right in front of you. You can feel the energy of the audience and the actors. It’s like attending a concert where every song tells a story, and the performers interact with the crowd; that’s the magic of live theatre.
Key Characteristics of Theatre
Chapter 2 of 3
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
Key Characteristics of Theatre:
• Live performance in front of an audience
• Scripted or improvised storytelling
• Use of stagecraft, such as lighting, costumes, sound, and set design
• Collaboration among actors, directors, writers, designers, and crew
Detailed Explanation
Theatre has several key characteristics. Firstly, it’s performed live, which means the audience witnesses the action as it happens, making each performance unique. The storytelling can be scripted, using written plays, or improvised, allowing actors to create dialogue and scenes on the spot. Stagecraft refers to all the behind-the-scenes work that enhances the performance, including lighting, which affects how scenes are perceived, costumes that define characters, sound to add depth, and set design that creates the environment where the story takes place. Lastly, theatre is a collaborative effort, as it requires input and creativity from many people—actors, directors, writers, designers, and crew members—all working together to bring a story to life.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a team of chefs in a kitchen preparing a meal for guests. Each chef has a specific role—some chop vegetables, others cook, while some handle desserts. Just like the kitchen team, theatre relies on collaboration where each person contributes their talent to create a finished product—the performance—that audiences enjoy.
MYP Theatre Objectives
Chapter 3 of 3
🔒 Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
The MYP Theatre curriculum is structured around four key objectives:
1. Investigating
o Explore theatre traditions, styles, and techniques from various cultures and eras.
2. Developing
o Learn and apply theatrical skills such as acting, directing, stage design, and scriptwriting.
3. Creating
o Devise and perform original or adapted dramatic works.
4. Responding
o Reflect on artistic choices, analyse performances, and critique both personal and peer work.
Detailed Explanation
In the MYP Theatre curriculum, students are encouraged to engage with four main objectives. The first is 'Investigating,' where they learn by exploring various theatre traditions, styles, and techniques from around the world and throughout history. The second objective, 'Developing,' focuses on acquiring practical skills such as acting, directing, design, and writing. The third objective, 'Creating,' involves students coming up with their own original works or adapting existing stories for performance. Finally, 'Responding' encourages students to think critically about their artistic choices and performances, analyzing what works and what can be improved, both in their own work and in the performances of others.
Examples & Analogies
Think of learning theatre like training for a sports team. You first study the history of the sport (Investigating), then you practice your skills during training (Developing), you play a game (Creating), and afterward, you review the game footage to analyze your performance and improve for next time (Responding).
Key Concepts
-
Theatre: A live performing art that tells stories.
-
Stagecraft: Technical elements that enhance the performance.
-
Plot: The sequence of events in a story.
-
Character: Portrayal of individuals in a play.
-
Theme: The central message conveyed through the production.
-
Collaboration: The teamwork of various roles in a production.
Examples & Applications
In a play like 'Romeo and Juliet', the plot centers around the tragic love story between the two main characters.
In a performance of 'Hamlet', characters express complex emotions through dialogue and soliloquies.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
In theatre, we act and we play, Live stories unfold day by day.
Stories
Imagine a world where actors become characters, breathing life into the writer's words while staging the emotions that connect us all.
Memory Tools
Remember the acronym P.C.T.D.M.S.T. for Plot, Character, Theme, Dialogue, Movement, Space, and Time.
Acronyms
L.S.C. stands for Live, Scripted, and Craft reflecting key characteristics of theatre.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Theatre
A performing art that combines storytelling and live performance to convey narratives.
- Stagecraft
The technical aspects of theatre, including lighting, costumes, sound, and set design.
- Plot
The sequence of events that make up a story.
- Character
The individuals portrayed in a play.
- Theme
The central idea or underlying message of a play.
- Dialogue
The spoken words exchanged between characters.
- Collaboration
The process of working together between different roles in theatre.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.