THEATRE TERMSPart One

DRAMA

A story written to be performed by actors

COMEDYA humorous play that has a light tone and happy ending

TRAGEDY

A play that ends in the death of a main character

SCRIPT

The written text of a play

MONOLOGUE

A long speech given by one character

SOLILOQUYAn extended

speech given by a character that expresses inner thoughts aloud to himself and the audience

ASIDE A brief monologue for the audience that is unheard by other characters on stage

PUN

A play on words that exploits similar sounds or multiple meanings

GROUNDLINGS

Audience members in Shakespeare’s time

who watched from the cheapest seats

THE GLOBE

The theatre where most of Shakespeare’s play were performed

OXYMORON

A pair of words that contradict each other

DRAMATIC IRONY

When the audience knows something that the characters do not know

SITUATIONAL IRONY

When what happens is the opposite of what one would expect

PROLOGUE An introduction to a play, usually spoken by the chorus

FOIL

A character who contrasts with or is the opposite of another character

ACT

A major section of a play, usually made up of

several scenes

SCENEA subdivision

of an act that changes for a new time or location; ends when the characters leave the stage

BLOCKING The process

of arranging moves to be made by the actors during the play

CHARACTER The mental

and moral qualities distinctive to an individual within the world of the play.

DIRECTOR Broadly, the

role involves being responsible for the overall artistic vision of a production.

GESTURE Body or facial movements of a character during a play.

MIME Form of

performance with no spoken words. Plot, character etc. are conveyed to the audience by movement and gesture

PANTOMIME a musical-comedy

family-orientated theatrical production -- Popular pantos include Cinderella, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose

CUE Any signal (spoken

line, action or count) that indicates another action should follow (i.e. the actors' cue to enter is when the Maid says "I hear someone coming! Quick - Hide!")