Theater Terminology Flashcards

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Exposition

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A part of plot containing necessary background information

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Aesthetic distance

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The mental and physical separation of the audience from the performance.

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Complication

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A part of plot containing a series of conflicts and decisions by the characters.

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Blocking

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Planned movement and positioning of actors on stage

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Dénoument

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A part of plot containing the final resolution.

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Melodrama

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A genre characterized by stereotyped characters, implausible plots, and an exaggerated circumstances.

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Performance Art

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A theatrical-type performance that combines elements from fields in the humanities and the arts.

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Soliloquy

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Speech by a character alone on stage, revealing thoughts

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Monologue

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Extended speech by one character, with or without others present

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Tragedy

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A serious drama or other literary work in which conflict between a protagonist and a superior force (often fate) concludes in disaster for the protagonist.