Théâtre - Concepts Clés

Théâtre - Concepts

• Acme: The peak of crisis in a play, usually near the middle. It can affect characters' morals and psychology.
• Acts: Historically, acts lasted as long as candles burned, typically 3-5.
• Conflict: The opposing forces or characters in a play. The main actors driving the play.
• Aside: A character's private remark to themselves/meant for the audience, as if others can't hear.
• Conventions: Societal customs or rules of a period in theatre.
• Chorus: In ancient theatre, a group of actors who commented on and performed parts of the play.
• Comedy: A play with a happy ending.
• Comedic Devices: Common forms of comedy include slapstick, physical humor, exaggerated gestures, and repeating lines.
• Commedia dell'arte: An Italian form of comedic theatre relying on improvisation using stock characters.
• Deus ex Machina: A plot device where an unexpected, improbable event resolves a seemingly unsolvable problem in a play.
• Décor: The scenery or backdrop of a play, illustrating place, time, and social standing.
• Development: The rise and progression of a problem in the play to a breaking point.
• Didascalies: Stage directions given by the playwright. These are notes for the actors or directors regarding their actions/movements/emotions.
• Exposition: The initial scene of a play that introduces the characters, background and present situation.
• Farce: A kind of comedy that uses simple techniques to be comedic, often involving a trickster/victim.
• Director: The person managing the actors throughout the play's preparation and performance.
• History: The events portrayed in a play.
• Monologue: A long speech by a character.
• Mise-en-scène: The staging—actors' movement, their interactions and the technical elements—a director's style and interpretation.
• Plot: The sequence of events in a play. What happens during and in relation to the situation.
• Protagonist: The main character struggling against opposing forces.
• Soliloquy: An act of a character alone on stage speaking aloud their thoughts.
• Suspense: A moment of uncertainty and anticipation. The building tension of a play before a revelation, climax or major turning point.
• Stock Characters: Recurring characters with set personalities in a type of play.
• Tragedy: A play with a sad ending/unfortunate conclusion that often involves some sort of fatality or misfortune.
• Theatricality: The overall artistic quality that creates the dramatic effect, including presentation.
• Time frame in play: Typically, plays in classical theatre are represented on a single day of a specific time frame.
• Setting: The place and time setting of a play.