Drama Mrs.

McCulloch

Theatre Research Presentation

Below, you will find a list of famous people and time periods in theatre History. You
must select ONE and research them. Once you have conducted your research, you
will then prepare a 5-7 minute presentation (with slideshow) on the subject. Your
grade will be based on three components. These are:
1. Content and Information. Ask yourself, Did I do enough research to feel like
I know what I am talking about on this subject? You should feel very comfortable
with your topic and able to chat about it if asked.
2.

Format.

Is your presentation legible to the audience?

Do you use pictures to further explain or clarify your point?
Is your slideshow too busy that it takes away from your presentation or
distracts the audience?

All sources must be cited. Plagiarism is academic dishonesty and is

punishable by failure of the assignment. If you are unsure if you are
plagiarizing, ask me.
You must include a references slide at the end of your presentation. If you are
unsure how to properly cite go to http://www.easybib.com/ to use the MLA website
citation generator.
TOPICS TO CHOOSE FROM

Black Light Theatre: (in Czech ern divadlo) or simply Black Theatre is a
theatrical performance style characterized by the use of black box theatre
augmented by black light illusion. This form of theatre originated from Asia and
can be found in many places around the world. It has become a speciality of
Prague, where many theatres use it.
Bunraku Theatre: A form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in
Osaka in 1684.
Chinese Opera: A popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with
roots going back as far as the third century.
Classical: A type of theater which relies upon imagination (and therefore
limited props) to convey the setting and atmosphere of the play. Classical
theatre usually contains lofty, grand prose or free verse dialogue. Good
examples are the Elizabethan dramatists such as William Shakespeare and
Christopher Marlowe
Commedia dellarte: A type of Italian improvisational comedy that originated
in the 16th and 17th centuries that uses stock characters in masks and
costumes.

Ommanney, Katharine Anne. & Schanker,Harry H. The Stage & The School. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, March
24, 1998.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/34467/Aristophanes
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/melodrama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera

Adapted from McKinley Drama club Blogspot

Drama Mrs. McCulloch

Epic Theatre: As devised by Bertolt Brecht, epic theatre forces audience

members to constantly return to rational observation, rather than emotional
immersion. Sudden bursts of song, elements of absurdity and breaches of the
fourth wall are all prime examples of how this rational observation is constantly
revitalized; this idea is known as Verfremdung.
Euripides: An Athenian tragic playwright. One of the greatest playwrights of
Ancient Greece.
Expressionism: A cultural movement, initially in poetry and painting,
originating in Germany at the start of the 20th century. It was anti-realistic in
seeing truth lying within man. The outward appearance on stage can be
distorted and unrealistic to portray an eternal truth
George Bernard Shaw: Irish playwright & journalist.
Kabuki Theatre: A classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known
for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of
its performers
Melodrama: A sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and
exciting events/ a lot of danger in order to appeal to the emotions. A drama,
such as a play, film, or television program, characterized by exaggerated
emotions, stereotypical characters, and interpersonal conflicts.
Moliere: French playwright and actor considered to be one of the greatest
masters of comedy in Western literature.
Moscow Art Theatre: A theatre venue for naturalistic theatre. Also where
most of Constantin Stanislavskis plays were performed
Musical Theatre: Modern musical theatre is a form of theatre that also
combines music, spoken dialogue, and dance. It emerged from comic opera
(especially Gilbert and Sullivan), variety, vaudeville, and music hall genres of
the late 19th and early 20th century. [
Naturalism: Uses natural forms of speech and expression and reflects real life.
Noh Drama: A major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been
performed since the 14th century
Opera: An art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work
combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical
setting.
Origin of Greek Theatre/Greek Theatre: The Greek philosopher Aristotle
first observed what we would call theatre during the annual festivals to honor
Dionysus.
Origin of Medieval Theatre/Types of Medieval Drama: Medieval theatre
grew out of religious ritual, much like ancient Greek theatre.
Origin of Roman Theatre/Roman Theatre: Based on Greek theatre, Roman
theatre differed because it was used largely for entertainment.
Readers Theatre or Reader's Theater: A style of theatre in which the actors
do not memorize their lines. Actors use only vocal expression to help the
audience understand the story rather than visual storytelling such as sets,

Ommanney, Katharine Anne. & Schanker,Harry H. The Stage & The School. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, March
24, 1998.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/34467/Aristophanes
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/melodrama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera

Adapted from McKinley Drama club Blogspot

Drama Mrs. McCulloch

costumes, intricate blocking, and movement. This style of performance of

literature was initially lauded because it emphasized hearing a written text as a
new way to understand literature
Realism: A general movement that began in the 19th-century theatre. It
developed a set of dramatic and theatrical conventions with the aim of bringing
a greater fidelity of real life to texts and performances
Shakespeare: Often referred to as the greatest playwright in the English
language.
Sophocles: One of three tragic Greek playwrights whose works have survived
to present day.
Symbolism: A late nineteenth-century art movement of French & Belgian
origin, a backlash to naturalism and realism. The key characteristics: emphasis
on internal life of dreams/fantasies/spirituality.
Theatre of Cruelty: A form of theatre developed by avant-garde playwright,
actor, essayist, and theorist, Antonin Artaud, in The Theatre and its Double.

Presentations Tuesday November 1st and

Wednesday November 2nd

Ommanney, Katharine Anne. & Schanker,Harry H. The Stage & The School. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, March
24, 1998.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/34467/Aristophanes
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/melodrama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera

Adapted from McKinley Drama club Blogspot