THEATRE PRAXIS QUESTIONS UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. An elementary school teacher is organizing a lesson with the goal of exploring performance through the
use of improvisation. Which of the following group activities is most likely to promote effective student
learning as part of the lesson?
A. Practicing a choreographed dance to a popular song
B. Drawing pictures of selected characters from a story
C. Reading through a play-script and blocking action
D. Creating a simple skit inspired by a costume piece
Answer:
D. is the correct answer because this activity clearly reinforces the goal of the lesson; by working together
to present a simple skit based on a costume piece, students will be exploring performance through
improvisation.
Question:
2. Selections from which of the following books are most appropriate to assign to middle school theatre
students who are beginning their study of Shakespeare?
A. Playing Shakespeare by John Barton
B. Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
C. Prefaces to Shakespeare by Harley Granville-Barker
D. Shakespeare Our Contemporary by Jan Kolt
Answer:
B. is the correct answer. Charles and Mary Lamb's classic prose adaptation, Tales from Shakespeare
(1807), was one of the first such works to provide young people access to the play by simplifying their
complicated plots and archaic language. It is the only option that is at an appropriate reading level for
middle school students.
Question:
3. In a high school acting class, students are assessed at specific points during the school year, utilizing
their input as well as their teacher's. Which of the following methods best contributes to this assessment?
A. Having students give oral presentations to the class in which they reveal a recent grade they earned and
explain how they think they might improve their performance
B. Conferencing with each student to discuss specific areas where the student must work harder to earn a
better grade
C. Administering a form to the students on which they will rate themselves according to several criteria
and provide written explanations for the ratings
D. Having students prepare portfolios of their work for the teacher that are indicative of their best efforts
and of areas that need improvement
Answer:
C. is the correct answer. Having students complete a self-evaluation form prepared by the teacher will
allow the teacher to gain meaningful input from students about their progress. By preparing the form, the
teacher can guide students toward specific areas to emphasize in their self-evaluations, and by asking
students to explain their answers, the teacher will encourage them to reflect meaningfully on their work.
,Question:
4. Which of the following scenarios provides an example of a diagnostic assessment?
A. On the first day of class, a high school theatre teacher assesses students' skills as performers by putting
them into pairs and having each pair present an unrehearsed reading of a two-person scene.
B. Midway through the term, a middle school theatre teacher assesses students, skills as performers by
having each student give two performances of a monologue, the first based on the student's own
interpretation of the text and the second based on feedback provided by the teacher.
C. A middle school theatre teacher assesses students by having them take a final exam covering key theatre
terms and ideas that have been discussed over the course of the year.
D. A high school theatre teacher assesses students by having them present a fully staged production to an
audience of teachers and peers.
Answer:
A. is the correct answer. A diagnostic assessment is one that provides a teacher with information about
students' prior knowledge, skills, or abilities. As a result of the assessment described, the teacher will gain
knowledge of the performance skills that the students already have before they start the class.
Question:
5. Over the course of a unit on character development, a theatre teacher periodically asks carefully
designed questions to assess students' understanding of the material and to help them better achieve the
learning goals of the unit. The teacher's questions are an example of which type of assessment?
A. Formative
B. Summative
C. Authentic
D. Portfolio
Answer:
A. is the correct answer. Formative assessments are administered during the learning process and can be
used to develop students' understanding of new material.
Question:
6. During a unit on voice, a high school drama teacher wants students to analyze a vocal performance,
focusing exclusively on how an actor uses his or her voice to convey meaning and emotion. Which of the
following means of presenting the performance to students is most likely to help them focus solely on
vocal performance?
A. Showing a video recording of an actor addressing the camera.
B. Playing a studio recording of an actor performing a monologue.
C. Inviting volunteers from the community theatre to perform a scene for the class.
D. Distributing copies of the soundtrack of a complete production to students.
Answer:
B. is the correct answer. A studio recording of an actor delivering a monologue would isolate only the
audio portion of the actor's performance, allowing the students to focus solely on the actors voice and
intonations.
,Question:
7. A teacher has students interview family members about an important event in the family's life. The
teacher then works with students to adapt the interviewees' responses into performances. Using this
approach, which of the following will each student-made performance incorporate?
A. Autoethnography
B. Oral History
C. Forum theatre
D. Feedback theatre
Answer:
B. is the correct answer. The performance incorporates individuals' accounts of important events in the
lives of the students' families. Such accounts, obtained through interviews, are a defining feature of oral
history.
Question:
8. Which of the following plays uses detailed depictions of domestic activities to help develop the play's
central concerns regarding gender and social class?
A. Euripides' Medea
B. Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godoy
C. August Strindberg's Miss Julie
D. Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Soprano
Answer:
C is the correct answer. Miss Julie uses detailed depictions of domestic activity, such as a servant clearing
a table, to help develop the play's central concerns regarding gender and social class as they manifest in a
battle for social and sexual superiority between a servant and his mistress.
Question:
9. On the first day of class, a middle school theatre teacher uses an improvisational exercise to introduce
the theme of an original performance that the students will be developing over the course of the term.
Which of the following components of the creative process is the teacher most directly addressing with the
improvisational exercise?
A. Preparation
B. Incubation
C. Illumination
D. Modeling
Answer:
A is the correct answer. Preparation involves the initial definition of an issue (here, the theme) and is
generally the first step in the creative process.
Question:
10. A high school drama teacher wants students to experience collaboration with peers involved in other
arts programs at the school. Which of the following approaches will be most effective for the teacher to
take?
A. Inviting visual arts students to design posters for a production featuring theatre students in leading roles.
B. Creating an open mic night where students involved in various artistic disciplines can present their
work.
C. Asking theatre and dance students to devise original performances combining movement and dialogue.
D. Screening documentaries for theatre students about notable creative partnerships between artists
representing different mediums.
, Answer:
C is the correct answer. It is the only choice that provides the opportunity for students to gain firsthand
experience as collaborators with their peers.
Question:
11. In a classroom adaptation of the theatre game called building a story, created by Viola Spolin, a student
begins telling a story, and the teacher calls on the other students to continue it, each student picking up
where the previous student left off. The goal of the game is for the group to tell a cohesive story. Which of
the following skills is most directly addressed by this game?
A. Listening
B. Projection
C. Diction
D. Evaluating
Answer:
A is the correct answer. To be successful at the game, players must listen carefully to the storyteller so that
whoever is chosen next can continue the story in a cohesive way.
Question:
12. Two sixth graders have accepted roles in a play in which their characters kiss during a moment that is a
crucial to the plot. The teacher informed the students about the kiss before they accepted the roles, and
neither student expressed concerns about it. However, during rehearsals, the students show obvious
discomfort, giggling and avoiding eye contact with each other. Which strategy is most likely to help the
students overcome their discomfort?
A. Giving the students a list of films that provide appropriate examples of characters kissing.
B. Substituting for the kiss an affectionate gesture that both students are comfortable with, such as a hug.
C. Working with the students to create specific choreography and to establish clear guidelines for the kiss.
D. Encouraging the students to practice the kiss on their own and then demonstrate it for the teacher in a
private rehearsal.
Answer:
C is the correct answer. Working with the students to create specific choreography and to establish clear
guidelines for the kiss will help the students overcome their discomfort by making them feel physically
and emotionally safe.
Question:
13. Anna, a high school theatre student with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is
rehearsing for the school play. She is having trouble staying in character when the scene calls for her to be
listening quietly and intently to the other characters on stage. Which of the following strategies will best
help Anna maintain concentration and stay in character during those moments without distracting from the
performance?
A. Allowing Anna to reposition herself whenever she feels unable to focus on the onstage action.
B. Having another performer in the scene call out Anna's name whenever her focus appears to wander.
C. Giving Anna a rubber ball to keep in a pocket and squeeze in her hand when she needs something to
focus on.
D. Encouraging Anna to refocus herself by making eye contact with a peer who is seated in the wings.
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. An elementary school teacher is organizing a lesson with the goal of exploring performance through the
use of improvisation. Which of the following group activities is most likely to promote effective student
learning as part of the lesson?
A. Practicing a choreographed dance to a popular song
B. Drawing pictures of selected characters from a story
C. Reading through a play-script and blocking action
D. Creating a simple skit inspired by a costume piece
Answer:
D. is the correct answer because this activity clearly reinforces the goal of the lesson; by working together
to present a simple skit based on a costume piece, students will be exploring performance through
improvisation.
Question:
2. Selections from which of the following books are most appropriate to assign to middle school theatre
students who are beginning their study of Shakespeare?
A. Playing Shakespeare by John Barton
B. Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
C. Prefaces to Shakespeare by Harley Granville-Barker
D. Shakespeare Our Contemporary by Jan Kolt
Answer:
B. is the correct answer. Charles and Mary Lamb's classic prose adaptation, Tales from Shakespeare
(1807), was one of the first such works to provide young people access to the play by simplifying their
complicated plots and archaic language. It is the only option that is at an appropriate reading level for
middle school students.
Question:
3. In a high school acting class, students are assessed at specific points during the school year, utilizing
their input as well as their teacher's. Which of the following methods best contributes to this assessment?
A. Having students give oral presentations to the class in which they reveal a recent grade they earned and
explain how they think they might improve their performance
B. Conferencing with each student to discuss specific areas where the student must work harder to earn a
better grade
C. Administering a form to the students on which they will rate themselves according to several criteria
and provide written explanations for the ratings
D. Having students prepare portfolios of their work for the teacher that are indicative of their best efforts
and of areas that need improvement
Answer:
C. is the correct answer. Having students complete a self-evaluation form prepared by the teacher will
allow the teacher to gain meaningful input from students about their progress. By preparing the form, the
teacher can guide students toward specific areas to emphasize in their self-evaluations, and by asking
students to explain their answers, the teacher will encourage them to reflect meaningfully on their work.
,Question:
4. Which of the following scenarios provides an example of a diagnostic assessment?
A. On the first day of class, a high school theatre teacher assesses students' skills as performers by putting
them into pairs and having each pair present an unrehearsed reading of a two-person scene.
B. Midway through the term, a middle school theatre teacher assesses students, skills as performers by
having each student give two performances of a monologue, the first based on the student's own
interpretation of the text and the second based on feedback provided by the teacher.
C. A middle school theatre teacher assesses students by having them take a final exam covering key theatre
terms and ideas that have been discussed over the course of the year.
D. A high school theatre teacher assesses students by having them present a fully staged production to an
audience of teachers and peers.
Answer:
A. is the correct answer. A diagnostic assessment is one that provides a teacher with information about
students' prior knowledge, skills, or abilities. As a result of the assessment described, the teacher will gain
knowledge of the performance skills that the students already have before they start the class.
Question:
5. Over the course of a unit on character development, a theatre teacher periodically asks carefully
designed questions to assess students' understanding of the material and to help them better achieve the
learning goals of the unit. The teacher's questions are an example of which type of assessment?
A. Formative
B. Summative
C. Authentic
D. Portfolio
Answer:
A. is the correct answer. Formative assessments are administered during the learning process and can be
used to develop students' understanding of new material.
Question:
6. During a unit on voice, a high school drama teacher wants students to analyze a vocal performance,
focusing exclusively on how an actor uses his or her voice to convey meaning and emotion. Which of the
following means of presenting the performance to students is most likely to help them focus solely on
vocal performance?
A. Showing a video recording of an actor addressing the camera.
B. Playing a studio recording of an actor performing a monologue.
C. Inviting volunteers from the community theatre to perform a scene for the class.
D. Distributing copies of the soundtrack of a complete production to students.
Answer:
B. is the correct answer. A studio recording of an actor delivering a monologue would isolate only the
audio portion of the actor's performance, allowing the students to focus solely on the actors voice and
intonations.
,Question:
7. A teacher has students interview family members about an important event in the family's life. The
teacher then works with students to adapt the interviewees' responses into performances. Using this
approach, which of the following will each student-made performance incorporate?
A. Autoethnography
B. Oral History
C. Forum theatre
D. Feedback theatre
Answer:
B. is the correct answer. The performance incorporates individuals' accounts of important events in the
lives of the students' families. Such accounts, obtained through interviews, are a defining feature of oral
history.
Question:
8. Which of the following plays uses detailed depictions of domestic activities to help develop the play's
central concerns regarding gender and social class?
A. Euripides' Medea
B. Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godoy
C. August Strindberg's Miss Julie
D. Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Soprano
Answer:
C is the correct answer. Miss Julie uses detailed depictions of domestic activity, such as a servant clearing
a table, to help develop the play's central concerns regarding gender and social class as they manifest in a
battle for social and sexual superiority between a servant and his mistress.
Question:
9. On the first day of class, a middle school theatre teacher uses an improvisational exercise to introduce
the theme of an original performance that the students will be developing over the course of the term.
Which of the following components of the creative process is the teacher most directly addressing with the
improvisational exercise?
A. Preparation
B. Incubation
C. Illumination
D. Modeling
Answer:
A is the correct answer. Preparation involves the initial definition of an issue (here, the theme) and is
generally the first step in the creative process.
Question:
10. A high school drama teacher wants students to experience collaboration with peers involved in other
arts programs at the school. Which of the following approaches will be most effective for the teacher to
take?
A. Inviting visual arts students to design posters for a production featuring theatre students in leading roles.
B. Creating an open mic night where students involved in various artistic disciplines can present their
work.
C. Asking theatre and dance students to devise original performances combining movement and dialogue.
D. Screening documentaries for theatre students about notable creative partnerships between artists
representing different mediums.
, Answer:
C is the correct answer. It is the only choice that provides the opportunity for students to gain firsthand
experience as collaborators with their peers.
Question:
11. In a classroom adaptation of the theatre game called building a story, created by Viola Spolin, a student
begins telling a story, and the teacher calls on the other students to continue it, each student picking up
where the previous student left off. The goal of the game is for the group to tell a cohesive story. Which of
the following skills is most directly addressed by this game?
A. Listening
B. Projection
C. Diction
D. Evaluating
Answer:
A is the correct answer. To be successful at the game, players must listen carefully to the storyteller so that
whoever is chosen next can continue the story in a cohesive way.
Question:
12. Two sixth graders have accepted roles in a play in which their characters kiss during a moment that is a
crucial to the plot. The teacher informed the students about the kiss before they accepted the roles, and
neither student expressed concerns about it. However, during rehearsals, the students show obvious
discomfort, giggling and avoiding eye contact with each other. Which strategy is most likely to help the
students overcome their discomfort?
A. Giving the students a list of films that provide appropriate examples of characters kissing.
B. Substituting for the kiss an affectionate gesture that both students are comfortable with, such as a hug.
C. Working with the students to create specific choreography and to establish clear guidelines for the kiss.
D. Encouraging the students to practice the kiss on their own and then demonstrate it for the teacher in a
private rehearsal.
Answer:
C is the correct answer. Working with the students to create specific choreography and to establish clear
guidelines for the kiss will help the students overcome their discomfort by making them feel physically
and emotionally safe.
Question:
13. Anna, a high school theatre student with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is
rehearsing for the school play. She is having trouble staying in character when the scene calls for her to be
listening quietly and intently to the other characters on stage. Which of the following strategies will best
help Anna maintain concentration and stay in character during those moments without distracting from the
performance?
A. Allowing Anna to reposition herself whenever she feels unable to focus on the onstage action.
B. Having another performer in the scene call out Anna's name whenever her focus appears to wander.
C. Giving Anna a rubber ball to keep in a pocket and squeeze in her hand when she needs something to
focus on.
D. Encouraging Anna to refocus herself by making eye contact with a peer who is seated in the wings.
