Ch00
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. A Thanksgiving Day parade is theater in its broadest sense.
True False
2. Art uses selectivity in order to encompass the whole of life at one time.
True False
3. All art forms use certain elements while eliminating others.
True False
4. The medium of theater is a story enacted by performers.
True False
5. Even when performers play animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas, the subject matter of theater is
always human beings.
True False
6. Theater is an event that occurs through time.
True False
7. There is an impulse toward theater in all societies.
True False
8. Television and movies have their roots in ancient Greek theater.
True False
9. Rituals, religious ceremonies, and celebrations do not share elements of theater.
True False
10. One aspect of theater is a presentation by performers in front of an audience.
True False
11. In order for theater to take place, it is not necessary for an audience to be physically present.
True False
12. Unlike the visual arts and literature, the performing arts are not events, but objects.
True False
13. Theater is transitory in nature.
True False
14. The environment, scenery, and costumes will rarely affect the performance.
True False
15. In many respects, a play is similar to a blueprint for a building.
True False
16. Theater takes place in a perpetual past tense.
True False
17. How actors and actresses interpret their roles has little to do with the ultimate effect on the audience.
True False
18. The term deus ex machina, which means literally "god from a machine," has come to stand for any
device that arbitrarily _________________________.
________________________________________
,19. The means by which an art form presents its material is often referred to as the ____________.
________________________________________
20. One aspect of theater is a presentation by performers in front of an audience. Other aspects are
__________ and ____________________.
________________________________________
21. The performing arts are not objects but _________________.
________________________________________
22. A __________________ is a formal religious ceremony or social occasion, usually led by designated
authority figure such as a priest or chief. A ______________ is the acting out of an established,
prescribed procedure that can range from a family event to elaborate religious ceremonies.
________________________________________
23. If "theater is everywhere around us," in everything from television, movies, and popular music to White
House press conferences and fireworks displays, what effect does the theatricalization of so much of life
have on our perceptions? Is "reality" actually "real" anymore?
24. Explain the essential differences between the literary and visual arts on the one hand and the performing
arts on the other. What do the various differences allow one art to do better than other arts? What
differences prevent an art form from doing certain things?
25. Identify aspects of an actor's performance (the performer's ages, personalities, vocal qualities, gestures,
etc.). How might these affect the way an audience perceives a particular scene. For instance, discuss
how a performer's inflection might give different meaning to a line, such as, "Don't you believe me?" Or
choose a play, movie, or TV show character and discuss how the substitution of another actor in the role
would affect the production.
26. Occasionally, a number of years after its original run, a play is revived, reuniting the original cast. Would
the performances in this second run be identical to the first run? What factors would make the revival
different?
,27. As Bernard Beckerman notes, a novel can be "put away, taken up, reread." However, once a play begins,
the audience cannot stop it or have certain parts repeated. Discuss the ways in which this might affect
how plays are constructed and what types of subject matter they can use.
28. African ceremonies frequently involve participants taking on the role of a bird, an animal, or a spirit.
In many cases, people who take part in these rituals believe that performers are actually inhabited by
the animal or spirit they portray. Discuss whether this is different from modern actors who say that
they "become" the characters they are portraying.
29. In the Introduction, a script is compared to a musical score or the blueprint of a building. What other
comparisons might be made? (Possibilities include a diagram of a football play, a computer flow sheet,
and a road map). What information is missing from a script? Could it be included? Why might it be better
not to do so?
, Ch00 Key
1. A Thanksgiving Day parade is theater in its broadest sense.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #1
2. Art uses selectivity in order to encompass the whole of life at one time.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #2
3. All art forms use certain elements while eliminating others.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #3
4. The medium of theater is a story enacted by performers.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #4
5. Even when performers play animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas, the subject matter of theater
is always human beings.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #5
6. Theater is an event that occurs through time.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #6
7. There is an impulse toward theater in all societies.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #7
8. Television and movies have their roots in ancient Greek theater.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #8
9. Rituals, religious ceremonies, and celebrations do not share elements of theater.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #9
10. One aspect of theater is a presentation by performers in front of an audience.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #10
11. In order for theater to take place, it is not necessary for an audience to be physically present.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #11
12. Unlike the visual arts and literature, the performing arts are not events, but objects.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #12
13. Theater is transitory in nature.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #13
14. The environment, scenery, and costumes will rarely affect the performance.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #14
15. In many respects, a play is similar to a blueprint for a building.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #15
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. A Thanksgiving Day parade is theater in its broadest sense.
True False
2. Art uses selectivity in order to encompass the whole of life at one time.
True False
3. All art forms use certain elements while eliminating others.
True False
4. The medium of theater is a story enacted by performers.
True False
5. Even when performers play animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas, the subject matter of theater is
always human beings.
True False
6. Theater is an event that occurs through time.
True False
7. There is an impulse toward theater in all societies.
True False
8. Television and movies have their roots in ancient Greek theater.
True False
9. Rituals, religious ceremonies, and celebrations do not share elements of theater.
True False
10. One aspect of theater is a presentation by performers in front of an audience.
True False
11. In order for theater to take place, it is not necessary for an audience to be physically present.
True False
12. Unlike the visual arts and literature, the performing arts are not events, but objects.
True False
13. Theater is transitory in nature.
True False
14. The environment, scenery, and costumes will rarely affect the performance.
True False
15. In many respects, a play is similar to a blueprint for a building.
True False
16. Theater takes place in a perpetual past tense.
True False
17. How actors and actresses interpret their roles has little to do with the ultimate effect on the audience.
True False
18. The term deus ex machina, which means literally "god from a machine," has come to stand for any
device that arbitrarily _________________________.
________________________________________
,19. The means by which an art form presents its material is often referred to as the ____________.
________________________________________
20. One aspect of theater is a presentation by performers in front of an audience. Other aspects are
__________ and ____________________.
________________________________________
21. The performing arts are not objects but _________________.
________________________________________
22. A __________________ is a formal religious ceremony or social occasion, usually led by designated
authority figure such as a priest or chief. A ______________ is the acting out of an established,
prescribed procedure that can range from a family event to elaborate religious ceremonies.
________________________________________
23. If "theater is everywhere around us," in everything from television, movies, and popular music to White
House press conferences and fireworks displays, what effect does the theatricalization of so much of life
have on our perceptions? Is "reality" actually "real" anymore?
24. Explain the essential differences between the literary and visual arts on the one hand and the performing
arts on the other. What do the various differences allow one art to do better than other arts? What
differences prevent an art form from doing certain things?
25. Identify aspects of an actor's performance (the performer's ages, personalities, vocal qualities, gestures,
etc.). How might these affect the way an audience perceives a particular scene. For instance, discuss
how a performer's inflection might give different meaning to a line, such as, "Don't you believe me?" Or
choose a play, movie, or TV show character and discuss how the substitution of another actor in the role
would affect the production.
26. Occasionally, a number of years after its original run, a play is revived, reuniting the original cast. Would
the performances in this second run be identical to the first run? What factors would make the revival
different?
,27. As Bernard Beckerman notes, a novel can be "put away, taken up, reread." However, once a play begins,
the audience cannot stop it or have certain parts repeated. Discuss the ways in which this might affect
how plays are constructed and what types of subject matter they can use.
28. African ceremonies frequently involve participants taking on the role of a bird, an animal, or a spirit.
In many cases, people who take part in these rituals believe that performers are actually inhabited by
the animal or spirit they portray. Discuss whether this is different from modern actors who say that
they "become" the characters they are portraying.
29. In the Introduction, a script is compared to a musical score or the blueprint of a building. What other
comparisons might be made? (Possibilities include a diagram of a football play, a computer flow sheet,
and a road map). What information is missing from a script? Could it be included? Why might it be better
not to do so?
, Ch00 Key
1. A Thanksgiving Day parade is theater in its broadest sense.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #1
2. Art uses selectivity in order to encompass the whole of life at one time.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #2
3. All art forms use certain elements while eliminating others.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #3
4. The medium of theater is a story enacted by performers.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #4
5. Even when performers play animals, inanimate objects, or abstract ideas, the subject matter of theater
is always human beings.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #5
6. Theater is an event that occurs through time.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #6
7. There is an impulse toward theater in all societies.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #7
8. Television and movies have their roots in ancient Greek theater.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #8
9. Rituals, religious ceremonies, and celebrations do not share elements of theater.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #9
10. One aspect of theater is a presentation by performers in front of an audience.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #10
11. In order for theater to take place, it is not necessary for an audience to be physically present.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #11
12. Unlike the visual arts and literature, the performing arts are not events, but objects.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #12
13. Theater is transitory in nature.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #13
14. The environment, scenery, and costumes will rarely affect the performance.
FALSE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #14
15. In many respects, a play is similar to a blueprint for a building.
TRUE
Wilson - Chapter 00 #15
