Last minute vocabulary support
What do all those words in the questions mean?
All Live Theatre Questions ask you to -
"Explain how ............. performer/s ....????...... to .....????........ in one live
production that you have seen and assess the success of their performance at particular moments."
Below are lists of the different things you could talk about-
Skills
Physical skills
Movement, gesture, posture, gait,
Use of dance, physical theatre, mime
Specialist skills, for example, circus, acrobatics
Specific qualities such as: poise, balance, lifts, strength,
timing
Vocal skills:
Pitch, pace, volume, pause, emphasis, accent, singing,
choral delivery, non-verbal sounds
Acting skills
- vocal: pitch, pace, pause, emphasis, accent
- physical: movement, gesture, posture, gait, poise, balance
- facial expression, eye contact
- Use of space
- Use of costume or props
- Interaction with other characters
Non- naturalistic
skills can include-
Mime, physical theatre, chorus, ensemble work, acrobatics,
dance, circus skills, mask work, song, multi-role
Vocal skills -
pitch, pace, pause, emphasis, accent, singing, choral delivery, chanting -
non-naturalistic sounds: shrieks, cries, vocal distortion
Physical skills -
movement, gesture, posture, gait, poise, balance, synchronised movement - use
of dance, physical theatre, mime
Specialist skills
– e.g. circus, acrobatics – puppetry
Naturalistic acting skills - aspects to discuss
Characterisation - portrayal of personality traits, idiosyncrasies
- methods of aging (up or down) - accurate portrayal of actual people -
similarities between members of same family - their attitude towards others -
status/hierarchical qualities - historical or period qualities
To create/achieve
Creation of
character-
Age, class, status, personality traits, emotional states,
physical states, attitudes,
Relationships with others, idiosyncrasies, accurate portrayal
of actual people, similarities between members of same family, historical or
period qualities
Multi role
Naturalistic or non -naturalistic characterisation, role or
part, chorus member, ensemble, discrete character, actor as environment
• Methods of differentiating between characters: physically,
vocally, changing appearance
• Deployment of physical skills by the performer o movement,
gesture, posture, gait, poise, balance, mime
• Deployment of vocal skills by the performer o pitch, pace,
volume, pause, emphasis, accent, singing, choral delivery, non-naturalistic
sounds: shrieks, cries
• Interaction with others
• Physical appearance of the performer
• Delivery of specific lines
• Use of props, costume, make-up, hair to enhance/support
characterisation
• Relationship with audience, direct address, aside
• Attempts to elicit differing audience response to each
character
Entertaining an
audience can include making them feel -
engagement, happiness, sorrow, pity, sympathy, empathy,
anger, hatred, disgust, joy, surprise, shock, tension, admiration, excitement,
awe
Emotional responses
from the audience –
Laughter, sympathy, empathy, sadness, anger, hatred,
disgust, joy, surprise, shock, excitement, awe, fear, concern
Specific Effects could
include –
· Creation of truth or alternative reality
·
An environment, creature, visual effect
·
Delight, comedy, horror, shock
·
A desired audience response, such as engagement,
happiness, sorrow, pity, sympathy, empathy, anger, hatred, disgust, joy, surprise,
shock, tension, admiration, excitement, awe,
Mood/Atmosphere
·
changes in tension, creation or dissipation of
suspense
·
Increased or decreased amusement, joy
·
shock, sympathy, disgust, contempt
