Both Sides of the Curtain: An Introduction to the Art of Theater
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 274
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$143.33
There is something magical about being a theatre artist. An introduction to theatre course is often the first step into a fascinating world. Both Sides of the Curtain: An Introduction to the Art of Theatre bridges the gap between being a student in a lecture class and developing a passion for theatre.
The text itself is divided into three units: the first four chapters help to familiarize students with theatre as an art form, the middle portion of the text walks the student through Western and world theatre history from the birth of this art form to contemporary trends and artists, and the final section of the text takes an up close look at the various artists who collaborate to create a live theatrical performance.
Each chapter:
- starts with an important quote and important terminology is highlighted with a description of each term in the margins
- includes large full-color images
- features Center Stage Spotlights that highlight the life and work of important theatre artists.
- ends with three guidelines titled "Key Terms," "Names Worth Knowing," and "Plays of Note," laying at the students' fingertips all the important information they will need to remember and a list of plays they should become familiar with from that period.
Part One: Approaching Theatre
Chapter One: The Art of Theatre
How Old Is Theatre?
Theatre vs. Drama
What Is the Essence of Drama?
What Are the Basic Elements of Theatre?
Theatre Is Art, but What Is "Art"?
What Makes Theatre a Unique Art Form
What Purpose Does Theatre Serve in Today's Society?
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Food for Thought
Chapter Two: You as the Critic
The Live Experience
Theatre Etiquette
To Clap or Not to Clap
The Professional Critic
What Are the Qualities of a Good Critic?
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Food for Thought
Chapter Three: Examining the Bones
The Master Builder
Searching for Subtext
More on Objective
Character
Tone
Theme
Shaping a Story for the Stage
Plot
Diction
Music
Spectacle
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Food for Thought
Chapter Four: The Wooden "0"The Arena Stage
History of the Arena
The Thrust Stage
History of the Thrust
The Proscenium Stage
History of the Proscenium
The Flexible Theatre Space
History of the Flexible Space
All the Spaces You Don't See
The Ghost Light
Key Terms
Food for Thought
Part Two: Theatre Through the Ages
Chapter Five: The Dawn of Western Theatre
Greek Theatre
The First Plays
The Theatres of Ancient Greece
The Big Three
Raunch and Ridicule: The Comedy of Ancient Greece
The Fall of High Art
The Roman Take on Theatre
The Theatres of Ancient Rome
Rome's Not-So-Memorable Playwrights.
The Fall of Rome ... And Theatre
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Plays of Note
Food for Thought
Chapter Six: Medieval Theatre or Just How Dark Were the Dark Ages?
How the Church Saved Theatre.
Liturgical Drama
Theatre on Parade
Morality Plays and Interludes
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Plays of Note
Food for Thought
Chapter Seven: The Renaissance
Renaissance Italy: Zany Comedy and the Greeks Reborn
Commedia De!l'arte
Humanism and Perspective Scenery
The Golden Age of Spanish Theatre
The Elizabethan Stage
"The Bard"
Shakespeare's Contemporaries
The Theatres of Elizabethan England
Conventions of the Elizabethan Stage
Masques
French Theatre and Neoclassicism
France's Big Three
The French Stage and the Birth of Lighting Design
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Plays of Note
Food for Thought
Chapter Eight: The Naughty Rich: England's Restoration Theatre
The Puritans Wage War on Theatre
Charles II Gives Theatre a Reprieve
Restoration Comedy
The Restoration Stage
Getting in Touch with Their Feminine Side
Restoration Tragedy
A Kinder, Gentler Theatre
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Plays of Note
Food for Thought
Chapter Nine: The Enlightened and the Romantics
The Enlightened Theatre
Key Theatrical Figures of the Enlightenment
The Man Who Brought Spanish Theatre Out of the Dark Ages
The Philosopher Playwright
The First Realistic Actress?
A Touch of Romance
The End of Neoclassicism
Melodrama
The Ultimate in Spectacle
Stars of the Romantic Stage
The Curtain Comes Down on Melodrama
Key Terms
Names Worth Knowing
Plays of Note
Food for Thought
Chapter Ten: The Rise of Modern Theatre
Realism Turns Theatre Inside Out
The Architects of Realism
The Father of Modern Drama
The Master of Subtlety
At Last! Realistic Acting
Other Changes Spawned by Realism
Naturalism: When Realism Just Isn't Enough
Dodging Censorship
Meanwhile, in Germany
Reactions to Realism
Symbolism, or, Your English Teacher's Favorite Subject
Changing Theories
Out of the Chaos of War
America Joins the World