Theatre Matters

Acknowledgments 
Introduction 

Chapter 1 Art ➔ Performance ➔ Theatre 
Introduction 
Art: What Is It? 
Product of Creative Effort 
Generally Metaphorical 
Has a Critical Perspective 
Context Creates Meaning 
Performance 
Theatre 
Art and Performance in the “Real World” 
In Conclusion 
Theatre Interview—VP of Sales and Marketing, Stephanie Roppolo 

Chapter 2 The Ancient Greeks: The Roots of Western Theatre 
Introduction 
The Greeks Didn’t Invent Theatre 
Greek Crossroads 
The Greek Gods! 
The Greek God: Dionysus 
Greek Theatre and Democracy 
The Four Greek Playwrights
Ancient Greek Theatre in the “Real World” 
In Conclusion 
Theatre Interview—Deputy Director, Innovation and Technology Division,
Thom Sukalac

Chapter 3 Acting 
Introduction 
The Cultural Roots of Realism 
The Science of Applied Aesthetics 
“In theater, I hate the theater” 
Method Acting 
Beyond Stanislavsky 
Acting in the “Real World” 
In Conclusion 
Theatre Interview—Attorney Gabriella Henriquez Chavez 

Chapter 4 Directing 
Introduction 
Directors Direct? 
A Brief History of Directing 
The Father of Modern Directing 
The Return of Konstantin Stanislavsky 
The Director’s Job 
Directing in the “Real World” 
In Conclusion 
Theatre Interview—Accountant/Actor Dean Coutris 

Chapter 5 Playwrights and Genre 
Introduction 
The Playwright’s Unique Challenge 
The Role of the Playwright 
A Script as a Recipe: Cupcakes and Chili 
What Makes a Script Work? 
Conflict 
Theatrical Genre: Types of Scripts 
Shakespeare: He’s His Own Genre 
Scripts and Playwrights in the “Real World” 
In Conclusion 
Theatre Interview—Vice President of Disney Live Entertainment,
Matt Conover 

Chapter 6 Design 
Introduction 
The Roots of Theatrical Design 
What Gets Designed 
The Designer’s Job 
Four Most Common Staging Formats 
Four Important Designers 
Theatrical Design in the “Real World” 
In Conclusion… 

How To See a Play