Intro to Theatre Studies - Midterm Study Outline

Topic One: Performativity

Texts:
● d
Performa
● Definition of Performance → “restored behavior”
● Speech Act Theory → you can say things with more than just words
● Being → existence
● Explaining Showing Doing

Topic Two: Ancient Greek Drama

Texts:

The Republic​ by Plato

● Be sure to make a distinction between aristotle and PLato → teacher gave the s
● Plato is best described as a combination of idealism and rationalism → note the forms and
absolute good
● Why is the tale of the cave important for theatre→ how representation moves us away from the
good
● Logic of representation as degredation, pay attention to how representation moves us away from
the absolute good
● Against the creation of irrational space, why are we creating a space where people indulge their
emotions
Poetics​ by Aristotle
● Key thing from Aristotle →
○ DRamatic structure → causality, one thing leads to the next thing
■ Tension increases until it releases through catharisis
■ Discovery/Recognition→ ignorance to knowledge
■ and reversal
○ Tragedy IS A REPRESENTATION OF Action
○ Catha
Six elements of performance
● Plot
● Character
 ● Thought
● Diction
● specs
Yuyachkani

Topic Three: Postdramatic Theatre

Texts:
● D
● IN the post-war period there is a proliferation of theatrical storytelling
● Hans Lehmann
● Time
● Space
● Character
● Language
● Four essentials of the post-dramatic conversation
● Composer Philip Glass and Robert WIlson
● Since in the post-dramatic the text is less privileged and talks about productions, Barnett
argues for the continued importance of teh text
Topic Four: Naturalism
Texts:
● D
● Naturalism is a historical movement made up of theories and concept and Realism is a
technique through which those are explored
● Based on observation you make a hypothesis and test it in the play, observing teh results
of the test → representing onstage in a scientific
● IN the performance of the show for the audience is
● WHy are naturalist plays problem plays → a focus on emergent social problems,
presenting the problem to us so we can discourse on it

Test Structure
1. Five Short Answer @ 4 points each
2. Six Middle Answer @ 6 points each
3. One Essay @ 20 points