Module 8 - Theatre (Drama) and Film

Activity 1 : : Activity 2 : : Activity 3 : : Activity 4 : : Activity 5

Activity 5: Practice and Review - Evaluating a Theatre work.

Using the terms you studied in Activity 1-3, you can analyze a work of the Theatre. Some questions to ask yourself as you watch or read a play:

• Genre – What genre was the play? How did it exhibit the characteristics of tragedy, comedy, melodrama, etc.?
• Plot – How did the plot work? Where in the play did the exposition occur? Where was the climax? Where were the crises? What instances of foreshadowing, discovery and reversal were present? Was the plot a significant part of the play? Why or why not?
• Protagonist – Who was the protagonist? How did his or her actions and decisions move the plot? Was the protagonist active or passive?
• Character – How did the playwright draw the characters? Were they three dimensional, and did you identify with any of the characters?
• Thought – What themes did the play pursue? In what ways did they playwright or the production make you aware of the point of view being presented?
• Theatre Form – In what theatre form was the play produced? What effect, if any, did this have on your response to the play? Would you have had a different response if the production had utilized a different physical arrangement?
• Visual Elements – In what ways did the settings, costumes, and lighting reinforce the message and style of the play? How did the visual elements provide historical or structural information to the audience?
• Language – How did the playwright’s language and the actors’ speech create meaning for you?
• Reaction – How did the previous elements combine to create a reaction in you? In other words, what drew your attention? What is your emotional response to the production, and what caused that reaction?