Glossary

Theatrical Roles: An Introduction to Theatre · LibreTexts

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    From LibreTexts, under CC BY 4.0, as the source states it; its equations are written in TeX, which the PDF shows typeset. This page at LibreTexts.

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    Glossary Entries

    Word(s)

    Definition

    		 Image Caption Link Source
    Act A major structural division of a play, often marking shifts in time, place, or dramatic action.        
    Actor A performer who embodies a character in a theatrical production using voice, body, imagination, and emotional engagement.        
    Aesthetics The study of beauty, art, and taste; in theatre, the principles that guide how performances look, sound, and feel.        
    Amphitheatre A large, open-air performance space used in ancient Greece and Rome, designed for public gatherings and dramatic performances.        
    Audience The people who witness a theatrical performance; their attention and responses are essential to the live event.        

    Bhava

    In Indian performance theory, bhava refers to the emotional states or feelings portrayed by a performer and experienced by a character within a dramatic work.

    		        
    Blocking The planned movement and positioning of actors onstage, developed to support storytelling and visual composition.        
    Catharsis A concept from Aristotle describing the emotional release or purification experienced by audiences through tragedy.        
    Character A fictional person or figure portrayed by an actor in a play.        
    Collaboration The shared creative process through which theatre artists work together to produce a unified performance.        
    Costume Clothing and accessories worn by performers that communicate character, time period, culture, and social identity.        
    Costume Design The art of designing and selecting costumes to support storytelling and character development.        
    Design

    The intentional shaping of visual, auditory, and spatial elements, such as scenery, lighting, costumes, and sound, to support performance.

    		        
    Director The artist responsible for interpreting the script and coordinating the artistic vision of a production.        
    Dramaturg A theatre artist who supports productions through research, script analysis, historical context, and audience engagement.        
    Ensemble A group of performers who work collaboratively, emphasizing collective storytelling over individual roles.        
    Gesture A physical movement or action that communicates meaning, emotion, or intention.        
    Lighting Design The artistic use of light to control visibility, mood, focus, and atmosphere in performance.        
    Mask A face covering used in many global theatre traditions to represent characters, spirits, or archetypes.        
    Mēchanē A crane-like device used in ancient Greek theatre to lower gods onto the stage, giving rise to the term deus ex machina.        
    Mime A performance form that communicates story and emotion without spoken language.        
    Modernism An artistic movement emphasizing experimentation, abstraction, and new forms, influential in twentieth-century theatre design.        
    Nāṭyaśāstra An ancient Indian treatise on performance detailing acting, movement, music, and design principles.        
    Nōh Theatre A classical Japanese theatre form characterized by masks, stylized movement, music, and spiritual themes.        
    Pageant Wagon A mobile stage used in medieval Europe to present biblical plays in public spaces.        
    Performance The live presentation of a theatrical work before an audience.        
    Play A written dramatic work intended for performance.        
    Playwright The author of a play.        
    Production The realization of a script through rehearsal, design, and performance.        
    Rehearsal The structured process through which a production is developed and refined.        
    Ritual A symbolic, repeated action often connected to religious or cultural traditions.        
    Scenic Design (Set Design) The creation of the physical environment in which a play’s action takes place.        
    Script The written text of a play, including dialogue and stage directions.        
    Sound Design The creation and integration of music, effects, and ambient sound to support storytelling.        
    Stage Manager The person responsible for organizing rehearsals, maintaining records, and coordinating performances.        
    Theatre A live art form in which performers present stories to an audience through embodied action in shared space.        
    Theatricality An awareness of performance as performance; the qualities that distinguish theatre from everyday life.        
    Tragedy A dramatic genre focusing on serious themes, moral conflict, and human suffering.        
    World-Building The process of creating a coherent theatrical environment that supports narrative and meaning.