Each chapter introduces a new concepts, artistic roles, or traits you will find in theatre. Theatre history is discussed throughout the entire text, hopefully making it easier to see how our past relates to our present/future in the performing arts. Quizzes and exams have been built into the text and your instructor will give you more information on how these are incorporated into your specific course. You will also be given instructions on how to critique art; skills you will not only use throughout the course, but also ones you can continue to apply as you consume art and entertainment in your own life. Thinking critically as well as appreciatively about the media and arts we encounter is increasingly important in our mass-market world of consumption.
Chapter 1: Art or Entertainment? Who Knows Which is Which? Image via Studio Matters
Chapter 2: The Audience and the Critic: Who Gets to Decide if it is Art?
Chapter 3: The Cultural Identity of Theatre: Who is the Art For?
Chapter 4: The Greeks, Aristotle, and Plato: Where Did Theatre Come From?
Chapter 5: Comedy and Tragedy: What is Genre?
Chapter 6: The Playwright: How is a Play Made?
Chapter 7: The Actor: What Does it Take To Be An Actor?
Chapter 8: The Stage: Where is Theatre Performed?
Chapter 9: The Director and the Producer: Who is in Charge?
Chapter 10: Costume and Set Design: Who Makes all the Stuff?
Chapter 11: Lighting, Sound, Projection, and Special Effects: You Mean There is Even More Stuff to Make?
Chapter 12: Funding the Theatre: How Do We Pay for all This?
Chapter 13: Theatrical Styles: What Create Liberties Can We Take?
Chapter 14: Musicals: When is it Art or Entertainment or Both?
Chapter 15: Contemporary and Future Trends: What Does the Future Hold for Theather?