African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 1 Performance Study Guide African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 2 Performance Study Guide Table of Contents Performance Evaluation ............................................. 3 Vocabulary List ........................................................... 4 Character Analysis ....................................................... 6 Flash Cards .................................................................... 9 Around the World ...................................................... 19 Geography .................................................................. 22 Picture Cards .............................................................. 24 Reader’s Theatre ........................................................ 29 African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 3 Performance Study Guide Performance Evaluation Grades 3-6 Use this form to have your students evaluate the play aft er your theater visit or during the read- ers’ theater performance at school. Check One Box Title of Play Date 1. Voice Clarity Words clear and easy to understand. 2. Voice Projection Loud enough to be heard. 3. Voice Inflection Voices "rise and fall" like real life. 4. Characters Are Believable 5. Timing Parts read smoothly; NO unscripted pauses. List your favorite characters/parts. Why? Title of Play Date Rate Each 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) 1. Voice Clarity Words clear and easy to understand. 2. Voice Projection Loud enough to be heard. 3. Voice Inflection Voices "rise and fall" like real life. 4. Characters Are Believable 5. Timing Parts read smoothly; NO unscripted pauses. List your favorite characters/parts. Why? African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 4 Performance Study Guide Elementary Th eatre Vocabulary Th e terms in this glossary were selected from the California Department of Education, Visual and Performing Arts: Th eatre Content Standards. Th e words are defi ned in this teacher’s guide to facilitate work with K-5 students. You may access the complete list online at http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/thglossary.asp actor. A person who performs a role in a play or an form. The overall structure or shape of a work that entertainment. frequently follows an established design. Forms antagonist. A person, a situation, or the protagonist’s own may refer to a literary type (e.g., narrative form, inner struggle that stops him or her reaching a goal. short story form, dramatic form) or to patterns of articulation. The clear and precise pronunciation of meter, line, and rhymes (e.g., stanza form, verse words. form). center stage. The center of the acting area. formal theatre. Theatre that focuses on public per- character. The personality or part an actor recreates. formance in front of an audience and in which the climax. The moment of highest drama or a major turning fi nal production is most important. point in the action. genre. In literature and drama, genre refers to the confl ict. The opposition of persons or forces giving rise to main types of literary form, tragedy and comedy. dramatic action in a play. gesture. An expressive movement of the body or costume. Any clothes worn by an actor on stage during limbs. a performance. makeup. Cosmetics and sometimes hairstyles that crisis. A decisive point in the play on which the outcome an actor wears on stage to emphasize facial fea- of the remaining actions depend. tures, historical periods, characterizations, and so critique. Opinions and comments based on predeter- forth. mined criteria that may be used for self-evaluation or masks. Coverings worn over the face or part of the the evaluation of the actors or the production itself. face of an actor to emphasize or neutralize facial cue. A signal that indicates when something else is to characteristics. happen. The cue may be either spoken, such as a line mime. An ancient art form based on pantomime. of dialogue, or a physical act, like a character’s en- Gestures are used to express ideas rather than to trance. represent actions. The performer is also called a dialogue. The conversation between actors on stage. mime. diction. The pronunciation of words, the choice of words, monologue. A long speech given by a single char- and the manner in which a person expresses himself or acter. herself. motivation. A character’s reason for doing or say- directing. The art and technique of bringing the ele- ing things in a play. ments of theatre together to make a play. musical theatre. A type of entertainment containing director. The person who oversees the entire process of music, songs, and, usually, dance. staging a theatre production. objective. A character’s goal or intention. downstage. The stage area towards the audience. pacing. The tempo of an entire theatrical perfor- dress rehearsals. The fi nal few rehearsals just prior to mance. opening night in which the show is run with all technical pantomime. Acting without words through facial elements. Actors wear full costumes and makeup. expression, gesture, and movement. ensemble. A group of theatrical artists who work togeth- pitch. The highness or lowness of the voice. er to create a theatrical production. play. The stage representation of an action or a exposition. Detailed information that reveals the facts of story; a dramatic composition. a plot. playwright. A person who writes plays. farce. A comedy with exaggerated characters, abundant projection. The voice placement, volume, clearness, physical or visual humor, and often, an unlikely plot. and distinctness when speaking to an audience. Elementary Theater Vocabulary African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 5 Performance Study Guide props (properties). Items an actor carries on stage. Small items on the set used by the actors. protagonist. The main character of a play and the char- acter with whom the audience identifi es most strongly. puppetry. Almost anything brought to life by human hands to create a performance. Types of puppets in- clude rod, hand, and marionette. reader’s theatre. A performance created by actors read- ing a script, instead of working from memory. rehearsal. Practice sessions in which the actors and technicians prepare for a public performance through repetition. script. The written text of a play. stage. The area where actors perform. stage crew. The backstage technical team who are re- sponsible for running the show. In small theatre compa- nies, the same people build the set and handle the load- in. Then, during performances, they change the scenery and handle the curtain. stage manager. The person backstage who is respon- sible for the running of each performance. style. The distinctive and unique manner that a writer ar- ranges words to achieve particular effects. tableau. A silent and motionless portrayal of a scene created by actors. The plural is tableaux. text. The printed words, including dialogue and the stage directions for a script. theatre. The imitation or representation of life per- formed for other people; the performance of dramatic literature; drama; the milieu of actors, technicians, and playwrights; the place where dramatic performances take place. upstage. Used as a noun, the stage area away from the audience; used as a verb, to steal the focus of a scene. vocal projection. The voice placement, volume, clearness, and distinctness when speaking to an audience. vocal quality. The characteristics of a voice, such as shrill, nasal, raspy, breathy, booming, and so forth. volume. The degree of loudness or intensity of a voice. Elementary Theater Vocabulary African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 6 Performance Study Guide Character Analysis Matrix Grade K-6 Directions: Look at the word list on page 2 of the Character Analysis Matrix and fi nd three words to describe each character in the chart. (Remember, the same words can describe several people.) Character 123 Father Cinderella Prince Charming Stepmother Shaniqua - Stepsister Zonita - Stepsister Fairy Godmother Duke Page Grandmother Shayla - Granddaughter Sherena - Granddaughter • Character Analysis Matrix • African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 7 Performance Study Guide Character Analysis Matrix Word List father broom midnight sympathy mother bed evening startled people chair dreams dishevelment stepmother clock future disrepair prince left day privilege fairy right breakfast understand daughter work secret conjured girls floors peace embarrass godmother cold forgive recognize baby sad victory awkward princess yes devoted ridiculous child friend respect disposition king noise courtyard merchant wife fun ruin invitation bride love elephant eligible family shoes remember mean-spirited gentlemen glasses helpless compliment queen dress cruel frightened doll gown memory relationship ladies feet stupid incompetent mean head admire mistreatment money hand beautiful requirement beauty arm revealed contemporary bitter she trust proclamation died he kitchen obnoxious pretty sash escape time slow toes question party sweet three shawl biggest happy glass inventing brave gifted sleeve charming rain six poor gallant happy two air thousand name first charm warning gentle three dance stumbled kind pair magical shrieks afraid wand honor daughters lonely salt everybody bandages wry escort hungry gracious good moon worthy wilted mask purple history nervous tease house partner powerful game palace country breathe young home windows medicine ugly story tonight ridiculous lazy toys morning wretched unhappy • Character Analysis Matrix • African-American Shakespeare Company presents • 8 Performance