Study Guide

Field 048: Theater
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Competency 0001
Understand principles of playwriting and dramatic structure.

Most playwrights include exposition primarily to:

  1. help restrict the scope of the play to a manageable size.
  2. provide audiences with essential information and background material.
  3. help actors find an effective stimulus for sense-memory work.
  4. adhere to a consistent and time-honored method of beginning a play.
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to understand principles of playwriting and dramatic structure. Exposition refers to information about events that precede the action of the play. Exposition serves to ground the audience in the context of the play, so the audience understands characters' present motivations. For this reason, exposition often comes early in the play.
Competency 0002
Understand principles of acting.

An actor can most effectively use the elements of physical gesture and voice by:

  1. combining them in an appropriate interpretation of the meaning of the text.
  2. gesturing during pauses in the vocal narrative to maintain audience interest.
  3. presenting words and gestures with equal emphasis throughout the performance.
  4. devising a precise vocabulary of gestures to reinforce the meaning of the spoken words.
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to understand principles of acting. An actor's role is to interpret the text using the actor's principal tools: body and voice. Physical gestures and vocal inflections can be combined by the actor to establish character and bring the text to life.
Competency 0003
Understand principles of directing.

A director who auditions actors using cold readings should provide actors with:

  1. a detailed synopsis of the play.
  2. partners who have memorized the scenes.
  3. a choice of several props.
  4. sufficient time to look over the scenes.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to understand principles of directing. A cold reading is a type of audition in which actors perform scenes that they have not formally prepared. Cold reading auditions are more effective when directors give actors enough time to look over the scenes they will be asked to read. Even a few minutes will help the actor get a sense of the context of the play and the character's motivations.
Competency 0004
Understand principles of producing and managing theatrical performances.

Notating blocking in the prompt book is typically the responsibility of the:

  1. stage manager.
  2. director.
  3. producer.
  4. choreographer.
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to understand principles of producing and managing theatrical performances. The stage manager is responsible for organizing a theatrical production from the preparation stage through the actual live performance. The stage manager has many responsibilities, one of which is to update and maintain the prompt book, which contains blocking information and other detailed information about the production.
Competency 0005
Understand set, costume, and lighting design and execution.

The most common use of a cyclorama is to:

  1. provide a picture frame for the set.
  2. isolate the auditorium from the stage during fires.
  3. mask the sides of the stage.
  4. surround the set with the illusion of an open sky.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to understand set, costume, and lighting design and execution. A cyclorama is a curtain or wall that takes up the entire back area of a stage. Cycloramas are often concave and give the appearance that the backdrop of the stage stretches beyond the confines of the stage. Lighting effects used on the cyclorama can further contribute to the illusion of an open sky.
Competency 0006
Understand the history of drama and theater.

In the mid-twentieth century, the Soviet government advocated the theatrical style of Socialist Realism because such theater:

  1. distracted citizens from economic hardships.
  2. kindled appreciation for traditional Russian aesthetic ideals.
  3. provided inexpensive public entertainment.
  4. idealized life within the Soviet system.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to understand the history of drama and theater. Socialist Realism was a type of theater that depicted a positive view of society inside the Soviet Union during the middle of the twentieth century. As the official style of the state, whose purpose was to promote socialism, Socialist Realism was a propagandistic style.
Competency 0007
Understand British and other European dramatic literature from ancient times through the present.

Which of the following plays is an example of a romantic comedy?

  1. Romeo and Juliet
  2. As You Like It
  3. Antony and Cleopatra
  4. Measure for Measure
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to understand British and other European dramatic literature from ancient times through the present. William Shakespeare's plays traditionally fit into three broad categories: tragedy, history, and comedy. Romantic comedies, such as As You Like It, are characterized by young lovers, characters in disguise, weddings, and a lighthearted tone.
Competency 0008
Understand the dramatic literature of the United States.

Which of the following is a primary concern of Lillian Hellman's plays?

  1. the appearance of symbolic characters who cause the realism of the stage space to collapse
  2. an exploration of her characters' memories and a blurring of the line between truth and illusion
  3. highly sensitive characters who struggle to understand seemingly random actions and dialogue
  4. the moral positions of her characters and their inability to respond to situations effectively
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to understand the dramatic literature of the United States. Lillian Hellman was an American playwright whose work often attacked the moral faults of individuals and society. In The Children's Hour, a community's participation in spreading malicious rumors leads to the destruction of innocent lives.
Competency 0009
Understand dramatic literature from other cultural traditions.

The oppositional and revolutionary drama of Latin American countries in the 1970s and 1980s was a response to primarily which of the following?

  1. the development of indigenous theatrical performances
  2. dictatorships and widespread political violence
  3. the absence of realistic acting styles
  4. low wages and poor working conditions
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to understand dramatic literature from other cultural traditions. The 1970s and 1980s were decades of upheaval for many countries in Latin America. Revolutionary forces clashed with dictators and repressive governments in violent conflict that often crossed into civilian life. Theater of the time reflected this revolutionary unrest. One example is Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, which sought to liberate spectators from their traditionally passive role by inviting them to affect the outcome of the performance.
Competency 0010
Understand principles of theater education for children and adolescents.

Talk-backs are a valuable addition to a children's theater performance because they:

  1. introduce rules of conduct for both the performers and the audience.
  2. provide a natural transition back to a classroom setting.
  3. encourage children to question and comment on the theater experience.
  4. allow the children to be coached by professional actors.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to understand principles of theater education for children and adolescents. Talk-backs are opportunities for audience members to ask the cast and artistic team questions about the performance. Talk-backs encourage children to ask questions, comment on the performance, and learn more about it from the people who created it.