Study Guide

Field 029: Fine Arts—Theatre Arts
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Objective 0001
Script Writing and Analysis (Standard 1)

1. A play that utilizes episodic dramatic structure is most likely to feature which of the following elements?

  1. a large cast of characters
  2. a linear plot that follows a chain of cause and effect
  3. a single locale
  4. a time span that approximates real time
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the elements of dramatic structure. Features of episodic structure include multiple characters, interweaving storylines, and a plot that can span many years and cover many locations. William Shakespeare's plays are a prime example of episodic structure.

Objective 0001
Script Writing and Analysis (Standard 1)

2. When responding to a script using formalist analysis, the response should focus on the:

  1. adherence of the text to a specific genre.
  2. inherent features of the text.
  3. relationship of the text to the playwright's other work.
  4. text's performance potential.
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of techniques for analyzing, evaluating, and responding to theatre texts and productions. Formalism is a type of literary criticism that focuses on the structure, syntax, plot, and other inherent features of a text. Whereas some forms of criticism examine a work's biographical, historical, or cultural context, formalist criticism focuses on the work itself.

Objective 0002
Fundamentals of Acting (Standard 2)

3. During a rehearsal of Euripides' Medea, the actors notice that the heightened language is preventing them from making a connection with the text and with one another. Which of the following exercises would best help the actors in this situation?

  1. improvising the scenes in everyday language and writing down discoveries in the margins of the script
  2. assigning each scene a single emotion and then focusing on that emotion when saying the lines
  3. delivering each line loudly and clearly and trusting that a connection will develop with enough repetition
  4. speaking in the heightened language of the play before and after rehearsal and during breaks
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of uses and techniques of improvisation. Actors who are new to classical texts sometimes find that the heightened language distances them from a play's emotional core. By improvising scenes in language that they are more comfortable with, the actors are free to make discoveries that will animate their performances. This exercise has the added benefit of requiring actors to process the meaning of the classical text in order to translate it into modern language.

Objective 0002
Fundamentals of Acting (Standard 2)

4. On the first day of rehearsal, a director asks a group of actors to play a scene in gibberish as a way to encourage physical expression. This game-playing approach toward acting was pioneered by which of the following teachers?

  1. Constantin Stanislavski
  2. Viola Spolin
  3. David Mamet
  4. Stella Adler
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of classical and contemporary forms of actor training. Viola Spolin was an innovator in American theatre who developed a series of theatre games designed to teach key acting skills and techniques. Her exercises are widely used in both rehearsals and classroom teaching.

Objective 0003
Fundamentals of Directing (Standard 3)

5. A director is analyzing a script in preparation for a rehearsal. Which of the following tasks is most essential for the director to include as part of this analysis?

  1. researching any unclear references or vocabulary in the play
  2. developing a handout that explains the objectives of each character to the actors
  3. deciding on the best way for key lines to be performed
  4. mapping out similarities between the play and the playwright's other works
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the use of script analysis and dramaturgical research to develop ideas and prepare for rehearsal. A director needs to be highly prepared. While good directors avoid making decisions for actors, they should enter a rehearsal period with a thorough understanding of a script, including the meaning of any obscure words or references. This is essential for guiding actors and bringing a necessary sense of authority to rehearsals.

Objective 0003
Fundamentals of Directing (Standard 3)

6. During blocking rehearsals of a show, a director is constantly moving from one section of the theatre to another. This technique serves which of the following purposes?

  1. keeping distance from the actors as they explore their roles
  2. ensuring that the staging is effective from a variety of angles
  3. selecting the best seats for watching run-throughs
  4. encouraging the actors to project their voices throughout the space
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of stage composition and blocking. It is advantageous for a director to view a show's blocking from different areas of the house. While it can be tempting to direct from one of the theatre's best seats, moving around allows a director to ensure that blocking is optimized for all sections of audience seating.

Objective 0004
Technical Theatre and Design (Standard 4)

7. Which of the following colors of paint will absorb the most light when used on a theatrical set?

  1. black
  2. royal blue
  3. yellow
  4. off-white
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the physical properties of color, light, and sound. An object that is perfectly black absorbs all colors of light and reflects no colors to the eyes. For this reason, black is often the neutral color of choice for theatre curtains, masking, and backstage areas.

Objective 0004
Technical Theatre and Design (Standard 4)

8. Which of the following productions utilizes a site-specific performance space?

  1. Antigone performed in an ancient Greek theatre
  2. A Midsummer Night's Dream performed in a forest clearing
  3. Our Town performed on an empty stage
  4. Topdog/Underdog performed in a tiny storefront theatre
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the various types of performance spaces. Site-specific theatre utilizes distinct, specially adapted locations that were not intended for theatrical purposes. Often, a site-specific location is chosen to mirror the setting of the story. Staging A Midsummer Night's Dream in an actual forest (rather than constructing a forest set in a standard theatre) is an example of using a site-specific performance space.

Objective 0004
Technical Theatre and Design (Standard 4)

9. Primarily which of the following safety measures should be taken by a crew member before every theatrical performance?

  1. replacing lighting gels and filters
  2. reviewing fire exit procedures
  3. sweeping and mopping the stage area
  4. inspecting furniture for structural damage
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the key safety issues and practices related to lighting, sound, costumes, makeup, props, and scenery. The stage should be swept and mopped each day before it is used by the actors because an unclean stage presents numerous potential safety problems. For example, sawdust and dirt can make a stage slippery, and small objects such as screws, staples, or bits of glass can be dangerous to actors during warm-ups and performances.

Objective 0005
Theatre History and Literature (Standard 5)

10. The theatrical movement of expressionism presented a stark contrast to which of the following forms?

  1. realism
  2. absurdism
  3. tragedy
  4. surrealism
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the development and characteristics of dramatic forms and literature in various cultures and historical periods. Expressionism was introduced as a theatrical movement in Germany in the 1910s and the term was soon used to define almost any theatrical work that departed from realism. Expressionists believed that realism and naturalism prevented artists from depicting the fundamental truths of human existence.

Objective 0005
Theatre History and Literature (Standard 5)

11. A critically acclaimed theatre company is known for productions that forgo costumes, sets, and other technical elements in favor of simple staging that focuses on the connection between the actors and the audience. Which of the following theatrical concepts is most closely related to this approach?

  1. Bogart's and Landau's Viewpoints
  2. Grotowski's Poor Theatre
  3. Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty
  4. Meyerhold's Biomechanics
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the development of theatrical performance and production in various cultures and historical periods. The concept of Poor Theatre was developed by Polish director Jerzy Grotowski in response to theatre-makers' concerns about competing with film. Arguing that theatre will never offer the overwhelming spectacle of film, Grotowski suggested that theatre focus on its one essential element: actors revealing themselves through an encounter with the audience.

Objective 0005
Theatre History and Literature (Standard 5)

12. The Chicano theatre movement began as an attempt to raise awareness of which of the following events?

  1. the 1960 presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy
  2. the U.S. embargo against Cuba
  3. the United Farm Workers' grape boycott and strike
  4. the annexation of Texas as a U.S. state
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of significant movements in theatre and how they relate to their historical and cultural contexts. In 1965, Luis Valdez formed El Teatro Campesino, a farm workers' theatre troupe that aimed to raise awareness of the plight of farm workers during a grape boycott and strike. The success of the group led to the formation of other Chicano theatre groups in communities and college campuses throughout the country.

Objective 0006
Theatre in Daily Life (Standard 6)

13. A high school student is interested in a career as a stage manager. Which of the following volunteer opportunities at a not-for-profit theatre would provide the most applicable training for this type of career?

  1. serving as a light board operator
  2. helping with front-of-house duties
  3. distributing marketing materials
  4. taking photos of a dress rehearsal
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of skills and training needed for careers and avocational opportunities in theatre. Stage managers need to have experience in each of the technical areas of theatre. A light board operator is in a particularly strong position to observe the stage manager calling cues and running the show during technical rehearsals and performances.

Objective 0007
Theatre Instruction and Assessment (Standard 7)

14. A high school principal wants school theatre productions to accommodate audience members who are deaf and hearing impaired. Which of the following accommodations provides the best first step toward meeting this objective?

  1. working with American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters to provide sign language-interpreted performances
  2. providing an ongoing plot summary via text messaging
  3. distributing scripts that allow audience members to follow along during performances
  4. asking a crew member to hold up signs that display key lines of text
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of techniques for facilitating equity, access, accommodation, and adaptation in the school theatre program. It is increasingly standard for theatrical presenters to offer an American Sign Language-interpreted performance. While not all persons who are deaf or hearing impaired are fluent in ASL, a significant portion of the community can be served in this way. Interpreters can be found through online databases or local organizations, and some will donate their services or offer reduced fees to arts organizations.

Objective 0007
Theatre Instruction and Assessment (Standard 7)

15. Which of the following uses of a contemporary play is permitted without licensing?

  1. presenting a free staged reading of the play to the general public
  2. reading the play aloud in a theatre or literature class
  3. performing the play as a one-night-only benefit for a charitable cause
  4. staging an excerpt from the play at a state competition
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of royalties and copyright law as they apply to the school theatre program. Authorization and licensing fees are not required when a play is used in a classroom setting by the class's instructor and students. In situations where an audience is present, a licensing fee must be paid regardless of whether admission is charged. This applies to both readings and performances.