Theater History and Blocking Quiz

Where did theater as we know it come from?

• Ancient Egypt

• Ancient Greece

• England

• Russia

What was Thespis, before he became an "actor?"

• A dancer

• A singer

• A gladiator

• A poet

What does the term "Thespian" mean?

• A stage actor

• A play director

• A play writer

• A stage technician

What is a characteristic that is unique to Tragedy?

• It must be sad

• Bad things must happen

• Many of the main characters must die

• The main character must cause their own downfall

What makes Oedipus Rex a Tragedy?

• He fails to escape his fate

• He chooses to learn the truth

• He marries his mother

• He blinds himself

True or False: Upstage is the area of the stage that's closer to the audience.

• True

• False

Where did the terms "upstage" and "downstage" come from?

• Directors wanted to confuse their actors

• Stages used to be slanted toward the audience

• There used to be separate high and low stages

• It is up and down from the actor's point of view

What is blocking?

• The act of planning actions and movements in a scene

• The act of building a practice set out of blocks

• The act of drawing squares on the stage

• The act of standing in front of another actor

What is the best position to stand in when a scene has two or more points of interest?

• In profile

• Back to the audience

• Facing forward

• At a 3/4ths angle

When blocking a scene, where should the action generally be focused?

• Center stage

• Downstage

• Upstage

• On the apron