Points to discuss. Use your active vocabulary while talking about the theatre

Theatre

I. Learn the following vocabulary , look up the words you don’t know in adictionary. Make up your own situations with them.

Shows

go to the theatre to see a drama performance/play

a puppet show

an opera

a ballet

a musical comedy

a musical

a circus performance

Genres

a comedy

a tragedy

a romantic comedy

a farce

Buyingto book/to buy tickets at the ticket office

Ticketsfor an evening performance/matinee

for a first night /an opening night

an entrance ticket

tickets for/sit in…

Interior

the stalls/the orchestra stalls

To sit in the fifth row of the stalls

the boxes

the pit

the balcony

Frequently used phrases

Who is in the cast tonight?/that evening

What is on tonight?

The house is sold out/the house is full

Staging a performance

to stage a performance

written by a certain playwright

to be on stage/to run /to have a long/ a short run

to have rehearsals /a dress rehearsal

The company and other people creating a performance

the artistic director of the theatre

the director

the producer

the leading actors/actresses who star in the performance

to act in the leading/supporting role/to perform the role of…/ the part of..a

costume designer

a make-up designer

a stage manager

a stage hand

a set designer

a prompter

a choreographer

a lightning engineer

a sound engineer

a conductor

a musician

a composer

People offering service in the theatre

a ticket-taker

an usher/an attendant

a cloak-room attendant

At the theatre

to be a great theatre-goer

a spectator

to leave one’s clothes and heavy bags in the cloak-room

to get a label

to take opera glasses

to have a snack at a theatre café/refreshment bar to walk in the lobby

to buy a programme / a booklet

to take one’s seats when the bell rings

the curtain rises/is raised

the curtain falls/is dropped/drops

the intervalto receive several curtain calls

to applaud loudly

There was great applause after each act.

The Settings

The scenery was exceptionally beautiful/incredibly realistic

They used the surround volume system to create the effect of presence and give an emotional colouring to the performance.

To be especially beautiful in the footlights

To stand in the wings

To get ready in the dressing rooms

To appear on the stage

Sharing one’s impressions of the production and the acting

This performance/ this actress/ is much spoken about

exciting

brilliant

striking

to give a marvelous/magnificent/fantastic/terrific performance

The direction is unusual/original/extraordinary

Boring

Primitive

Disgusting

vulgar

spectacular

thrilling

to be first-rate

to be moving /touching

to make/to produce a deep impression on smb

to leave much to be desired

to be at one’s best /at one’s worst

to have a strong emotional impact on smb

to have a cathartic effect

to drive smb to tears

to feel like crying/ laughing

to receive good/bad reviews in newspapers

to be close to the book

The acting was natural

This actor overacted too much.

The actress burnt herself out on stage.

The actor put his heart and soul into the role.

The actress caught the spirit of the character very well.

The actor revealed the emotional state and the inner world of the main character.

to be exceptionally good at varying one’s voice

His face was very expressive.

to manage to penetrate into the inner world of the character to be a success/a failure

to succeed in bringing the character to life

This actor/actress is charismatic and creates a special atmosphere/aura around him/her.

This performance is unforgettable.

When I saw that performance, it burnt into my heart / it struckme immensely.I had a really good time/I enjoyed the play greatly.

Points to discuss. Use your active vocabulary while talking about the theatre.

1. How do you choose a performance? Do you choose a certain playwright, a certain play, a genre, a actor/actress, a director, a theatre etc? Which of these factors are the most important for you?

2. Do you read reviews before seeing a performance? Do you follow the advice of your friends/parents? Do you choose the performance by yourself?

3. What are you favourite genres/ Moscow theatres/actors/actresses/?

4. Where do you prefer to sit in the theatre?

5. Who are the people who create a performance? What qualities should they possess?

6. What do you usually do when you come to the theatre? Does the atmosphere of the theatre put you in a special mood?

7. Give a list of top ten Moscow actors and actresses. Account for your point of you.

8. Give a list of the most striking Moscow performances and account for your choice.

9. What’s your attitude to commercial theatre projects? Are their quality worse than the one of repertoire theatre performances?

10. Will the theatre be ever ousted by the cinema or TV? Which form of entertainment do you prefer?

11. What makes a good actor/actress? Do they have an easy life in Russia?

12. What is your attitude to TV versions of performances shown on TV, channel Culture, for example?

13. What is your attitude to modernised versions of classical plays? Account for it.

14. Write a review of a performance that struck you/ or that you didn’t like very much. Be ready to give a presentation of this performance in class. If you have the programme or the booklet about the performance, bring it to class.