comedy
/ˈkɑmədi/
nounprofessional entertainment that contains jokes and sketches, intended to make people laugh
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Examples
1. Comedy is just about the feeling of connection.
2. Okay favorite movie genre, comedy was the top one at 33%.
3. Comedy produces benevolent stereotypes.
4. I do comedy.
5. - Stand up comedy.
fringe theatre
/fɹˈɪndʒ θˈiəɾɚ/
nounplays, often written by new writers, challenging the conventional ways of thinking and having a new and unusual form
Examples
masque
/mˈæsk/
nounan amateur play in verse including music and dancing by masked performers that was very popular among the aristocracy in England during the 16th and 17th centuries
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Examples
1. Will you prepare you for this masque to-night?
2. are there masques?
3. In the first place, a masque is nearly always occasional.
4. So Milton wrote this masque with a specific cast and a specific audience in mind.
5. The masque is all about the act of hearing song and the ethics of proper listening.
morality play
/mɔːɹˈælɪɾi plˈeɪ/
nouna kind of drama in which the performers personify an abstract concept as an allegory presenting a didactic point, popular in the 15th and 16th centuries
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Examples
1. On behalf of the kids but the kids knew it was a morality play.
2. In a world without the Twilight Zone, to couch necessary morality plays in slick sci-fi trappings.
3. All of those things mattered, but the way and the utility that morality play for evangelicals to get power into politics is a really important point.
4. It is one viable Trojan horse if you can push through a little morality play through laughter.
5. Inherit the Wind, you know, is a one-sided, beautiful play, but a three-act morality play about the virtues of tolerance.
experimental theater
/ɛkspˌɛɹɪmˈɛntəl θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna style that challenges traditional theatrical conventions by exploring new forms of expression and presentation
Examples
commedia dell'arte
/kəmˈiːdiə dˈɛlɑːɹt/
nouna form of Italian theater that originated in the 16th century and is characterized by its use of stock characters, improvised dialogue, and physical comedy
Examples
mystery play
/mˈɪstɚɹi plˈeɪ/
nouna kind of play popular in the Middle Ages that was based on the holy scripture or the events in the lives of Christian saints
Examples
postmodern theater
/pˈoʊstmɑːdɚn θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna late 20th century style of theater that is self-reflexive, often fragmented, blurs the lines between reality and fiction, and emphasizes the role of the audience in creating meaning
Examples
postdramatic theater
/pˌoʊstdɹɐmˈæɾɪk θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna style that challenges traditional dramatic conventions and instead focuses on the sensory and emotional experience of the audience
Examples
in-yer-face theater
/ɪnjɚfˈeɪs θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna confrontational style of British theater known for its shocking subject matter, explicit language, and graphic content
Examples
grand guignol
/ɡɹˈænd ɡɪɡnˈɑːl/
nouna style of French theater that originated in the late 19th century and is known for its use of graphic horror, violence, and gore, often combined with humor and satire
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Examples
1. It was a Grand Guignol of horror.
nativity play
/nɐtˈɪvɪɾi plˈeɪ/
nouna play recreating the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, performed by children at Christmas
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Examples
1. No photos on sports days, or the school nativity play, none of those class photos where there's always one kid pulling a stupid face, nothing.
2. He was in the Nativity play.
3. That is Frazer's first ever nativity play.
4. And I did the nativity play.
improvisational theater
/ˌɪmpɹəvəzˈeɪʃənəl θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna form of theater in which everything is created spontaneously by the performers, without a script or pre-planned storyline
Examples
physical theater
/fˈɪzɪkəl θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna style of theater that emphasizes the use of the body, movement, and nonverbal communication as the primary means of storytelling and expression
Examples
bouffon
/bˈuːfən/
nouna style of physical theater that satirizes social and political issues through exaggerated, grotesque performances and audience interaction
Examples
Harlequinade
/hˈɑːɹlɪkwˌɪneɪd/
nouna traditional theatrical genre that originated in Italy and features the character of Harlequin as the main protagonist in a comedy of love and mistaken identity
Examples
Bunraku
/bʌnɹˈɑːkuː/
nouna traditional form of Japanese puppet theater that features intricately crafted puppets, live musicians, and narrators who tell stories of love, tragedy, and historical events
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Examples
1. That whole idea of them dressed in black came from, like, Kabuki theater where the stage hands wear black and blend into the background like the Bunraku puppets where the puppeteers stand there.
2. Now there's a Japanese art form, theatrical art form called Bunraku where you have the most beautiful puppets and they are animated by performers who are dressed in black and you, the audience, accept they're not there.
street theater
/stɹˈiːt θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater that takes place in public spaces, often featuring political or social themes and aimed at engaging audiences who may not typically attend traditional theater
Examples
immersive theater
/ɪmˈɜːsɪv θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater that seeks to immerse the audience in the world of the play, often featuring site-specific performances and interactive elements
Examples
tragedy
/ˈtɹædʒədi/
nouna play with sad events, especially one that the main character dies at the end
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Examples
1. #2 - Mercy Brown Vampire Incident In Rhode Island in 1892, tragedy struck the Brown family.
2. Tragedy averted.
3. Tragedy averted.
4. In 2003, tragedy struck the Williams family.
5. Then tragedy strikes!
interactive theater
/ˌɪntɚɹˈæktɪv θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater that invites audience participation and engagement, blurring the boundaries between performers and spectators
Examples
epic theater
/ˈɛpɪk θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater that seeks to provoke social and political change, often featuring theatrical devices that distance the audience from the action
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Examples
1. And the drama department had been taken over by a German by the name of Erwin Piscator, who was well known for the Dada movement in Germany and certainly working with Max Reinhardt and the Epic Theater, which in those days in the early '30s was quite a force in Western theater and Western playwriting.
tragicomedy
/tɹˈædʒɪkˌɑːmədi/
nouna dramatic piece that has both tragic and comic elements
Examples
musical theater
/mjˈuːzɪkəl θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna play or film whose action and dialogue is interspersed with singing and dancing
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Examples
1. Paul, Musical Theater, would it interest you.
2. She attended the Renaissance High School for Musical Theater and Technology, then enrolled in community college in Manhattan after graduation in 2010.
absurdism
/ɐbsˈɜːdɪzəm/
nouna type of theater characterized by the senselessness and meaninglessness of existence, often featuring plots that defy logic and language
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Examples
1. You know, I like absurdism.
2. Absurdism is born from the relationship between humanity's constant search for meaning and the universes complete lack of any.
3. Too Many Cooks reads, to me, not as an illustration of absurdism but maybe as a kind of warning against failing to acknowledge it.
4. Does absurdism arise in our search for meaning in things like Too Many Cooks or Alex from Target?
5. - I Wikipedia-ed absurdism 'cause I was using it in a sentence
surrealism
/sɝˈiəˌɫɪzəm/, /sɝˈiɫɪzəm/
nouna type of theater that explores the irrational and subconscious, often featuring dreamlike or bizarre elements
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Examples
1. This is the case for surrealism.
2. What's more, surrealism gives us a way to think about the connection between individual creative freedom and collective liberation.
3. We are essentially used to surrealism.
4. Dali's name became synonymous with surrealism, although, they would give him the boot by 1934.
5. She likes surrealism.
expressionism
/ɪksˈpɹɛʃəˌnɪzəm/
nouna theatrical style characterized by exaggeration, distortion, and symbolism, often used to explore complex psychological states and emotions
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Examples
1. In the late 1920s, he began to work with the theater director Erwin Piscator, who we briefly discussed in our episode on expressionism.
2. It even supported painters like Jackson Pollack and the Museum of Modern Art in New York because American expressionism was the vanguard of artistic freedom and the exact opposite of Soviet socialist realism.
3. She wrote about expressionism and music, jointly authored with my father, and a book about a wonderful concert series in Los Angeles, Contemporary Music on the Roof.
4. I see it as a synthesis of Hegel and Nietzsche, but that's too much to explain today-- and the relationship established with expressionism at the beginning of the twentieth century.
5. There are actually a lot of white paintings, from artists who formed part of the Minimalist movement and were working to counteract the expressionism of painters such as Pollock.
naturalism
/ˈnætʃɝəˌɫɪzəm/, /ˈnætʃɹəˌɫɪzəm/
nouna style of theater that attempts to recreate reality as closely as possible, often featuring realistic sets and props, and exploring themes of social injustice
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Examples
1. Naturalism was the term for that.
2. Miniature painting of the Mughal Empire drew from many traditions and dazzles with moments of incredible naturalism, as does 18th century Chinese scroll painting.
3. Feuerbach called his approach "naturalism."
4. And naturalism really meant that you do not underestimate the importance of consciousness in spirit, just in the interaction with consciousness and spirit, and the nature itself,--you pay more attention to nature.
5. Incidentally, I've never understood the conflict between abstraction and naturalism.
melodrama
/ˈmɛɫəˌdɹɑmə/
nouna type of theater characterized by exaggerated emotions and simplistic morality, often featuring stock characters and featuring music to heighten the emotional impact
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Examples
1. Melodrama was originally a musical form.
2. He's giving us high velocity melodrama.
3. It was called "Melodrama."
4. Melodrama doesn't work as well when you're threatening a reproduction.
5. Clearly, family life issues are a perfect subject for melodrama.
Restoration theater
/ɹˌɛstɚɹˈeɪʃən θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna form of theater that emerged in England during the Restoration period, featuring comedies of manners and bawdy humor
Examples
Elizabethan theater
/ɪlˈɪzɐbˌɛθən θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater that emerged in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, characterized by plays that combined tragedy, comedy, and history, and featuring prominent playwrights such as William Shakespeare
Examples
Medieval theater
/mˈɛdɪˌiːvəl θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna form of theater that developed in Europe during the Middle Ages, often performed in churches or on traveling carts, and featuring morality plays and miracle plays
Examples
playback theater
/plˈeɪbæk θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater in which performers invite members of the audience to share personal stories, which are then re-enacted on stage
Examples
site-specific theater
/sˈaɪtspəsˈɪfɪk θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater that is created for and performed in a specific location, often outside of traditional theater spaces
Examples
devised theater
/dɪvˈaɪzd θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater in which performers work collaboratively to create a new piece of theatre, often without a pre-existing script
Examples
verbatim theater
/vɜːbˈeɪɾᵻm θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna type of theater that uses the actual words spoken by people interviewed on a particular subject as the basis for a script, often dealing with contemporary social and political issues
Examples
physical comedy
/fˈɪzɪkəl kˈɑːmədi/
nouna comedic performance that uses exaggerated body movements and physical actions for humor, often involving slapstick and visual gags
Examples
political theater
/pəlˈɪɾɪkəl θˈiəɾɚ/
nountype of theater that focuses on political themes and issues, often aimed at advocating social change or critiquing the status quo
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Examples
1. The Move Outraged Dr. James Phillips, an attending doctor At Walter Reed, who tweeted, all those agents must now QUARANTINE, adding, they might get sick, they might die, for Political Theater.
2. It was about Political Theater.
3. So, with that I do look FORWARD to this hearing going forward, I fully anticipate a lot of Political Theater from MY friends on the opposite side of the AISLE, I do anticipate the continued attempt to portray conspiracies that do not exist.
4. Ever seen MUELLER may have been SLIGHTLY affected by the Political Theater going On Outside.
Ancient Greek theater
/ˈeɪnʃənt ɡɹˈiːk θˈiəɾɚ/
nouna theatrical tradition that emerged in ancient Greece featuring plays that explored themes of tragedy and comedy, often performed in amphitheaters
Examples
drama
/ˈdɹɑmə/
nouna genre of literature, film, or television that deals with serious or emotional themes, often involving conflicts and tensions between characters
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Examples
1. I hate drama!
2. They want drama.
3. Musically heightened drama.
4. These guys know drama.
5. Next thing is creating drama.