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Theatre Trivia

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This category is for the shows that are put on in theatres all around the world.
1,403 Theatre quizzes and 19,642 Theatre trivia questions.
Sub-Categories:
1.
  London Theatreland   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Let us take a look at some famous productions which have appeared in the West End during the last 100 years.
Easier, 10 Qns, Plodd, Mar 16 17
Easier
Plodd
1582 plays
2.
  The Hardworking Stage Manager   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
You have probably heard of the director, the actor, the producer and the choreographer. Are you aware of the role of the stage manager? Let's see if you can get a grip on the job of the person who is "totally responsible for totally everything."
Average, 15 Qns, kscleaves, Oct 09 20
Average
kscleaves
Oct 09 20
1849 plays
3.
  Oh, What a Night!   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The audience has gone. The lights are off. I sit alone backstage and recall how such a wee germ of an idea turned into such a extravaganza of excitement and drudgery, smiles and frowns, work and fun....
Easier, 10 Qns, mlcmlc, Jan 29 15
Easier
mlcmlc gold member
1808 plays
4.
  My Life on the Not-So-Wicked Stage   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
For many years I worked in theatre as an actor, stage manager, director. I'll give you a description of some of the shows on which I've worked, and you'll identify the show. Break a leg!
Tough, 20 Qns, Cymruambyth, Aug 21 10
Tough
Cymruambyth gold member
2576 plays
5.
  Stage Directing for Dummies   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
As a drama teacher, I am frequently called upon to both direct and adjudicate plays at festivals and schools. Hopefully, this quiz will give you some tips on how to overcome some common problems with inexperienced actors.
Average, 10 Qns, ferfer72, Nov 22 07
Average
ferfer72
2371 plays
6.
  Technical Theatre    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many theatre-goers are familiar with the actor's experience, but how much do you know about what goes on behind the scenes, and the terminology used by technicians?
Average, 10 Qns, JimiGirl, Aug 02 20
Average
JimiGirl
Aug 02 20
2046 plays
7.
  I Open At The Close   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"Betrayal" and the play / musical "Merrily We Roll Along" actually do start at the close - but most shows don't. I give you the ending (except for one); you choose the play, musical or opera.
Tough, 10 Qns, ignotus999, Aug 13 14
Tough
ignotus999
697 plays
8.
  Theatre for the Techies!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I notice there are many theatre quizzes on this site, but NONE about the technical side! So if you enjoy going to the theatre, take this quiz to see how much you know about what goes on BEHIND the scenes!
Average, 10 Qns, kristyn2003, Dec 11 18
Average
kristyn2003
Dec 11 18
2233 plays
9.
  It's Curtains, I Tell Ya! Curtains!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I recently sang in a concert, with over 300 singers and orchestra onstage. This required that the fire marshall test a particular curtain. It occurred to me that there are actually several curtains involved in live theatre. How many do you know?
Average, 10 Qns, babsr, Mar 28 15
Average
babsr gold member
526 plays
10.
  Mighty Morphin Power Rangers World Tour    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers World Tour Live on Stage" was quite a mouthful for kids back in 1995. The show, however, was their chance to see their favorite TV heroes live and in person.
Tough, 10 Qns, Shadowmyst2004, Oct 30 16
Tough
Shadowmyst2004
276 plays
trivia question Quick Question
It's 1964: who won the Tony for Actress in a Musical?

From Quiz "Tony Award Winners"




11.
  Oh Noh!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Welcome to a quiz about Noh, a time-honored form of Japanese traditional theater.
Tough, 10 Qns, Pegbshack, Feb 16 13
Tough
Pegbshack
331 plays
Related Topics
  Movie Musicals Mixture [Movies] (61 quizzes)

  Plays [Literature] (59 quizzes)


Theatre Trivia Questions

1. Which was the first character shown in the play?

From Quiz
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers World Tour

Answer: Alpha 5

The stage play opened with a prerecorded video clip in the Ranger's Command Center. The camera panned up to Alpha 5 as he was looking through the viewing globe and started a conversation with Zordon about the activities of Lord Zedd.

2. What is the name of the curtain separating the performers on stage from the audience in the event of a fire?

From Quiz It's Curtains, I Tell Ya! Curtains!

Answer: The Fire Curtain

The fire curtain is motorized, so nobody has to hang around to make sure it drops into place. It is usually set to stop momentarily at about 4 feet, so any person needing to get to the other side has the opportunity to do so. However, once in place, it seals the space, until the emergency is over and it is raised.

3. The end: Multiple executions are avoided at the last moment by a change in the law and betrothal of the condemned. What musical comedy ends with this reprieve?

From Quiz I Open At The Close

Answer: Iolanthe

The title character in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta "Iolanthe" is a fairy princess who provoked the wrath of the Fairy Queen by marrying a mortal - who later became the Lord Chancellor of England. This gave former barrister William Gilbert yet another opportunity to poke fun at the profession as well as the peerage. The "fairy law" had stated that any fairy who marries a mortal was condemned to death. At the end of Act II, the Lord Chancellor adds the word "don't" to the statute, making intermarriage not only legal but compulsory. The entire House of Lords (and at least one soldier) take advantage of the amendment.

4. A lot of first-time actors don't realize that they are hard to hear and see when they turn their backs to the audience. What is a "rule of thumb" to keep actors open to the audience?

From Quiz Stage Directing for Dummies

Answer: Keep one foot pointed toward the audience at all times.

It's actually a "rule of foot". If you keep one foot pointed at the audience at all times, you are more likely to have at least *part* of the front of your body facing outwards. Keeping one hand pointed toward the wings could look awkward and obstruct air flow. Staying upstage keeps you away from the audience, and putting arrows on the floor would require actors to look down--a direction that would make them difficult to see and understand.

5. Who is responsible for making sure all light, sound, and stage cues are executed at the proper time?

From Quiz Technical Theatre

Answer: stage manager

This is called "calling a show." The stage manager has every cue written in his/her script and it is his/her job to "call" all of them. Then the corresponding technician executes the task, but only after the stage manager gives the "go."

6. A light left burning overnight on stage to keep friendly spirits illuminated and unfriendly spirits at bay is called a what?

From Quiz Theatre for the Techies!

Answer: ghost light

It is also said that a ghost light will keep the theatrical muse in the theatre.

7. What happened to Rita Repulsa in the first scene she was in?

From Quiz Mighty Morphin Power Rangers World Tour

Answer: Putties kidnapped her.

Rita was in the second scene, and first live action, of the play. She annoyed Lord Zedd so he had the putties kidnap her and take her away. Later in the same scene Zedd shrunk her into the size of a doll and had her locked away.

8. What is the curtain the audience sees before a performance or movie begins?

From Quiz It's Curtains, I Tell Ya! Curtains!

Answer: Grand Drape

The Grand Drape is raised and lowered as the performance demands. Not all theaters have one, but it is likely to be found in a space with a stage height of at least fifty feet.

9. What does a stage manager mainly do after a show opens?

From Quiz The Hardworking Stage Manager

Answer: Prep the stage, call cues, and train understudies

Once a show opens, the director usually leaves to go work on another show. The stage manager remains behind to make sure that the show remains true to the director's vision for the rest of the run. This includes making sure that the set looks the same every night, the lighting happens in the same place, and the actors perform their roles the same way.

10. If a technician is in the "grid," where are they?

From Quiz Technical Theatre

Answer: above the stage near the ceiling

The grid is a support system lining the ceiling. It is not to be confused with fly-lines, which are lower than the grid, or with the electrics, which is where lights are hung, which is also beneath the grid.

11. What is the term commonly used to describe a meeting between the stage manager, director and lighting/sound technicians to organize the cues?

From Quiz Theatre for the Techies!

Answer: Paper Tech

I've never actually heard the terms "cue tech" or "stage tech" used. An actors' tech is the rehearsal during which the actors are introduced to the technical elements of the production; a dry tech is a technical run-through without the actors.

12. If a theater does not use a Grand Drape, what would you expect to see in its place?

From Quiz It's Curtains, I Tell Ya! Curtains!

Answer: Traveler

A Traveler usually is on tracks, which means it will open like your house curtains, either in the middle or from either side. Theaters with a limited height backstage will likely use these.

13. The end: A song-and-dance man and his lost and found love sing a hymn together in a luxury hotel far from home, as French aircraft bomb the place to smithereens. What anti-war Broadway show comes to this sad end?

From Quiz I Open At The Close

Answer: Idiot's Delight

"Idiot's Delight" won playwright Arthur Sherwood the 1936 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. On Broadway, stars (and spouses) Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne portrayed the unhappy couple. The story is set in an exclusive resort in the Italian Alps - strangely adjacent to an air force base - as assorted travelers take refuge from the impending world war. Sherwood was off by about three years, and had World War Two starting with an Italian bombing raid on Paris. Yet, the sense of impending doom proved all too real. The movie version premiered in January 1939, starring Clark Gable and Norma Shearer, mere months before the real war began.

14. When technicians are "loading in", what are they doing?

From Quiz Technical Theatre

Answer: installing the set onstage

Many theatres use the concept of "load in" and "load out." Load ins are when not only the set goes up, but the lights are finalized, the sound is reconfigured, and props are finished. Another common term for load out is "strike", which is taking away all elements of that particular show.

15. What is the name of the structure that frames the stage opening?

From Quiz Theatre for the Techies!

Answer: proscenium arch

A proscenium arch frames the front of the stage as the audience looks at it.

16. Which was the first of the Rangers to be shown in the play?

From Quiz Mighty Morphin Power Rangers World Tour

Answer: Tommy

Tommy, who was the White Ranger, was the only option that was actually in the play. The other three characters had been written out of the show before the play was written. A small piece with the actors from the show was recorded on video for the play, then different actors were hired to play the morphed Rangers. That allowed the "real" rangers to be in the theater for the fans, and didn't stop production on the show.

17. The end: I promised, very publicly, not to tell you. The audience is always asked not to reveal the guilty party's identity. What murder mystery play swears audiences to secrecy?

From Quiz I Open At The Close

Answer: The Mousetrap

Don't disappoint the late Agatha Christie, please. As of 2013, "The Mousetrap" is still running in London after 25,000+ performances and over 60 years of generally obedient audiences. The script has been published, but see the play instead if you can, and don't go looking on-line for spoilers. I am permitted to say that the the suspects gather at an isolated inn, scrutinized by a police detective - but that's only the beginning.

18. Who is most likely to be working in the "catwalk"?

From Quiz Technical Theatre

Answer: master electrician

The catwalk is an elevated space usually above the house (or audience) that is used for lighting positions.

19. In theatre, special effects are often achieved by using a curtain (sometimes made of muslin) which, depending upon the lighting, can either be transparent or opaque. What is this called?

From Quiz Theatre for the Techies!

Answer: scrim

A scrim allows a scene to either be played in front of it or behind it, depending on the desired effect.

20. What was the name of the monster that Lord Zedd created?

From Quiz Mighty Morphin Power Rangers World Tour

Answer: Lumitor

Zedd unveiled the new monster right after returning Rita Repulsa to her full size with a "Stretching Chamber". The creature was called Lumitor, and was described as a fire lion. Zedd said his mere touch could burn a house to cinders.

21. Live theatre requires backstage areas from which people or props can be moved into the view of the audiences. These are called the "wings", and what curtains are likely to be found there?

From Quiz It's Curtains, I Tell Ya! Curtains!

Answer: Legs

Legs are just needed to cover small areas, so are quite narrow.

22. According to protocol, the Noh performers rehearse together how many times?

From Quiz Oh Noh!

Answer: one

By rehearsing only once, the Noh performance could embody the ancient Japanese art philosophy of ephemerality and transience, as cited in the Japanese term "ichi-go ichi-e". "Ichi-go ichi-e" translates to "one time (or chance), one meeting".

23. Whew! Was I glad that we had a panel of folk to help with this task. So many aspects to the decisions that I didn't anticipate! What part of this project is held to audition those that will be on stage?

From Quiz Oh, What a Night!

Answer: casting

Auditions can actually include crew as well, depending on the production. If you're only auditioning for cast, some points to keep in mind might be: height, voice, singing voice, acting ability, and stage presence. From the other side of the fence, those auditioning are likely to be excited and very nervous. This may be their first audition. Be polite, firm and patient--ok, hard to be perfect, but try to keep in mind that this experience could help them blossom in more ways than simply talent on a stage.

24. Directors need to tell students to go places like "upstage" and "downstage". Why were those directions named "up" and "down"?

From Quiz Stage Directing for Dummies

Answer: Stages used to be built on a ramp

Stages used to be "raked" so that audiences (sitting on flat ground) could see all of the action. Today, most audiences are "raked". This way the stage is safer for the actors, and audiences can still see the stage.

25. What does a dresser do?

From Quiz Technical Theatre

Answer: assists the actor with quick costume changes

Dressers are very important to the timing of a play or musical. It is the duty of the dresser to change an actor's costumes in a very short amount of time.

26. What is the term for an insert, usually made of metal, which you slide into a light to create a special effect in light and shadow?

From Quiz Theatre for the Techies!

Answer: gobo

A gobo is often used to indicate a window frame, or leaves; it casts a picture in shadow to create a mood or setting.

27. Which two Rangers were the first imprisoned by Goldar?

From Quiz Mighty Morphin Power Rangers World Tour

Answer: Aisha and Adam

Aisha (yellow) and Adam (black) were the two imprisoned by Goldar. He then left them with guards who were to take them to Lord Zedd. Aisha then faked an ankle injury to trick their captors into removing her chains. She convinced her jailers Squat and Baboo that she couldn't walk with the chains.

28. Upstage of the Grand drape or Traveler (toward the back of the stage) is the painted curtain often seen in vaudeville or burlesque revues. Which curtain fits this description?

From Quiz It's Curtains, I Tell Ya! Curtains!

Answer: Olio

Being midstage, this curtain gives room for the old-style song and dance routines descended from vaudeville. It is usually painted canvas, and is raised and lowered on a long rigid tube. It is also referred to as Speaker setting, which may be in place to allow a speaker adequate room at a podium without placing him/her too close to the edge of the stage. In this case, it may not be canvas, and may not be painted.

29. The end: The young hero dies. The young, beautiful, naive all-American heroine ends up with a foreigner at least twice her age - and his children from a prior relationship. What musical production ends with this unexpected and profound pairing?

From Quiz I Open At The Close

Answer: South Pacific

"South Pacific" was drawn from multiple stories in James Michener's 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Tales of the South Pacific". The Rogers and Hammerstein musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950. Set on a Pacific island during World War Two - an experience fresh in the minds of some audience members - the complex and emotionally moving story has Nurse Nellie Forbush declining the obvious choice of wealthy young Marine Lieutenant Joe Cable in favor of late middle-aged French expatriate planter Emile de Becque. The musical combines fabulous and familiar songs with trenchant comments about racism and prejudice.

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