Theatre History Trivia

1. The Regent Theatre in Collins Street, Melbourne has had a rocky existence, with numerous closures, threats of demolition and re-development. Since the mid-1990s the Regent Theatre has enjoyed a come back, and stages mainly what type of theatre?

From Quiz The Richness of Melbourne Theatre

Answer: Musicals

The Regent Theatre is known for its musical productions; since the mid-1970s, most of the major Australian and overseas musicals have been performed there. This historically-listed building is in the midst of the "Paris" end of Collins Street. Built in 1929, the theatre enjoyed a good early life, but following a fire in the 1940s, and reports of pending closure right up to the 1960s, the theatre finally closed in 1970. Reports of plans to demolish the theatre and turn it into a carpark finally got people into action to save it. The theatre finally re-opened in 1996.

From Quiz Festive Festivals

Answer: The Avon River

Stratford, Ontario, and the Avon River, were both named named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England, by it's early inhabitants. The area was first settled around 1832 by immigrants from England, and it soon became an important railway center. Before the Festival was founded in 1953, Stratford was mostly famous for it's local furniture industry, and is the County Seat for Perth County. The other three choices are all important rivers in southern Ontario.

From Quiz From the Old Vic to London's South Bank.

Answer: Royal Victorian Theatre

Originally founded in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, from 1824 it brought Shakespeare six nights of the week with the legendary actor Edmund Keane. Keane regarded his role as bringing high art to the masses south of the river. In 1833 it was renamed The Royal Victorian Theatre, after the future Queen. It was renamed again in 1880 to The Royal Victoria Hall and Coffee Tavern, and was run on strict temperance lines. By this time it was already known as the 'Old Vic'.

From Quiz Maddeningly Obscure Theatre History Trivia

Answer: John Millington Synge

The play prompted indignant responses wherever it went because of its perceived slur on Irish womanhood.

From Quiz Crash Course in Theatre History

Answer: Minoan palace at Phaistos

Minoan theatres were located inside or near palaces, almost like ballrooms. In addition to 'dramatic' presentations, they were also used for dances, ceremonies and bull-leaping. If you want to see one preserved, however, you are unfortunately out of luck.

From Quiz Theatre History - Romanticism

Answer: Napoleon

Napoleon (1769-1821), before he became an overbearing dictator, presented Europeans with a hopeful leader. He brought freedom from aristocratic oppression and, like the Romantic hero, created an external world according to his own will and ego.

From Quiz The History Of Theatre

Answer: 534 BC

Thespis was the first actor.

From Quiz The Richness of Melbourne Theatre

Answer: Princess Theatre

The site of the Princess Theatre started off in the nineteenth century gold rush era with an amphitheatre. The Princess Theatre opened in the 1920s with numerous changes of ownership, and with the different owners the type of performances held at the theatre also changed. In 1986 the theatre gained a new owner who restored it to its 1920s style and elegance. When the theatre re-opened in 1989 its coup of gaining "Les Miserables", followed by "The Phantom of the Opera", put it back on the map.

From Quiz Festive Festivals

Answer: 1953

Tom Patterson, a local newspaperman, conceived the idea of the Festival, as a way to boost the economy of Stratford, when the importance of the Rail Industry began to decline in the early fifties. He brought in Tyrone Guthrie to be the first Artistic Director, and the first productions were staged in a large tent in 1953. The new Festival Theatre building was opened in 1957. One of the featured actors in that first season was Lawrence Olivier. Many stars such as Brian Bedford, Maggie Smith, Christopher Plummer, and Peter Ustinov, have performed at Stratford over the years, so attracting audiences to the Festival has never been a problem.

From Quiz Australian Theatre - First Fleet to Bicentenary

Answer: Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal in Sydney was originally built in 1827, but was destroyed by fire thirteen years later. It was finally rebuilt on a different site in 1875 and remains Australia's oldest theatrical institution. Nearly 100 years later, it was demolished to make way for a skyscraper (MLC Centre) but strong public and union pressure ensured that the new building contained this theatre, which reopened in 1976. Adelaide's Theatre Royal opened in 1838. It was originally a rather simple building where, for example, people sat on planks between uprights in the pits. Long since demolished, this theatre was the first location in South Australia to show 'moving pictures' in 1896.

From Quiz A Mouse at the London Palladium

Answer: Revolving inner stage

The revolving stage at the London Palladium was, when it was constructed, unique. It became famous through the television show "Sunday Night at the London Palladium", when, as a finale, all the cast gathered on it to wave goodbye. At the end of the run of "The King and I" in 2002 the revolving stage was removed to make way for more modern technology.

From Quiz Music Hall and Vaudeville

Answer: Canterbury Music Hall

Canterbury Hall was the first purpose-built music hall in all of London. It was destroyed by heavy bombing in 1942. Due to the success of Canterbury Hall, Morton was nicknamed "The Father of the Halls".

From Quiz From the Old Vic to London's South Bank.

Answer: John Gielgud

The productions continued until the start of WWII, alternating between drama and ballet, until the opening of the Sadlers Wells Theatre in 1935 gave a permanent home to the ballet company. Although known as the butler in the movie 'Arthur', John Gielgud was one of England's most brilliant actors, with a definitive version of 'Hamlet', among many roles.

From Quiz Maddeningly Obscure Theatre History Trivia

Answer: Cameron Mitchell

And: Arthur Kennedy played Biff Don Keefer played Bernard Howard Smith played Charley and, of course, Lee J. Cobb played Willy

From Quiz Crash Course in Theatre History

Answer: Terence

Hrosvitha (pronounced roze-veeta) used Terence's comedies as models for her plays which include 'Dulcitus', 'Abraham' and 'Callimachus'. Since Terence's works were secular, Hrosvitha, being a canoness at the monastery of Gandersheim, used religious subject matter while keeping the humor.

From Quiz Theatre History - Native American

Answer: 9

Not all of the chantways lasted that long, but some took place over nine days and consisted of over 90 hours of performance. The ceremonies included singing, offerings, blessing rituals, and more.

From Quiz Theatre History - Romanticism

Answer: Medieval

Romanticism was fascinated with many elements of Medieval art and philosophy. The Greek and Roman Empires were re-imagined in the Classical period. The Spanish Golden Age was its own artistic period.

From Quiz Theatre History - 18th Century German

Answer: Johann Gottsched

Gottsched was the critic/dramatist. The Neubers were the actors/directors. The company consciously aimed to improve the quality of German theatre and the artistic tastes of the German audiences.

From Quiz The History Of Theatre

Answer: Aristotle

From Quiz Watching Shakespeare in the Park

Answer: Nothing - they are free

The full name of the festival (as of 2017) is Free Shakespeare in the Park, and that is exactly what Joe Papp insisted on. When he was told that early performances in Central Park were causing damage to the grass, and he needed to charge admission to cover the cost of maintenance, he fought tooth and nail to preserve free admission. Since they are indeed one of the hottest tickets in town, people start lining up to wait for tickets as soon as the park opens, at 6am. Tickets (a maximum of two per person) for that day's performance are handed out from the theatre at noon. There are also now some online ways of entering a lottery to win a ticket without actually being there in person. Virtual winners (or holders of free vouchers that are distributed at specific locations in each borough) who have not claimed their tickets by half an hour before the start of the show will have their tickets redistributed to those patiently waiting in the standby line.

From Quiz The Richness of Melbourne Theatre

Answer: Her Majesty's Theatre

Anna Pavlova had two Australian tours, one in 1926, the other in 1929. Both Melbourne performances were done at Her Majesty's Theatre. Her Majesty's Theatre was another building and entertainment centre that was built as a result of the gold rush in the nineteenth century.

From Quiz Australian Theatre - First Fleet to Bicentenary

Answer: The gold rush

During the 1850s, the gentry, including rich graziers and pastoralists, were increasingly supporting traditional productions, including Shakespeare and opera. In addition to these, the riches generated from several major gold rushes around the country led to enormous growth in more 'popular' entertainment for the cashed-up miners. The money available made it worthwhile for international companies to send their productions on tour 'down under'. Several of these touring companies were minstrel shows, including the 'New York Serenaders' in 1851 and the 'Backus Minstrels' in 1855. Such tours included the larger regional towns as well as state capitals. Appreciative crowds often threw gold onto the stage at the end of the performance. Pantomimes and vaudeville were also extremely popular, although shows were sometimes characterized by rowdy, often drunken behavior in the audience and ad libbed banter with those on stage.

From Quiz Music Hall and Vaudeville

Answer: Grecian Theatre, London

The Grecian Theatre was established as the Grecian Saloon in 1825. It was located in an area called "The Eagle" off of City Road in London. This location has led many to believe that the nursery rhyme "Pop Goes the Weasel" is referring to it in the following verse: "Up and down the City Road In and out The Eagle That's the way the money goes Pop goes the weasel."

From Quiz From the Old Vic to London's South Bank.

Answer: The Victoria Theatre, Burnley, Lancashire

Although the depleted company mostly toured from 1940-1943, Burnley proved to be a safe haven during the worst of the bombing of London. Theatres in London had to maintain a strict blackout during the Blitz.

From Quiz Crash Course in Theatre History

Answer: An outbreak of the plague

During this time period, all public theatres had been shut down in England. The only dramatic performances took place in private theatres that were owned and operated with the king's authorization. Blackfriars was one such theatre, and was built in 1596.

From Quiz Theatre History - Native American

Answer: capital "i"

The court was shaped like a capital "i", with a central straight area capped at both ends with perpendicular playing areas. The game was somewhat like modern day soccer, and used a rubber ball made from the rubber tree. The game was frequently played to the death, and the audience would sit in reverential silence as they watched the game unfold.

From Quiz Theatre History - Romanticism

Answer: Thesis plus antithesis equals synthesis.

The influence of this thought can be seen in Romanticism's emphasis on life's dualities.

From Quiz Theatre History - Naturalism

Answer: France

Zola was a French novelist who advocated objectivity in writing and theatre. He thought that a novel (or work of theatre) should observe and represent life as it really is.

From Quiz Theatre History - 18th Century German

Answer: Kant

While all four of these philosophers helped create a foundation for Rationalism in theatre, only Kant was a German 18th Century philosopher. Rationalism promoted the idea that the human mind could solve all problems through reason.

From Quiz The History Of Theatre

Answer: komos

Komos-comedy, tragos-tragedy

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Last Updated Nov 16 2024 5:48 AM

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