Theater Stuff Nomenclature Trivia Quiz

Answer: Break a leg

The exact history behind the expression "break a leg" is not universally agreed upon. One theory is that a successful performance generates a curtain call where actors bow or curtsey to the audience which essentially breaks the line of the leg. Another popular explanation is the naming of the curtains as legs and breaking a leg referred to actors breaking through the curtains to take the audience applause after a good performance.

Answer: Green room

There are many theories behind the name of the green room. In 1599, Blackfriars Theater in London England had a room painted completely green that was the staging area for actors waiting to go onstage. Some people believe green room is a corruption of the word scenery and refers to a space where props and scenery awaited its turn to be pulled on stage. Today, the title green room is given to any space where actors meet before, after and during stage performances.

Answer: Pantomime

Pantomime is originally based in the Greek and Roman performances involving miming. It is a popular family-oriented theater production that allows audience members to participate in the show. Pantomimes are usually based upon fairy tales or folklore. Some of the more popular productions are "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Peter Pan", and "Beauty and the Beast".

The productions are usually quite comedic and rarely predictable.

Answer: Stage Manager

The stage manager plays a vital role during a production run. During rehearsals, the stage manager keeps a book with all of the director notes and blocking prompts. During rehearsal, the stage manager also provides line prompts for the actors. When the show opens, the stage manager coordinates with the lighting and sound specialists for cues and ensures that all props are correctly set in their places.

Answer: Zaju

Zaju is a form of Chinese theater and Chinese opera that has its earliest origins during the Song dynasty (12th & 13th century). There are four primary genres in Japanese theater: Bunraku, Noh, Kyogen and Kabuki. Kabuki theater is traditional theater that uses costumes, song, drama, and dance to tell stories.

Answer: Soliloquy

The soliloquy is a dramatic device that was very popular during Shakespearean times. It differs from a monologue in that the conversation is addressed to no one in particular. In the instance of an aside, the comments may be made towards the audience. William Shakespeare used the soliloquy in many of his plays, notably in "Julius Caesar", "Othello", and "Macbeth".

In "Hamlet", the title character alone had seven soliloquies.

Answer: Taming of the Shrew

William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest playwright that has ever lived. He was born in Stratford upon Avon in 1564 and lived until 1616. He is credited with writing almost 40 plays and over 150 sonnets. Many of his greatest plays have been placed in categories such as comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances.

Some of his greatest works have been tragedies including plays such as "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "Julius Caesar", and "King Lear". "The Taming of the Shrew" is thought to have been written around 1590.

It is a comedy and traces the story of Petruchio's courtship of Katherina.

Answer: The Mousetrap

The show, based upon a play by Agatha Christie, first opened in 1952 and continues to enjoy its historic run at the St. Martin's Theater in Covent Garden. The show is renowned for its twist-and-turn ending which theatergoers are requested not to share with other patrons after the conclusion of the show.

The play started as a radio broadcast in 1947 called "Three Blind Mice". It was written by Agatha Christie and based upon the real-life death of a foster child under the care of a Shropshire farmer. Christie requested that the story not be published in written form until the play concluded its London run.

The play has yet to be published in England in written form.

Answer: Strike

To strike the set means literally to clean up after a production. The scenery is torn down, lighting removed, and props put away. This responsibility usually falls to the cast in most community or school-sanctioned shows. Oftentimes striking the set is followed by a cast party, where actors trade stories and memories of their experience in the show.

Answer: Opera

Opera is a performing art that was especially popular in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The art form grew out of late 16th century Italy and spread quickly through the royal courts of most of Europe. One of the greatest artists of 18th century opera was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who composed works such as "The Marriage of Figaro", "The Magic Flute", and "Don Giovanni".

The words contained in an opera are called the libretto which literally translate to mean small book.