THEATRE I/THEATRE II

VOCABULARY PART 2 ANSWERS

Okay, the biggest we had with last week’s terms was a lack of specificity and many of you
defined the term by using the term. Specifically, many of you defined “Improvisation” as “the
act of improvising”.

That doesn’t explain anything.

As the grading period moves on, we will continue defining the terms in the Renaissance section
of the vocabulary list. Once completed, there will be a quiz on these terms, so please keep your
definitions.

Below are the definitions of last week’s terms.

Humanism – a focus on the worth of humanity and earthly life. While not anti-religious,
humanism means the betterment of one’s self through geographical exploration, scientific
experimentation, philosophical inquiry and artistic creativity. In education, the goal became the
development of the universal human being skilled in many fields: science, politics, sports, and
art; hence, the term “Renaissance Man”.

Improvisation – performing without any predetermined criteria such as a script. Scenes and
characters are created by making them up in the moment, on the spot.

Ottoman Empire – originally created by Turkish tribes, it grew to be one of the largest, most
powerful states during the 15th and 16th centuries encompassing most of southeastern Europe and
much of the Middle East. In 1453, the Empire invaded Constantinople (now known as Istanbul)
which stimulated a great influx of people to Italy and further fueled the Renaissance. The Empire
endured until it finally dissolved in 1922!

Teatro Olympico (Olimpico) – the oldest surviving Renaissance theatre built between 1580 and
1584 by the Olympic Academy of Vicenza and believed to be the first permanent, indoor theatre
built during the Renaissance. It still stands today!