4 Arts and theatre

Lessons 11–12 Arts and theatre:

plays and performing arts
● Look at the photograph. What are these men doing?

Did you know?

Pr

Plays are performed on a stage with a live audience. They provide real tests for
true ‘actors’! Major theatres in the UAE include Dubai Community Theatre & Arts
op

Centre and the new 2000-seater Dubai Opera house. There are major annual
er

events such as the Sharjah GCC Theatre Festival at the Cultural Palace in Sharjah.
ty
of

Listening
th

1
e

15 Listen to Mr Rashid.
U

1 Where do you think he is? Who is he talking to? What is he talking about?
ni

2 Listen again, and note down any directions you hear.

te

Did you know?

d

Listening strategy
Ar

Stage actors in a play are known as ‘thespians’, with the lead Listening for gist involves a
ab

actors or characters called ‘protagonists’. The director of a general understanding. Listen

theatre production provides instructions to the actors about what
Em

for the broad context rather

to do, and when to enter or leave the stage during rehearsals than specific or key details.
ira
te

Language Focus
s

2
M

Think about the stage directions Mr Rashid gave his actors.

in

1 Can you remember any of the verbs he used?

is
try

Use of English
Phrasal verbs are usually combinations of verb and prepositions/adverbs.
of

The meaning is different from the meaning of the separate parts.

E

• Form: base verb + preposition/adverb • The negative form changes with the verb
du

– Remember the verb form will change tense. In the present simple do not can go
ca

according to the time context. before the verb. In the past simple did not
tio

Please sit down and make yourself comfortable. can go before the verb and the verb stays in
n

The director was angry because the famous actor
backed out of (failed to complete) the contract.
She was dashing off (went quickly)
to meet the director when her cell phone rang.
the base form. In the past continuous, not can
come after the auxiliary was.
Don’t sit down there.
The famous actor did not back out of the contract.
She was not dashing off to meet the director as I
had thought.

35 Unit 3 Lessons 11–12

 4 Arts and theatre

3 Look at the sentences below and put the phrasal verb in the present simple, past
simple or past continuous. Use the negative form where indicated.
a Yesterday we (work on) a new play about a ship that sank in a storm in 1815.
b We (head for) to the theatre when my friend rang to say the play was cancelled.
c They (run away from – negative) the king.
d The three actors (dash off) to meet the costume designer for a quick fitting.
e
Pr

We (sit down – negative) for very long this morning.

op

Speaking
er

4
ty

Have you ever seen a live play in a

of

theatre before? What kind of play

was it? How did it make you feel?
th

Comedy and tragedy are two types

e

of play that show us human nature.

U
ni

Which type do you prefer and why?

te

Did you know?

d
Ar

Richard III is a tragedy written by

ab

playwright William Shakespeare

in 1592. It depicts the rise and
Em

reign of an English King.

Many of Shakespeare’s plays are
ira

popular and are still performed

te

around the world today.

s
M
in

5 Look at the stage directions you created in the Workbook.

is
try

1 Explain the scene to another group who will follow your stage directions and act out the scene.
2 Watch the performance and give feedback using the guide below.
of
E

Observation Yes/No Comment

du

The actors followed the stage

ca

directions.
tio

I could hear what the actors were

n

saying and they spoke at a good pace.

I noticed the use of some
phrasal verbs.
The actors reproduced the dialogue
accurately.

Unit 3 Lessons 11–12 36