WICAP PA8B: LESSON 11

PERFORMING ARTS: THEATRE

 
            Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually
actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a
specific place, often a stage. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through
combinations of gesture, speech, song, music, and dance. Elements of art, such as painted scenery and
stagecraft such as lighting are used to enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the
experience.

THEATRE
            A theater, theatre or playhouse, is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed, or
other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. A theatre used for opera performances
is called an opera house. While a theater is not required for performance (as in environmental theater or
street theater), a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces. The facility is
traditionally organized to provide support areas for performers, the technical crew and the audience
members. There are as many types of theaters as there are types of performance. Theaters may be built
specifically for a certain types of productions, they may serve for more general performance needs or they
may be adapted or converted for use as a theater. They may range from open-air amphitheaters to
ornate, cathedral-like structures to simple, undecorated rooms or black box theaters. Some theaters may
have a fixed acting area (in most theaters this is known as the stage), while some theaters, such as black
box theaters, may not, allowing the director and designers to construct an acting area suitable for the
production.
ON AND OFF STAGE
The most important of these areas is the acting space generally known as the stage. In some theaters,
specifically proscenium theaters, arena theaters and amphitheaters, this area is permanent part of the
structure. In a blackbox theater the acting area is undefined so that each theater may adapt specifically to
a production. In addition to these acting spaces, there may be offstage spaces as well. These include
wings on either side of a proscenium stage (called "backstage" or "offstage") where props, sets and
scenery may be stored as well as a place for actors awaiting an entrance. A Prompter's box may be found
backstage. In an amphitheater, an area behind the stage may be designated for such uses while a
blackbox theater may have spaces outside of the actual theater designated for such uses. Often a theater
will incorporate other spaces intended for the performers and other personnel. A booth facing the stage
may be incorporated into the house where lighting and sound personnel may view the show and run their
respective instruments. Other rooms in the building may be used for dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms,
spaces for constructing sets, props and costumes, as well as storage. There are usually two main
entrances. One is at the front, used by the audience, and leads into the back of the audience space,
sometimes first going through a ticket booth. The second is called the stage door, and it is accessible
from backstage. This is where the cast and crew enter and exit the theater, and fans sometimes wait
outside it after the show in order to get autographs, called "stage dooring". This term can also be used to
refer to going to a lot of shows or living in a big theater city, such as New York or Chicago.

SEATING AND AUDIENCE

All theaters provide a space for an audience. The audience is usually separated from the performers by
the proscenium arch. In proscenium theaters and amphitheaters, the proscenium arch, like the stage, is a
permanent feature of the structure. This area is known as the auditorium or the house. Like the stage in a
black box theater, this area is also defined by the production
The seating areas can include some or all of the following:
- Stalls or arena (in North America, "orchestra"): the lower flat area, usually below or at the same level
as the stage. The word parterre (occasionally, parquet) is sometimes used to refer to a particular subset
of this area. In North American usage this is usually the rear seating block beneath the gallery (see
below) whereas in Britain it can mean either the area in front near the orchestra pit, or the whole of the
stalls. The term can also refer to the side stalls in some usages. Derived from the gardening term
parterre, the usage refers to the sectioned pattern of both the seats of an auditorium and of the planted
beds seen in garden construction. Throughout the 18th century the term was also used to refer to the
theater audience who occupied the parterre.
- Balconies or galleries: one or more raised seating platforms towards the rear of the auditorium. In
larger theaters, multiple levels are stacked vertically above or behind the stalls. The first level is usually
called the dress circle or grand circle. The next level may be the loge, from the French version of loggia. A
second tier inserted beneath the main balcony may be the mezzanine.
- Boxes (state box or stage box): typically placed immediately to the front, side and above the level of
the stage. They are often separate rooms with an open viewing area which typically seat up to five
people. These seats are typically considered the most prestigious of the house. A "state box" or "royal
box" is sometimes provided for dignitaries.
- House seats: these are "the best seats in the house", giving the best view of the stage. Though each
theater's layout is different, these are usually in the center of the stalls. These seats are traditionally
reserved for the cast and crew to invite family members, agents, and others. If they are not used, they
usually go on sale on the day of the performance.
WICAP PA8B: LESSON 12

THEATRE STAGES AND AUDITORIA

Theatres have evolved with different internal layouts according to the types of productions presented
there. The most common types of stage arrangements are listed below.

PROSCENIUM STAGES
Proscenium stages have an architectural frame, known as the proscenium arch, although not always
arched in shape. Their stages are deep and sometimes raked, meaning the stage is gently sloped rising
away from the audience. Sometimes the front of the stage extends past the proscenium into the
auditorium. This is known as an apron or forestage. Theatres containing proscenium stages are known as
proscenium arch theatres and often include an orchestra pit for live music and a fly tower for the
movement of scenery and lighting.
THRUST STAGES
As the name suggests, these project or ‘thrust’ into the auditorium with the audience sitting on three
sides. The thrust stage area itself is not always square but may be semi-circular or half a polygon with
any number of sides. Such stages are often used to increase intimacy between actors and the audience.

THEATERS IN THE ROUND

These have a central performance area enclosed by the audience on all sides. The arrangement is rarely
‘round’: more usually the seating is in a square or polygonal formation. The actors enter through aisles or
vomitories between the seating. Scenery is minimal and carefully positioned to ensure it does not obstruct
the audience’s view.

ARENA THEATRES
Arena theatres are large scale auditoria and have a central stage area with audiences on all sides,
similar to theatres in-the-round. The stage area is usually rectangular, more like a sports arena, with
tiered seating.
Arena theatres are large scale auditoria and have a central stage area with audiences on all sides, similar
to theatres in-the-round. The stage area is usually rectangular, more like a sports arena, with tiered
seating.
 
 
PLATFORM STAGES
These usually consist of a raised rectangular platform at one end of a room. They can either have a level
or raked sloping floor. The audience sit in rows facing the stage. Platform stages are often used in multi-
purpose halls where theatre is only one of the space’s uses. Where the stage is open and without
curtains, they are sometimes known as end stages or open stages.
 
HIPPODROMES
Hippodromes are similar to circuses and have a central circular arena surrounded by concentric tiered
seating. Deep pits or low screens often separate the audience from the arena.
 
OPEN AIR STAGES
These are outdoor theatres that do not have a roof, although sometimes parts of the stage or audience
seating will be covered. These stages may make use of the natural light as it changes during the day,
particularly sunset.
 
SITE-SPECIFIC THEATRE
Site-specific theatre is usually performed in a non-traditional theatre space such as a pub, home or
warehouse, often reflecting the history, atmosphere or experiences of a particular location.
 
PROMENADE THEATRE
This involves the audience moving from place to place following the actors and performance.
WICAP PA8B: LESSON 13

KINDS OF THEATRE PLAY

            A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between characters and intended
for theatrical performance rather than just reading.

COMEDY

            Comedies are plays which are designed to be humorous. Comedies are often filled with witty
remarks, unusual characters, and strange circumstances. Certain comedies are geared toward different
age groups. Comedies were one of the two original play types of Ancient Greece, along with tragedies.
An example of a comedy would be William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, or for a
more modern example the skits from Saturday Night Live.

FARCE

A generally nonsensical genre of play, farces are often acted and often involve humor. An example of a
farce includes William Shakespeare's play The Comedy of Errors, or Mark Twain's play Is He Dead?.
 
 SATRICAL

A satire play takes a comic look at current events, while at the same time attempting to make a political or
social statement, for example pointing out corruption. An example of a satire would be Nikolai Gogol's
The Government Inspector and Aristophanes' Lysistrata. Satire plays are generally one of the most
popular forms of comedy, and often considered to be their own genre entirely.

TRAGEDY

These plays contain darker themes such as death and disaster. Often the protagonist of the play has a
tragic flaw, a trait which leads to their downfall. Tragic plays convey all emotions and have very dramatic
conflicts. Tragedy was one of the two original play types of Ancient Greece. Some examples of tragedies
include William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and also John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi.
 
HISTORICAL
These plays focus on actual historical events. They can be tragedies or comedies, but are often neither of
these. History as a separate genre was popularized by William Shakespeare.
MUSICAL

It is a form of dramatic production combining acting, singing, and dancing to tell a story. We tend to call
these productions musicals, or sometimes Broadway musicals based on their preeminent venue.
 
 
FAMOUS THEATRE PLAYS 
MISS SAIGON – is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and
Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the
tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover. The
setting of the plot is relocated to 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, and Madame Butterfly’s story of
marriage between an American lieutenant and a geisha is replaced by a romance between a United
States Marine and a seventeen-year-old South Vietnamese bargirl.
LES MISERABLES - is a sung-through musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same
name, by Claude-Michel Schönberg (music), Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel (original French lyrics),
and Herbert Kretzmer (English lyrics). The original French musical premiered in Paris in 1980 with
direction by Robert Hossein. Its English-language adaptation by producer Cameron Mackintosh has been
running in London since October 1985, making it the longest-running musical in the West End and the
second longest-running musical in the world after the original Off-Broadway run of The Fantasticks.

THE PHANTOM OPERA - is a 1986 musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart,
and a libretto by Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe. Based on the 1910 French novel of the same name
by Gaston Leroux, its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the
obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius living in the subterranean labyrinth beneath the
Paris Opéra House.
MAMMA MIA! - is a jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs
of ABBA composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. The title of the
musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia". Ulvaeus and Andersson, who
composed the original music for ABBA, were involved in the development of the show from the beginning.
Singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad was involved financially in the production and she was also present at many of
the premieres around the world.

 
HAMLET - is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is
Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his
revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and
marry Hamlet's mother.
ROMEO AND JULIET - is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young
star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's
most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed
plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.
WICAP PA8B: LESSON 14

THEATRE ARTIST
            A theatre artist is someone who works with one or more theatre groups as a professional actor.
There are many artists who work as technical support persons such as lighting professional or a set
designer to make extra money. Anyone who helps or supports in the conceptualizing, rehearsing or
enacting plays can be referred to as a theatre artist. In a musical, a singer is a theatre artist too.
 
FILIPINO THEATRE ARTIST
LEA SALONGA - Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, born February 22, 1971 is a Filipina singer and
actress, best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplying the singing voices of two Disney
Princesses (Jasmine and Mulan), and as a recording artist and television performer. At age 18, she
originated the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, first in the West End and then on Broadway,
winning the Olivier and Theatre World Awards, and becoming the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award.
Salonga is the first Filipino artist to sign with an international record label (Atlantic Records in 1993).
Salonga was the first actress of Asian descent to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les
Misérables on Broadway. She also portrayed Éponine and Fantine, respectively, in the musical's 10th and
25th anniversary concerts in London. She provided the singing voices of two official Disney Princesses:
Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998). She was named a Disney Legend in 2011 for
her work with The Walt Disney Company.

RACHELLE ANN GO - Rachelle Ann "Shin" Villalobos Go-Spies (born August 31, 1986) is a Filipino
singer and international musical theater actress. She began her career by participating in and winning
several singing competitions, the first of which was in the long-running Philippine variety show Eat
Bulaga! at age eleven. She rose to fame when she emerged as the Grand Champion of the reality talent
search Search for a Star in 2004.[2] She was previously managed by VIVA Artist Agency and Viva
Records. She is currently managed by Cornerstone Talent Management Center.

CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA - Christian Joseph Morata Bautista (born October 19, 1981), more popularly
known by his screen name Christian Bautista, is a Filipino singer, actor, host, and model. He was a finalist
of Star in a Million, a Philippine reality show aired on ABS-CBN channel, winning 4th place in the
competition in 2003. After the contest, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music Philippines and
released his self-titled debut album, Christian Bautista. The multi-platinum album established his name as
an OPM artist with songs such as "The Way You Look at Me", "Colour Everywhere" and "Hands to
Heaven".
 

TOM RODRIGUEZ - Bartolome Alberto Mott (born October 1, 1987), known by his stage name Tom
Rodriguez, is a Filipino actor, host and singer. Rodriguez is from Catbalogan, Samar. He was born in
Subic Naval Base in Zambales to an American serviceman father and a Filipina mother. One of six
siblings, he moved with his two brothers and three sisters with their mother to Pinabacdao, Samar (where
their mother hails from). But they grew up in nearby Catbalogan City, also in Samar, where Rodriguez
studied at St. Mary's College of Catbalogan (formerly Sacred Heart College) from kindergarten to
elementary.[citation needed] They later migrated to the United States when he was 12 years old with his
parents. He lived in Arizona and attended Cibola High School in Yuma.     

CHERIE GIL - Evangeline Rose Gil Eigenmann born 21 June 1963, better known by her stage name as
Cherie Gil, is a Filipino actress. She has been acting in TV series, films and theatrical productions since
the age of 9. Cherie Gil is the daughter of Filipino singer-actors Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil, and sister
of fellow actors, Michael de Mesa and Mark Gil. She was formerly married to Rony Rogoff, a violinist; the
couple has two children, Bianca and Raphael. She also has another child, Jeremiah David (Jay), from a
previous relationship with actor Leo Martinez.

GLAIZA DE CASTRO - Glaiza Castro Galura, known by her stage name Glaiza de Castro, is a Filipina
actress and singer. After beginning her career in GMA in 2001, she transferred to its rival network, ABS-
CBN, where she played mostly minor and supporting roles before returning to GMA in 2006. During the
first two years of her second stint with GMA, she continued to play supporting roles in series such as
Boys Nxt Door and Asian Treasures before landing a lead role in the television remake of the film Kaputol
ng Isang Awit. She appeared in villain roles in the remakes of Kung Aagawin Mo Ang Lahat Sa Akin and
Stairway to Heaven, and on the musical series Diva before finally achieving leading lady status in the
fantasy series Grazilda in 2010.

IRMA ADLAWAN - Irma Santonil Adlawan (born March 7, 1962) is a Filipino stage, film, and television
actress. She is known primarily for her work in independent films and for her roles in several primetime
soap operas such as Maging Sino Ka Man, Amaya, Forevermore, and Destiny Rose. Adlawan was born
in Tondo, Manila, the daughter of Conrada Santonil, a housewife, and Pedro Adlawan, a retired colonel.
She attended St. Mary Magdalene School in Cavite and became a student of Speech and Drama at the
University of the Philippines–Diliman, having transferred from its Manila campus.
 

CHARICE PEMPENGCO - is a Filipino singer and television personality. In 2007, after some
appearances on Philippine television, Charice sang on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the following
year, he made several international television appearances, including on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She
then began performing in concerts with David Foster and Andrea Bocelli, among others. Charice released
the studio album Charice in 2010; it entered the Billboard 200 at number eight, making it the first album of
an Asian solo singer ever to land in the Top 10. The single "Pyramid" from that album.
 

PINKY AMADOR - Pilar Cristina Roxas Amador (born 16 March 1966), commonly known by her stage
name Pinky Amador, is a Philippine actress, singer, commercial model and TV host. Amador was in the
original London cast of the Cameron Mackintosh musical hit Miss Saigon. She is seen mostly on GMA
Network, but lately in ABS-CBN. Amador graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (an affiliated
school of the University of the West of England) with a master's degree in Acting, where she was
awarded with a Chevening Scholarship due to excellence.

SAM CONCEPCION - Samuel Lawrence Lopez Concepcion (born October 17, 1992) is a Filipino singer,
dancer, actor, VJ and host. Concepcion emerged as the winner for the Big Division of the first season of
Little Big Star in April 2006. Concepcion currently has a contract under STAGES and ABS-CBN's Star
Magic. Concepcion began with a total of 12 theater roles and participated in various plays even at a
young age, including the role of Edmund Pevensie in the local stage adaptation of The Lion, The Witch,
and The Wardrobe and Mr. Noah's Big Boat. He has been in the role of Peter Pan from 2002 to 2012.
Aside from theater roles, he has acted in movies including Way Back Home and Shake, Rattle & Roll 13.
 
 
 FOREIGN THEATRE ARTIST

MICHAEL BALL - Michael Ashley Ball, OBE (born 27 June 1962) is an English actor, singer and
broadcaster. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London
production of Les Misérables, and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. In
1989, he reached number Two in the UK Singles Chart with "Love Changes Everything", a song taken
from the musical Aspects of Love, where he played Alex. He played the role in London and on Broadway.
His album Coming Home To You reached number one in the UK making it his 4th number one album to
date.

HARRISON CHAD - Harrison Chad is an American actor and singer. His roles include young Tarzan in
the film Tarzan 2, the original voice for Boots on Dora the Explorer for the first four seasons from 2000–
2007 and Go, Diego, Go!, the singing voice of Leo on Little Einsteins (2005–2009), and Cardigan from
Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure. He also has performed live-action roles, including as the
Comedy Central film Hebrew Hammer and the Showtime film Carry Me Home. He has guest starred on
television, in Ed, Smash, Blue Bloods, Divorce, and Murphy Brown.
STEPHANIE ANN D’ABRUZZO - Stephanie Ann D'Abruzzo-Shemin (born December 7, 1971) is an
American actress and puppeteer. She has performed various Muppets in the TV program Sesame Street.
She held starring roles on Oobi and The Book of Pooh. She was one of the original cast members of the
stage musical Avenue Q, receiving a nomination for the 2004 Best Actress in a Musical. D'Abruzzo was
born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 7, 1971, and grew up in McMurray, a Pittsburgh suburb
she has described as a "plastic bubble kind of town. She graduated from Peters Township High School in
1989 and attended the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts.

ALISTAIR BRAMMER - Alistair Daniel Brammer (born 12 November 1988) is an English actor best
known for playing Jean Prouvaire in both the 2010 special Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert and
the 2012 musical film Les Misérables. Brammer performed as 'Chris' in the Miss Saigon 25th anniversary
performance. Originally from Exmouth, Devon, Brammer is the youngest of seven children. In 2005, he
was one of 35 students from around England chosen to participate in the 20th anniversary celebration of
Les Misérables at Queen's Theatre in the West End.
TAMSIN CARROLL - Tamsin Georgina Carroll (born 13 February 1979) is an Australian actress. She is
best known for her performances in musical theatre in Australia and the United Kingdom. Carroll was born
and raised in Sydney. Her parents are Australian actor Peter Carroll and Trisha, a former historian and
archivist for the Sydney Theatre Company. Carroll met her British husband while performing in the West
End revival of Oliver. At the age of five, Carroll was an extra in the television western series Five Mile
Creek which featured her father.

SIMON BOWMAN - Simon Bowman (born 16 February 1961) is a British actor and singer, born in Cardiff
and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for originating the role of Chris, opposite Lea
Salonga's Kim, in the original production of Miss Saigon at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End.
Prior to that, he was Marius in Cameron Mackintosh/RSC's production of Les Misérables at The Palace
Theatre, returning there 14 years later in the role of Jean Valjean. After the success of Miss Saigon, he
then played Raoul and then the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at Her
Majesty's Theatre London. He recently reprised the role of Jean Valjean on the West End at Queen's
Theatre.