The Matchmaker & Musical Theatre Test Review

The Matchmaker:

Know the four types of Comedy shown in the play:

Slapstick Physical comedy

Satire A humorous attack on a serious subject; meant to provoke change

Farce Exaggerated situations, everything done for laughs

Parody A humorous imitation of human behavior; lighthearted

Be able to identify how the playwright uses each type in the play. (I’ll give you an example from
the play and you’ll need to tell which type of comedy is shown.)

What is the overall theme of the play and which character reveals it?
Barnaby says that we must have the right amount of sitting quietly at home and the right amount of
adventure.

What was Thornton Wilder’s purpose in writing the play?

Hardworking people had lost the ability to laugh at themselves.

You will choose ONE of the four soliloquies from the play for a constructed response:

 What do we learn about Horace Vandergelder from his monologue in Act I? What is his
view on love and women?
 What points is Cornelius trying to make through his speech in Act II?
 What moral statements is Malachi making in his speech from Act III?
 According to her monologue in Act IV, what is Dolly Levi’s philosophy of life?

Musical Theatre:

Know the definitions of the types of musical theatre:

Opera Musical comedy Operetta

Musical play Comic opera Concept musical
Musical revue Spoof

Be able to list the six characteristics of a musical play

Know “musical theatre terms” and definitions.

What musical is based on “The Matchmaker”