Content tagged with “theater” under “Stuff I Looked Up”

There are 10 item(s) tagged with “theater” in this section.

See items tagged with “theater” across the entire site.

Other tags used by these items: idiom, shakespeare, new-york-city, literature, horror, definition, broadway

Chekhov’s Gun
Explanation
November 18, 2021
433

“A principle of fiction that says every story element has to matter to the overall plot, and if something doesn’t further the plot, it should be removed. The principle is often stated as: If a gun appears in Act One, it better go off in Act Three. The original reference was by the Russian playwright…”

The Fault In Our Stars
Explanation
September 8, 2021
118

“ This is a line from Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar : The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Cassius is trying to explain to Brutus that their current lives were not due to fate (‘not in our stars’). ”

Grand Guignol
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
September 16, 2023
357

“This is technically French for ‘great puppet,’ but it usually refers to a theater in Paris called Théâtre du Grand Guignol (‘The Theater of the Great Puppet.’) It was known for its realistic, gruesome horror shows. Each performance would be several short plays. Here’s a description from a 1957 New…”

Great White Way
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
March 6, 2022
223

“ Clearly, Broadway in New York City is an example of this. However, I suppose it could apply to any ‘entertainment district’ of a city – even a couple blocks Phillips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls. Wiktionary just has this for etymology: So called from its brilliant illumination at night. ”

Green-Eyed Monster
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
December 13, 2021
221

“This is a phrase commonly known to mean ‘jealously,’ but I’m having trouble figuring out why it means this. Shakespeare used the phrase at least twice. In Othello : O beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on. In The Merchant of Venice : How all…”

Harlequin
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
October 29, 2023
283

“This is a stock character originating in Italian theater of the 17th century. It’s generally the equivalent to the court jester – a Harlequin is often a servant, known for quick wit, comedy, and getting themselves into complicated situations. The Harlequin is usually depicted in a diamond-patterned…”

Harold Hill
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
December 25, 2021
87

“ This was the main character of 1957 the musical The Music Man . Hill is a conman who takes money from townspeople with the promise to create a youth band, but intends to abscond with the funds. ”

House vs. Stage Directions
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
June 12, 2023
143

“People often talk about ‘stage right’ and ‘stage left’ in the theater. I know from play production class that this is from the perspective of the performer facing the audience, so it’s the opposite of what the audience sees – ‘stage left’ would be the audience’s right. It turns out there’s an…”

Impresario
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
November 29, 2021
197

“ This is something like a TV or film producer, but for live performances, like plays, concerts, or operas. ”

On Broadway
Stuff I Looked Up
Explanation
July 3, 2022
83

“ This related to the size and location of the theater. Broadway : a theater of greater than 500 seats in the theater district of New York. Off-Broadway : a theater of between 99-500 seats, not necessarily in New York Off-Off Broadway : pretty much anything else ”