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 more than once by these items: idiom, shakespeare, new-york-city

Chekhov’s Gun
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
November 18, 2021
Tags
theater, idiom

“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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
September 8, 2021
Tags
literature, theater, shakespeare

“ 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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
September 16, 2023
Tags
horror, theater

“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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
March 6, 2022
Tags
theater, new-york-city, definition, broadway

“ 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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
December 13, 2021
Tags
shakespeare, theater, idiom

“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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
October 29, 2023
Tags
theater

“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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
December 25, 2021
Tags
theater

“ 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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
June 12, 2023
Tags
theater

“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
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
November 29, 2021
Tags
theater

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

On Broadway
Section
Stuff I Looked Up
Type
Explanation
Date
July 3, 2022
Tags
theater, new-york-city

“ 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 ”