Theater, SAC-THR
There's no business like show business! Nothing quite matches the immediacy and electricity of a live dramatic performance, a fact which may help explain why the art form has persevered from its ancient origins up through the present day. During the 20th century, live theater demonstrated an unexpected tenacity in the face of tough competition from film, television, video, the Internet, and other media.
Theater Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Sachs, Hans
Hans Sachs was a German burgher, meistersinger, and poet who was outstanding for his popularity, output, and aesthetic......
Saint-Denis, Michel
Michel Saint-Denis was a French director, producer, teacher, and theatrical innovator who was influential in the......
Sandler, Adam
Adam Sandler is an American comedian and actor who first gained fame by performing satiric songs as a cast member......
Sanger, George
George Sanger was an English circus impresario who was the proprietor, with his brother John Sanger, of one of......
Sanger, John
John Sanger was an English circus impresario who was, with his brother George Sanger, the proprietor of one of......
Sarria, José
José Sarria was a Latino American drag performer and political activist who was the first openly gay person to......
sarugaku
sarugaku, form of popular Japanese entertainment dating from at least the 11th century, which reached its high......
Scamozzi, Vincenzo
Vincenzo Scamozzi was an Italian architect, architectural theorist, and stage designer of the late Renaissance.......
Scapin
Scapin, (from Italian scappare, “to flee”), stock character of the Italian commedia dell’arte; one of the comic......
Scaramouche
Scaramouche, stock character of the Italian theatrical form known as the commedia dell’arte; an unscrupulous and......
scene shifting
scene shifting, in theatre, method of indicating a change of locale during the course of a play. In Greek and Roman......
Schikaneder, Emanuel
Emanuel Schikaneder was a prominent German actor, singer, playwright, and theatre manager now chiefly remembered......
Schneemann, Carolee
Carolee Schneemann was an American multimedia artist whose feminist artworks dealt with identity and gender politics......
Schouwburg
Schouwburg, first permanent theatre in Amsterdam, built along the Keizergracht (“Emperor’s Canal”) in 1637 by Dutch......
Schröder, Friedrich Ludwig
Friedrich Ludwig Schröder was a German actor, theatrical manager, and playwright who introduced the plays of William......
Schuch, Franz
Franz Schuch was a German comic actor and theatre manager who popularized a vernacular version of the commedia......
Schumer, Amy
Amy Schumer is an American comedian and actress whose pointed self-deprecating humor brought her success on stage......
Schönemann, Johann Friedrich
Johann Friedrich Schönemann was an actor-manager who was influential in the development of Germany’s public theatre.......
script
script, in motion pictures, the written text of a film. The nature of scripts varies from those that give only......
Seinfeld, Jerry
Jerry Seinfeld is an American comedian whose television show Seinfeld (1989–98) was a landmark of American popular......
Seth Meyers
Seth Meyers is an American comedian and host of the nightly talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers, a gig he has......
shadow play
shadow play, type of theatrical entertainment performed with puppets, probably originating in China and on the......
Shankar, Uday
Uday Shankar was a pioneering Indian dancer and choreographer who developed an idiom of modern dance by adapting......
Sheridan, Thomas
Thomas Sheridan was an Irish-born actor and theatrical manager and father of the dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan.......
Shirley, James
James Shirley was an English poet and dramatist, one of the leading playwrights in the decade before the closing......
Shore, Dinah
Dinah Shore was an American singer and television personality who projected a sunny disposition and exuded an effervescent......
Short, Bobby
Bobby Short was an American cabaret singer and piano player who in his personal and performance style came to represent......
Short, Martin
Martin Short is an Emmy- and Tony-winning Canadian actor, comedian, and writer known for his work on television......
showboat
showboat, floating theatre that tied up at towns along the waterways of the southern and midwestern United States,......
Shubert Brothers
Shubert Brothers, dominant managers and producers in American legitimate theatre during the first half of the 20th......
Sidney, George
George Sidney was an American film director who directed a number of the most popular movie musicals of the 1940s......
Silverman, Sarah
Sarah Silverman is an American comedian, actress, and writer known for her subversive pointed commentaries on the......
Simon, Neil
Neil Simon was an American playwright, screenwriter, television writer, and librettist who was one of the most......
Sissle, Noble
Noble Sissle was an American lyricist, vocalist, and bandleader who is best known today for his work with pianist......
situation comedy
situation comedy, radio or television comedy series that involves a continuing cast of characters in a succession......
Skelton, Red
Red Skelton was an American pantomimist and radio and television comedian, host, and star performer of the popular......
skene
skene, (from Greek skēnē, “scene-building”), in ancient Greek theatre, a building behind the playing area that......
Skinner, Cornelia Otis
Cornelia Otis Skinner was an American actress and author who, with satirical wit, wrote light verse, monologues,......
Smith, Kate
Kate Smith was an American singer on radio and television, long known as the “first lady of radio.” Smith started......
Smoove, J.B.
J.B. Smoove is an American actor and comedian best known for portraying the quick-witted and profane character......
SNL cast members
Since its debut in 1975, the beloved sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) has managed to weather its many......
soap opera
soap opera, broadcast dramatic serial program, so called in the United States because most of its major sponsors......
Sokolow, Anna
Anna Sokolow was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher noted for her socially and politically conscious......
son et lumière
son et lumière, nighttime entertainment conceived by Paul Robert-Houdin, curator of the Château de Chambord on......
Sondheim, Stephen
Stephen Sondheim was an American composer and lyricist whose brilliance in matching words and music in dramatic......
Sophron Of Syracuse
Sophron Of Syracuse was an author of rhythmical prose mimes in the Doric dialect. Although the mimes survive mostly......
soubrette
soubrette, in theatre, comic female character usually in the role of a chambermaid. The soubrette role originated......
sound effect
sound effect, any artificial reproduction of sound or sounds intended to accompany action and supply realism in......
South Bank
South Bank, loosely defined area along the south bank of the River Thames in the London borough of Lambeth. It......
Spaulding, Gilbert R.
Gilbert R. Spaulding was a circus impresario, creator of the “Floating Palace,” an elaborate two-story steamboat......
special effects
special effects, Artificial visual or mechanical effects introduced into a movie or television show. The earliest......
Spelvin, George
George Spelvin, U.S. theatrical convention used in the credits commonly to conceal dual roles or for a corpse or......
Spielmann
Spielmann, wandering entertainer of the European Middle Ages who performed at fairs, markets, and castles. The......
spotlight
spotlight, device used to produce intense illumination in a well-defined area in stage, film, television, ballet,......
stage machinery
stage machinery, devices designed for the production of theatrical effects, such as rapid scene changes, lighting,......
stagecraft
stagecraft, the technical aspects of theatrical production, which include scenic design, stage machinery, lighting,......
- Introduction
- Scenic Design, Set Creation, Visuals
- Machinery, Design, Effects
- Lighting, Design, Effects
- Electrification, Lighting, Sound
- Control Consoles, Lighting, Sound
- Sound Design, Acoustics, Amplification
- Sound Design, Mixing, Effects
- Medieval Costume, Design, Performance
- Baroque Opera, Ballet, Costume
- 20th Century Costumes
- Makeup, Costumes, Lighting
- Chinese, Japanese, Traditions
stand-up comedy
stand-up comedy, comedy that generally is delivered by a solo performer speaking directly to the audience in some......
Stanislavsky system
Stanislavsky system, highly influential system of dramatic training developed over years of trial and error by......
Stewart, Jon
Jon Stewart is an American comedian, writer, and director who is best known for hosting (1999–2015, 2024– ) the......
stock character
stock character, a character in a drama or fiction that represents a type and that is recognizable as belonging......
stock company
stock company, troupe of actors performing regularly in a particular theatre, presenting a different play nightly......
Stone, Fred
Fred Stone was a popular American stage actor and dancer known for his versatility. Stone was raised in Topeka,......
Stranitzky, Joseph Anton
Joseph Anton Stranitzky was an actor and manager of the indigenous Austrian popular theatre, who developed the......
Streisand, Barbra
Barbra Streisand is an American singer, composer, actress, director, and producer who is considered by many to......
Styne, Jule
Jule Styne was an American songwriter. The son of Ukrainian Jewish parents, Stein immigrated with them to the United......
Sullivan, Ed
Ed Sullivan was an American television personality who was best known as the master of ceremonies of the immensely......
summer theatre
summer theatre, in American theatre, productions staged during the summer months (the off-season for professional......
Swan Theatre
Swan Theatre, Elizabethan theatre built about 1595 by Francis Langley in Bankside, London. A description and a......
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, award-winning stage musical that premiered on Broadway on March......
sword swallowing
sword swallowing, a magician’s trick dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, involving the swallowing of a sword......
Tairov, Aleksandr Yakovlevich
Aleksandr Yakovlevich Tairov was the founder and producer-director (1914–49) of the Kamerny (Chamber) Theatre in......
talk radio
Talk radio generally refers to radio programming where listeners call in to express their opinions on air. Listeners......
talk show
talk show, radio or television program in which a well-known personality interviews celebrities and other guests.......
Talma, François-Joseph
François-Joseph Talma was a French actor and theatrical company manager whose reforms in acting styles, stage costuming,......
Tamiris, Helen
Helen Tamiris was an American choreographer, modern dancer, and teacher, one of the first to make use of jazz,......
tamāshā
tamāshā, erotic form of Indian folk drama begun in the early 18th century in Mahārāshtra. In all other forms of......
Tanguay, Eva
Eva Tanguay was an American singing and dancing comedienne billed as “the Girl Who Made Vaudeville Famous.” Tanguay......
Tarlton, Richard
Richard Tarlton was an English actor, ballad writer, favourite jester of Queen Elizabeth I, and the most popular......
Tati, Jacques
Jacques Tati was a French filmmaker and actor who gained renown for his comic films that portrayed people in conflict......
Taymor, Julie
Julie Taymor is an American stage and film director, playwright, and costume designer known for her inventive use......
telenovela
telenovela, Latin American serial drama similar to a soap opera in plot development but having a broader audience......
Templeton, Fay
Fay Templeton was an American singer and actress who enjoyed popularity in a career that extended from light opera......
Teschner, Richard
Richard Teschner was a puppeteer who developed the artistic potentialities of the Javanese rod puppet for western......
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon, comedic and deliberately offensive stage musical by Robert Lopez, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone......
The Kennedy Center
A low-slung marble edifice on the banks of the Potomac River, the Kennedy Center has been the monument to the United......
The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera, award-winning stage musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricists Charles Hart......
Theater vs. cinema: What’s the difference?
The primary differences between theater and cinema lie in the nature of the performances and the medium through......
theatre
theatre, in architecture, a building or space in which a performance may be given before an audience. The word......
- Introduction
- Acoustics, Design, Architecture
- Stage Design, Proscenium, Backdrops
- Asian Traditions, Architecture, Performance
- Japanese Architecture, Design, Performance
- Medieval, Architecture, Performance
- Staging, Conventions, Design
- Renaissance, Architecture, Design
- Staging, Design, Performance
- Elizabethan, Stage, Design
- Baroque, Staging, Design
- Technical Advances, Innovations, Evolution
- France, Spain, Developments
- Northern Europe, Design, Performance
- 19th Century, Design, Architecture
- German Romanticism, Naturalism
- Russian Imperial, Architecture, Performance
- American Design, Architecture, Performance
- Evolution, Production, Design
- Realism, Naturalism, Expressionism
- Appia, Craig, Influence
- Movement, Design, Architecture
- Reinhardt, Design, Architecture
- Architecture, Scenery, Performance
- Expressionist, Production, Aspects
- The influence of Piscator
- Russian Futurism, Suprematism
- Political Festivals
- American, Design, Architecture
- Modernization, Design, Architecture
- Grotowski, Polish, Laboratory
theatre
theatre, in dramatic arts, an art concerned almost exclusively with live performances in which the action is precisely......
theatre design
theatre design, the art and technique of designing and building a space—a theatre—intended primarily for the performance......
Theatre Guild
Theatre Guild, a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 for the production of high-quality, noncommercial......
theatre, African
African theatre, effectively, the theatre of Africa south of the Sahara that emerged in the postcolonial era—that......
Theatre, The
The Theatre, first public playhouse of London, located in the parish of St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch. Designed and......
theatre, Western
Western theatre, history of the Western theatre from its origins in pre-Classical antiquity to the present. For......
- Introduction
- Ancient Greece, Drama, Tragedy
- Ancient Rome
- Medieval, Drama, Performance
- Mystery Cycles
- Renaissance, Drama, Performance
- Opera, Ballet, Musicals
- English, Drama, Performance
- Jacobean, Drama, Plays
- French Neoclassicism
- Enlightenment, Comedy, Tragedy
- Romanticism, Drama, Performance
- Romanticism, Realism, Drama
- Naturalism, Realism, Drama
- American, Drama, Performance
- 20th Century, Beyond, Performance
- Russian Drama, Performance, History
- Expressionism, Germany, Drama
- British Drama, Plays, Musicals
- Post-WWII, Drama, Performance
- Broadway, Musicals, Plays
- African, Asian, Hispanic
- Alternative, Experimental, Avant-Garde
- French Drama, Comedy, Tragedy
- European Countries, Drama, Performance
theatre-in-the-round
theatre-in-the-round, form of theatrical staging in which the acting area, which may be raised or at floor level,......
theatrical production
theatrical production, the planning, rehearsal, and presentation of a work. Such a work is presented to an audience......
theatricalism
theatricalism, in 20th-century Western theatre, the general movement away from the dominant turn-of-the-century......
Theo Von
Theo Von is an American comedian, reality television star, and podcast host known for his Southern drawl and controversial......
Thomson, James
James Thomson was a Scottish poet whose best verse foreshadowed some of the attitudes of the Romantic movement.......
Three Stooges, the
the Three Stooges, American comedy team noted for violent anarchic slapstick and comedy routines rooted in the......