Question bank: Theatrical Elements

Imagine that you and your friends are going to do a theater presentation at school. You have chosen a story, written the script, and are rehearsing the lines and movements. To make the presentation a success, it is important to think about various details, such as the scenery, the clothes the characters will wear, the background music, and even how you will speak and move on stage. With that in mind, describe which elements you need to prepare for the theater presentation and give examples of how these elements are used in everyday situations, such as when we are telling a story to a friend or playing around.

In life, we use many things we learned in theater without even realizing it! When we change our voice to tell a funny story or do a mime to show that something is heavy, we are using elements of theater. Think of a situation from daily life where you or someone you know used some of these theater elements without being in a theatrical performance. What happened and how did the person use their body, voice, or facial expression to show something important or funny? Explain how this situation resembles a theater scene.

Imagine that you are going to help put together a play to be presented at school. What is the importance of costumes, scenery, and props for the play to be interesting for the audience? Remember to think about the clothes the actors wear, the settings where the story takes place, and the objects they use during the play. Also, think about everyday situations where you have seen people wearing clothes or settings that seemed like something from a play.

Think of an amazing theater performance you have seen or participated in. In theater, there are several things that together help to tell a story and make the show really cool. The clothes and objects that the actors wear, the lines they say, the music, the light that illuminates the stage, and even the silence, all of this is super important for the theater to happen. Now, I want you to look around and think about the things we see in our daily lives that can also be used as theater elements, like an animated conversation between friends that looks like a theater scene or a shadow that changes shape on the wall as if it were an actor. Do you think it is possible to find 'theater' in simple things of our daily lives? Why?

During a theater class, the students learned about the different elements that make up a theatrical play, such as scenery, characters, costumes, and lighting. The teacher proposed an exercise in which the students should observe daily life and identify situations that could be staged on a stage, indicating which theatrical elements would be necessary for each scene. Joãozinho, one of the students, noticed that the routine of the bakery in his neighborhood had always an interesting dynamic, with customers of different temperaments and the attendants known for their friendliness. He realized that these interactions could be adapted for a theatrical play. Considering Joãozinho's observation and the knowledge about the elements of theater, such as scenery, characters, costumes, and lighting, what would be the most fundamental scenic element for the representation of the bakery in a theatrical play? Explain the importance of this element and how it would help to compose the necessary atmosphere and setting for the staging of the bakery routine.