plot that concerns the suffering of the good at the hands of evildoers but ends happily with good triumphant. Featuring stock characters such as the noble hero, the long-suffering damsel in distress, and the cold-blooded villain. Modernism – a broad concept that sees art, including theatre, as detached from life in a pure way and able to reflect on life critically. Naturalism – portraying life on stage with close attention to detail, based on observation of real life. Postmodern theatre – originated in Europe in the middle of the 20th century out of the postmodern philosophy as a reaction against modernist theatre. Postmodern theatre raises questions rather than attempting to supply answers or definitive truth. Puppetry– an ancient form where performers/puppeteers manipulate performing objects. Puppetry has many variations and forms. Realism – portraying characters on stage that are close to real life, with realistic settings and staging. Types of stages Opera house – theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building. While some venues are constructed specifically for operas, other opera houses are part of larger performing arts centers. Black box – usually used for student productions or presentations. A small, square space with minimum amount of lighting and sound equipment needed. Often painted black or another neutral color. Proscenium – The proscenium arch was the most common form of theatre building in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The “arch” acts like a picture frame through which the action can be seen. Theatre in the round – a theatre in which the audience surrounds the stage. Thrust stage – a stage that has the audience sitting on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end. Participants in theatre Actor – Stage manager – Technician – Prop Master/Mistress- Running crew- Front of house- Orchestra- Wardrobe Master/Mistress- Technical director Dramaturgist- General theatre concepts Act – plays are separated into acts with the acts separated into scenes. Acting – the art of performing Cold reading – reading a script for the first time. Usually the designers have read and analyzed the text for design purposes before a cast has been selected. Sometimes a cold reading involves the entire cast, crew, and designers who are experiencing the script for the first time as an ensemble. Curtain call – taking a bow at