Drama and Theatre Arts (and Film)

Items

• Deconstruction

  A form of postmodern critical analysis developed by linguist and philosopher Jacques Derrida aimed at revealing the contradictions and hidden assumptions embedded in written and verbal texts.
• denouement

  Moments in a play directly after the climax, when good triumphs over evil.
• depth of field

  The distance between the nearest and farthest objects within a camera shot.
• depth of field (deep)

  The distance between the nearest and farthest objects within a camera shot, when everything in the shot is in focus.
• depth of field (shallow)

  The distance between the nearest and farthest objects within a camera shot, where only one part of the image is in focus.
• Devised Theatre

  A style of theatre-making that deploys collaboration among the entire production team (performers, director, designers, technicians) to create performances from scratch and without a predetermined script, drawing from improvisation.
• dialect work

  Training to adopt a regional or social speech pattern required by a character.
• Dialectical Theatre

  A form of theatre, associated with Bertolt Brecht, that emphasises the interaction and conflict of ideas / it presents conflicting ideas to provoke debate and social change.
• dialogue

  A long speech delivered by two characters, often revealing thoughts or advancing the plot.
• diction

  Clear pronunciation and articulation of speech onstage.
• Didactic Theatre

  Theatre intended to teach or instruct the audience on moral, social, or political issues.
• diegetic sound

  Sound that originates from within the play or film’s world (e.g., dialogue, footsteps, radio music).
• digital performance

  Theatre incorporating multimedia, video, and interactive technology.
• directing

  Guiding actors, designers, and crew to realise a unified artistic vision.
• director

  The person responsible for the overall artistic vision and staging of a production.
• documentary film

  Non-fiction filmmaking using real footage and interviews to explore events or issues.
• documentary theatre / Verbatim Theatre

  A genre using real-life documents, interviews, and events to create performances about factual topics.
• dolly

  A small-wheeled platform used to move, e.g., a camera to create a smooth movement.
• dolly shot

  A shot where the camera is mounted on a wheeled cart (dolly) that moves smoothly toward or away from the subject.
• downstage

  The part of the stage closest to the audience / in a proscenium theatre, this refers to a movement towards the audience.
• dramaturg

  A theatre professional who researches texts, advises on historical context, and develops new works.
• dramaturgical concept

  The central interpretive idea in a script, guiding a production’s choices (visual, aural, textual).
• dramaturgical research

  Research into the historical, cultural, and textual context of a play to inform production choices.
• dramaturgy

  The study of the writing of dramatic scripts, dramatic composition, and structure, dramaturgy, supports research and contextual work for a production.
• dress parade

  A review by the director / designer / wardrob e staff of all the costumes worn by the cast, when paraded under stage lighting, to correct any defects, misfits, etc., before the dress rehearsal.