1. Victor is an actor who will be starring as the protagonist of a Broadway play. It was his first time working on such a large production, so he arrived at rehearsal early. The first rehearsals are usually meant for blocking, so that the actors and the crew learn their cues for when and where to move around the stage. They also practice their physical movements, or gestures. While the rest of the ensemble arrived, Victor re-read the script and focused on his diction, pronouncing each word slowly and deliberately. The playwright demanded the actors not improvise and stick to the lines of dialogue on the script. Thankfully, Victor and the actor playing the antagonist were allowed to improvise for their respective monologues.

2. When writing about theater, some background on its history may be useful. You should be able to determine what genre the play is – it may be a comedy, a tragedy, a farce, or perhaps even a melodrama. Maybe the play you’re watching is influenced by the art of Kabuki, a traditional form of Japanese theater that combines stylized acting, makeup, costumes, and musical accompaniment. It is important to analyze not only the story and its characters, but also the subtext of the play and how it comments on actual events.