#theater

• Absurd — Contradicting the laws of formal logic, common sense, or empirical evidence; devoid of reason, meaning, or internal coherence. As a philosophical concept (existentialism), it denotes the fundamental conflict between the human tendency to seek meaning in life and the cold, silent, meaningless universe. In literature and theater, it represents a movement focused on illustrating the grotesque and illogical nature of the human condition.
• Act — A fundamental polysemantic term; it represents an official document of a legal or administrative nature attesting to a fact, obligation, or legal right. In a philosophical or behavioral sense, it defines a conscious action or a manifestation of human will. In the performing arts, it constitutes a main division of a play or opera, structurally delimited by intermissions or major scenery changes.
• Acta est fabula — A famous Latin aphorism literally translated as 'The play has been acted' or 'The story is finished'. In ancient Roman theater, this structural phrase was pronounced at the end of performances to announce to the audience that the play was over and that they could leave. Existentially, the expression is used metaphorically to mark the end of an important stage, the definitive failure of a plan, or the end of life (historically attributed as the last words of Emperor Augustus).
• Acting — The profession, art, or activity of an actor; the art of dramatic performance on stage or screen. This structural domain requires mastering complex techniques of diction, scenic movement, psychological analysis, and bodily expressiveness to faithfully shape characters.
• Adam de la Halle — A medieval French poet, composer, trouvère, and playwright of the 13th century, considered one of the founders of secular theater in France; author of the famous musical play 'The Play of Robin and Marion' (Le Jeu de Robin et de Marion). This structural figure in art history excelled in early polyphonic composition and monophony, laying the foundations of medieval comic opera by merging spoken dialogue with lyrical musical sections.
• Old form of actor — An old popular, altered, or regional form of the noun 'actor', used in the past in colloquial speech or influenced by a secondary etymological channel. The term designates an artist who performs roles on a theater stage or a person who plays a decisive role in a historical or social event.
• Old form of actress — An old popular or regional form of the noun 'actress', used in the past in rural speech or early theatrical chronicles. The term designates a woman who performs a role in a play, serving as the feminine variant of the archaism 'afteor' and a rare example of empirically assimilated phonetic evolution.
• Aischylos — A proper onomastic name of universal resonance, representing the original or Latinized spelling of the great Greek playwright Aeschylus (c. 525 – c. 456 BC), structurally considered the father of classical European tragedy. In the history of theater and philology, his work (from which masterpieces like the Oresteia Trilogy or Prometheus Bound have been preserved) is recognized for introducing the second actor onto the stage, reducing the chorus's role, and creating a solemn poetic style deeply tied to human destinies and the will of the gods.
• Alas, poor Yorick — One of the most famous lines and expressions in world dramaturgy, uttered by the main character in Act V, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's tragedy 'Hamlet'; a philosophical and melancholic exclamation introducing the monologue spoken by the Prince of Denmark while gazing at and holding the exhumed skull of Yorick, the former royal court jester of his childhood. This structural element deeply symbolizes the theme of life's vanity (memento mori), the inevitability of death, and the striking contrast between past merriment and the grim reality of decomposition.
• Albee — A personal proper name of Anglo-Saxon origin, globally renowned due to the American playwright Edward Albee, author of fundamental works of the theater of the absurd and psychological drama, such as 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'. Written with a capital letter, the term individualizes a core personality in the history of world culture or a specific lineage.
• Alcestis — The original Greek form of the name Alcesta (Alcestis); it is also the name of a major main-belt asteroid (124 Alcestis), discovered in 1872 by the astronomer Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters. In a mythological context, it refers to the play written by Euripides in 438 BCE, considered one of the oldest surviving works of the playwright.
• All the world's a stage — A famous quote and extended metaphor from William Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It', spoken by the character Jaques. The expression formulates the ancient philosophical concept of 'theatrum mundi', asserting that the entirety of human existence is a giant theatrical play where the world represents the stage and human beings are mere actors performing roles that succeed through the seven ages of man.
• Amphitheater — An ancient public building of circular or elliptical shape, with concentric tiers of seats for spectators surrounding a central arena; by modern extension, a large lecture hall, auditorium, or performance space with rows of seats arranged in a semicircle and gradually elevated in tiers to ensure optimal visibility and acoustics.
• Aminta — The title of a famous pastoral drama written by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso in fifteen seventy-three, considered a fundamental work of the Renaissance. The play follows the structural love story between the shepherd Aminta and the nymph Silvia, having a profound influence on the subsequent evolution of European poetry and the pastoral theatrical genre; the term also functions as a masculine proper name of ancient Greek origin (Amyntas), borne by several kings of Macedonia.
• Amourette — A passing, superficial, and short-term romantic relationship devoid of long-term commitments; a brief amorous adventure. In light comedy and drawing-room theater, the term defines a lightweight sentimental intrigue or the flirtatious woman involved in a comedic romantic plot.
• Lover — An enamored man, suitor, or lover; a term sometimes used with a slightly ironic or pejorative nuance to designate a man completely absorbed by a romantic passion. In theater history, the term defines the role or typology of the young actor who plays the main enamored character in comedies of manners or romantic dramas.
• Amphitruo — The original Latin title of the famous comedy written by the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus in the 2nd century BC, a theatrical play of the 'fabula palliata' genre based on the Greek myth of Amphitryon. The work is historically recognized for introducing farce, identical doubles, and identity confusions generated by the intervention of the gods Jupiter and Mercury in mortal life.
• Amphitheater — An ancient public building, circular or elliptical in shape, with concentric tiers of seats for spectators arranged around a central arena; in modern architecture, it represents a large lecture hall for university courses, performances, or conferences, having rows of seats arranged as an amphitheater (in elevated tiers) to ensure optimal structural visibility and audibility for all participants.
• Anouilh — The surname of the celebrated French playwright and screenwriter Jean Anouilh (1910–1987), one of the most prominent figures of 20th-century theater. His work, structurally characterized by profound psychological analysis and stylistic complexity, includes renowned plays such as 'Antigone' and 'Becket', and is frequently classified into thematic cycles ('black plays', 'pink plays', 'brilliant plays') exploring the conflict between pure idealism and degrading social reality.
• Anti-melodrama — A literary work, theatrical play, or cinematographic screenplay that deliberately rejects the conventions, clichés, and excessive pathos specific to classical melodrama; a dramatic creation focused on raw realism, psychological sobriety, and moral ambiguity. In a structural sense, it eliminates the simplistic dichotomy between good and evil and refuses happy or artificial endings, debunking exaggerated emotions.