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MTEL Theater Test Answer Key

1. D: The creative ideas presented in any type of media are summarized in four basic themes: universal, timely, broad and shared. Through the ages, every tale ever told, written or sung has used a variation of one of these themes and expounded and expanded on the ideas contained within each one.

2. A: Themes present a perspective beyond the individual and his experiences and help him connect with people in other parts of the globe who have a different worldview. They encourage recognition of and understanding for how similar the circumstances the human family experiences. Themes connect current events to historic happenings and enable people to relate to and learn from the past.

3. B: Theater is from the Greek “theatron” which means “place of seeing.” It is a dynamic, performing art in which men and women use actions and words to tell a story. It is sometimes called “a window into the human condition.” Theater, in one form or another, has existed since man began because humans like telling stories.

4. C: The passion plays performed in Ancient Egypt are the earliest recorded theater productions. They were tied to religious ceremonies and festivals. The Ancient Greeks formalized theatrical performances, introduced criticism, accepted acting as a career and developed theater architecture. Both used mythological creatures to tell stories.

5. A: Japanese theater combined drama, music and dance. The form developed throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. No drama is serious and always performed by men. It has official support from the government and is particularly popular with the military. Kyogen is the comic form. It concentrates on the words and uses less music.