little theater
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A small theater for experimental drama or collegiate or community groups: A "little theater" is a small-scale venue, often non-commercial, dedicated to producing innovative, avant-garde, or non-mainstream stage works. It is typically associated with amateur, community, or academic theater groups.
Usage
- The term "little theater" is used to describe the physical venue itself, as well as the movement or type of theatrical production associated with such spaces.
- It emphasizes intimacy, artistic experimentation, and community involvement over commercial success.
Examples
- Noun:
- The local little theater is staging a production of an original play by a first-time playwright.
- She got her start in acting at a university little theater.
- The little theater movement in the early 20th century helped foster American drama.
Advanced Usage
- "Little theater movement": A historical term referring to the early 20th-century wave of independent, amateur theater companies in the United States and Britain that rebelled against commercial theater.
- The little theater movement was crucial for the development of modern American playwriting.
Variants and Related Words
- Little theatre: An alternative spelling, common in British English.
- Community theater: A closely related concept, often overlapping with "little theater," focusing on local volunteer participation.
- Black box theater: A simple, unadorned performance space, often used for experimental works, which is a common type of "little theater" venue.
- Fringe theater: A term for unconventional, experimental performances, often associated with festivals; shares the experimental spirit of the "little theater."
Synonyms
- Experimental theater: Theater that focuses on innovative and non-traditional forms and content.
- Amateur theater: Theater performed by non-professionals, often for community enrichment.
- Studio theater: A small theater, often used for workshops, rehearsals, or experimental performances.
Related Phrases
- "Off-off-Broadway": A term for the smallest, most experimental, and least commercial theatrical venues in New York City, analogous to the "little theater" concept.
- The play had a successful run in an off-off-Broadway house, a true little theater.
Notes
- The "little" in "little theater" refers primarily to its scale, budget, and non-commercial, intimate nature, not necessarily to the physical size of the building, though they are often small.
- It is distinct from large, commercial, or mainstream professional theaters (e.g., Broadway, West End).
Noun
- a small theater for experimental drama or collegiate or community groups