This discussion of the term "style" as it relates to the arts points to the need for reform in the terminology and the conceptual system of the drama profession. The paper first lists the basic tasks of conceptual and terminological reform and then outlines the steps necessary in reforming a particular term. These procedures are applied to a…

Dramatic theory in the past has been confused with hypothesis, hunch, manifesto, and observation. It is, in fact, a scientific activity--much like theorizing in physics, human society, or art. The current state of the art of theory in the drama classroom faces many problems. Most theatre faculty offer courses called "Theory and…

If drama theorists are to improve the profession at large, they need to put their own house in order first. Too often drama theorists rely on intuition, tolerating the unexplained and the unsystematized. They could learn from theorists in other fields, such as physics and the "hard" sciences, by organizing the facts of their field of knowledge and…

Most theatre people (academic and professional) are disdainful of dramatic theory and related matters. Teachers of theory, criticism, and history assert the importance of their studies but do not demonstrate that importance. It is easier for teachers to expose students to explicit material on theory and test them to see if they remember it than to…

The most efficient and pragmatic conceptual system of viewing theatre work is through a communication model. This model is opposed to two other general conceptions of theatre and drama. The first is based on the notion that drama makes aesthetic demands and has requirements of its own that the artist must meet, even though it has no existence…

That a play has one central action which is its formal cause is the most influential interpretative idea to emerge among theatre writers since the old model of situation/incident/complication/climax/denouement. Unfortunately, the action concept has been insufficiently developed, excessive hopes have been pinned on it, and it has become a reductive…

In recent years, theatre faculty have come to understand that advanced degrees do not guarantee that a person is qualified for the subtle, complex, and dangerous job of teaching acting, and that actor training has more to do with the problems of human behavior than with the theatre. The fundamental problem with acting is the fear that controls…