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CURRICULUM GUIDE Cambridge Public School Drama Collaborative • CPS • Department of Drama and Dance Unit Title: Animal Farm-Anatomy of a Revolution Drama/Animal Farm Vocabulary allegory - a story in which people, things and happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning animalism - the doctrine that human beings are mere animals with no soul or spiritual quality antagonist - a person who opposes or competes with the main character; adversary; opponent ad lib - an unplanned speech or effect audition - to tryout for a part in a play conflict - disagreement or opposition; as of interests or ideas of characters-in a play or story, when these disagreements reach their maximum tension cue - a prearranged signal to enter or exit the stage, or to begin or end an action, stage business, dialogue, light, sound or set changes. The cue may be the last few words of an actor's line, a sound effect or music, or a director's hand signal cut - stop the performance, or delete a portion of the script dialogue - two or more speaking actors dictator - a ruler with absolute power and authority, especially one who exercises it tyrannically. five stages of revolution: preliminary unrest - first stage of a revolution: conditions exist that people find intolerable defection of the intellectuals - second stage of revolution: thinkers don't support the establishment; leaders emerge time of experimentation - third stage of revolution: new things have to be tried once the old order is thrown out reign of terror - fourth stage of revolution: things become unsettled; violence erupts new system - fifth stage of revolution: a new order evolves and the masses accept it; survival is essential flashback - a scene depicting events that happened earlier improvisation - a spontaneous creative process in which the performer simultaneously originates and performs his material; an immediate response with no preparation; an exercise in "thinking on your feet" metaphor - a figure of speech in which a word or phrase ordinarily used for one thing is applied to another monologue - a single speaking/vocalizing actor narrator - the voice that fills in the details of the story by introducing scenes and revealing points of the story that cannot be made clear in other ways plot - action of story that moves from opening situation through resolution propaganda - a promotion of ideas, doctrines or practices to further one's own cause or to damage an opposing one protagonist - the main character about which the story's action revolves rebellion - an act or state of armed resistance to one's government or social system; a defiance of authority revolution - overthrow of a government or social system by those governed, with another system or government taking its place satire - the use of sarcasm, ridicule or irony to expose, attack or deride vices, follies, etc. script - the written form of a stage play, screenplay or broadcast segue - (in radio) an abrupt transition--one segment ends, another begins simile - figure of speech in which one thing is likened to another by use of like, as, etc. tableau - a technique whereby a dramatic pose is struck by members of the cast to convey a mood or underscore a dramatic moment; commonly used to convey entire scenes as if they were living pictures. text - the script that the actor performs totalitarianism - method of government or state in which one group maintains complete control and bans all others tyranny - oppressive and unjust government