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The process of releasing strong or repressed emotions through art, leading to purification and restoration.

A style of comedy that makes light of subjects that are generally considered serious, taboo or painful to discuss.

The quality or state of being exaggerated and excessively dramatic, appealing to emotions in a bold and vibrant manner.

A technique used in theater to prevent the audience from losing itself in the narrative, instead making them a critical observer.

A dramatic genre from 19th-century theater that relies on a tightly woven, intricate plot, often with elements of suspense and a climactic resolution.

An improvised kind of popular comedy in Italian theaters in the 16th–18th centuries, characterized by stock characters and situational comedy.

A form of drama based on human suffering that invokes an accompanying catharsis or pleasure for the audience.

The imaginary wall that separates the audience from the performers, enabling them to observe the action unobtrusively.

The gap between a viewer's conscious reality and the fictional reality presented in a performance that allows engagement with artistic experience.

Occurs when the audience knows more about a situation or a character's actions than the characters in the performance do.

Excessive pride or self-confidence that leads a protagonist to disregard a divine warning or violate an important moral law.

The degree to which a work of fiction is believable, or resembles reality.

A willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and believe the unbelievable; sacrifice of realism and logic for the sake of enjoyment.

A post-World War II designation for plays of absurdist fiction that focus on characters stuck in purposeless or nonsensical situations.

A play that satirizes the manners and affectations of a social class, often represented by stereotypical stock characters.

Theatre that aims to educate the audience on moral, social, or political issues, often with a clear message or lesson.

A silent and motionless group of people arranged to represent a scene or incident.

A plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly resolved by the contrived intervention of a new character, ability, or object.

Theatre used as a means of promoting social and political change or as a form of activism.