The Theatre

Theatrical art is very popular in our country. Going to the theatre is a way of spending one's spare time which may be at the same time most entertaining and educative. A play lives a long life before it makes its appearance on the stage before the public. If it is a real piece of art its creation calls for inspiration and talent. After a playwright conceives an idea, months of hard work, disap­pointments and joys pass before his idea develops into the script of the play. Only after discussing its merits does a theatre decide to stage it. The director chooses his cast and begins to rehearse the scenes. The setting designer draws sketches of the scenery and special shops get busy preparing the sets, while the property depart­ment supplies the furnishings, and the dress department makes the

-4-

necessary costumes. When everything is ready and the rehearsals go off without a hitch, a dress rehearsal is called. In some time the curtain rises to a full house. The play faces the theatre-going public on the first night.

Theatre-goers in Yekaterinburg have a choice of the following theatres: the Opera House (the Opera and Ballet Theatre), the Drama Theatre, the Musical Comedy Theatre, the Children's Theatre, the Puppet Show and the Philharmonic Concert Hall.

V As a rule the performances start at PM sharp. On Sundays there are matinees beginning at 11:30 AM. Seats are usually booked beforehand either at the box-office of the theatre or one of the tickets agencies. If all the seats are not sold out, you can get tickets at the box-office just before the show begins. Otherwise the "Sold Out" (or "House Pull") sign is posted over the box-office. The best seats are in the orchestra-stalls (the "front stalls), the boxes and the dress-circle. Prom these seats you can get a good view of the stage. Other seats are in the pit, on the balcony and on the gallery.

(из книги "Manuel 10 Grade English Oriented School", авт. Meshavkina T.I., Shadrina M.P.)

Active Vocabulary:

a stage - сцена (подмостки)

a piece of art - произведение искусства

inspiration - вдохновение

to call for - требовать

a playwright - драматург

to develop into - превращаться в

a script – сценарий

to stage (produce) a play - поставить пьесу

a director – режиссер

a cast - состав исполнителей

to rehearse - репетировать a rehearsal – репетиция

a dress rehearsal (rehearse) - генеральная репетиция

a setting-designer - художник-оформитель

scenery (settings, sets) - декорации furnishing – реквизит

first night -премьера

a performance - представление

a matinee - утреннее представление

-5-

"Sold Out"("House Pull») - все билеты проданы

stalls - партер

box - ложа

dress-circle - бельэтаж

pit - амфитеатр

balcony - балкон

gallery - галёрка

Answer the Questions:

1. Is theatrical art very popular in our country?

2. Does it take a long time to prepare a play for performance?

3. What are the theatres in Yekaterinburg?

4. Where are the best seats at the theatre?

5. Are you a theatre-goer?

6. What theatre do you prefer?

7. Are you a lover of music?

8. Do you attend concerts at the Philharmonic Concert Hall?