Communicative situations

Exchange impressions of a film after a visit to the cinema.

Speak with a friend about your favourite actor (ac­tress).

Describe one of the films you have seen this year.

Speak about the best cinema hall in your city (town).

Book tickets for an evening show beforehand.

LESSON 15

THEATRE

EXERCISES

1. Read and memorize the following words:

theatre['ɵiǝtǝ] театр

e.g. I like to go to the theatre.

applause [ǝ'plͻ:z] оплески

(to) applaud [ǝ'plͻ:d] аплодувати

curtain [kǝ:tn] завіса

e.g. When curtain fell the house burst into applause,

circus ['sǝ:kǝs] цирк

e.g. The children went to the circus. They saw the el­ephants and the clowns are there.

performance [pǝ'fͻ:mǝns]/show [ʃou] вистава

matinee ['maetmei] ранкова вистава

play [plei] п'єса

ballet ['bælei] балет

e.g. The ballet seemed to me a fairy-tale,

ticket ['tikit] квиток

e.g. We paid money for the ticket,

spare ['spɛǝ] зайвий

e.g. Have you a spare ticket?

gangway ['gǝŋwǝi] прохід

stalls (U.K.) [stͻ:lz]

orchestra (U.S.) ['ͻrkistrǝ]партер

boх [bͻks] ложа

sircle [sǝ:kl] ярус

dress-sircle [dres'sǝ:kl] бельетаж *

e. g. How much are the seats in the dress-circle?

gallery I'gælǝri] гальорка

pit I [pit] амфітеатр

cloak-room ['kloukrum] гардероб

actor ['æktǝ] актор

act [ækt] дія, акт

e.g. Running, singing and all the things you do are acts.

amateur ['æmǝtǝ:] аматор

company ['кʌmрǝnі] трупа

cast [kα:st] склад дійових осіб

e.g. Do you know the cast in this play?

role [roul] роль

e.g. Who is in the leading role?

stage [steidʒ] сцена (у театрі)

scene [si:n] сцена (у виставі)

production [prͻ'dʌkʃn] постановка

composer [kǝm'pouzǝ] композитор

conductor [kǝn'dʌktǝ] диригент

overture ['ouvǝtjuǝ] муз. увертюра

e.g. The conductor appeared and the overture began,

scenery ['si:nǝri] декорації

e.g. The scenery was beautiful,

interval ['intǝvǝl] антракт

e.g. During the first interval we went to the refreshment

room (buffet),

usher ['ʌʃǝ] білетер

program(me) ['prougræm] програма

2. Learn the following word-combinations:

theatre goer/fan театрал, аматор театру

Opera/Play House оперний/драматичний театр

the first night прем'єра

variety show естрадна вистава

(to) pick up a ticket купити квиток з рук

touring company гастрольна трупа

(to) play the leading грати провідну роль

(the title) role

(to) stage (to produce) поставити п'єсу a play

stage manager/producer/ режисер-постановник director

artistic director художній керівник

to check the coat (U.S) залишати пальто в гардеробі

opera-glasses театральний бінокль

theatre-guide / театральна програмка /program(me)

(to) be on the repertoire бути в репертуарі

(to) be in the program(me) бути у програмі

(to) sell out продавати

(to) have a long (a short) run йти давно (недавно)

the hit of the season окраса сезону

music-hall мюзик-хол

3.Fill in the blanks with the necessary words in brackets:

1. If you are fond of music you must go to the.... (cloak-room, Opera-House, box-office) 2. We bought in advance two... for a matinee performance, (opera-glasses, theatre-programmes, tickets) 3. The musicians in the or­chestra were tuning their.... (instruments, composers, conductors) 4. The... are over at about eleven o'clock, (roles, tickets, performances) 5. When... fell the house burst into applause, (theatre, curtain, balcony)

4. Answer the questions. Begin your answers with: I believe (suppose, guess); in my opinion; as for me; as far as I know (remember); as a flatter of fact; frankly/strictly speaking:

1. What theatre is considered the best in your town? 2. What kinds of plays are there on the repertoire? 3. Is the standard of its production high? 4. Is it possible to pick up a ticket at the entrance if you couldn't book it at the box-office? 5. Is there any difference in the price of tickets for morning or evening performances? 6. Which scats are most expensive? 7. Would you care to go to the Opera House or to the Play House? 8. Would you rather go to a symphony concert or to a music-hall show? 9. Do you mind having a seat on the balcony or in the gallery? 10. What plays by English or American playwrights have been staged in your town lately?

5.Translate into Ukrainian:

1, If у on are fond of music you must go to the Opera House 2. She likes to see both classic and modern plays. 3.Usually we book tickets beforehand. 4. When we came to the theatre we saw a sign at the entrance saying "House Full". 5. Many people were standing at the entrance ask­ing for a spare ticket. 6. When the curtain fell the house burst into applause. 7. The actor got many curtain calls and was presented with flowers.

6.Make the following sentences interrogative:

1. The play begins at half past seven. 2. There are some people talking loudly in the theatre. 3. Some people smoked cigarettes in the cloak-room. 4. Nick is speaking quietly to Ann. 5. Ann and Nick will come home from the theatre before twelve o'clock. 6. There is a girl in a green dress on the stage. 7. Ann and Nick like to go to the theatre. 8. I met my friend in the interval.

7.Translate into English:

1. Ви часто відвідуєте театр? 2. Вам сподобалася п'єса?3.У цьому театрі ви можете побачити уславлених акторів.4.Коли починається вистава? 5. Декорації тут дуже гарні. 6. Хто сьогодні грає? 7. Ось програмка (вистави).

8.Make the following sentences negative:

1. There is a chance of getting tickets to the theatre. 2. This play is a tragedy. 3. Our seats are in the sixth row of the stalls. 4. Those are very fine seats. 5. We shall have to show our tickets to the usher. 6. There are some people that smoke in the theatre. 7. Ann goes to the theatre every week. 8. We buy tickets to the theatre at the box-office. 9. They enjoyed the performance very much.

9.Read and dramatize the following dialogues:

Pete: Have you an engagement for tonight, Ann?

Ann: I believe not.

Pete: Well, if you like we could go to the theatre tonight.

Ann: What theatre, and what are they showing there?

Pete: The Art Theatre. It's Sheridan's comedy "The School of Scandal".

Ann: Oh, yes. That sounds promising. I read a review about it in the paper the other day. According to it, it is quite amusing.

Peter: Have you got two seats for tomorrow's per­formance?

Booking clerk: The first or second performance?

Peter: I usually prefer the second.

Booking clerk: I've got a few stalls and two circle seats.

Peter: How much are the seats in the circle?

Booking clerk: Two and a half pounds each. HI show you where they are on the plan. Here they are — in the middle of the second row.

Peter: HI take those. What time does the second

performance start?

Booking clerk: Eight, sir.

***

A: What are theatres like in London?

B: Theatres in London are very much the same as any­where else.

A: Where are the best theatres in London?

B: The best theatres are in the West End.

A: What kinds of theatres are there in London?

B: There are opera, comedy, drama and musical comedy

theatres.

A: When do performances start?

B: The performances start at eight o'clock.

A: When are they over?

B: The performances are over at about eleven o'clock. A: What are the best seats there? B: The best seats are in the stalls. A: Where is the Royal Opera House in London? B: The Royal Opera House is at Covent Garden.

10. Complete the following dialogues:

A: What is the play about?

B:...

A: Is it worth seeing?

B:...

A: Would you like to see it again?

B:...

A: What's on at the theatres tonight? Let's have a look at

the "Where to go" column in the newspaper.

B:...

A: Oh, we have a wide choice. What theatre do you pre­fer?

B:...

A: But I'm afraid we shan't get tickets.

B:...

11. Ask questions on the text and retell it:

AT THE THEATRE

I'll never forget my first visit to the Bolshoi Theatre when I was in Moscow.

My friend bought in advance two tickets for a matinee performance of the ballet "Swan Lake" by Chaikovsky. We arrived at the theatre long before the performance began, for there were three of us and we were one ticket short.

A notice on the box-office of the theatre said: "Sold out". So we stood at the entrance asking people as they were going in if they had a spare ticket. At last we bought a ticket from a man who had booked two seats but whose friend hadn't turned up. We left our coats in the cloak­room and I got a programme from the usher to see what the cast was.

When we arrived at the hall we saw many people walk­ing down the gangway looking for their seats. The musi­cians in the orchestra were tuning their instruments. We found our seats, which were in the stalls, and went to look over the theatre. My friend showed me the boxes, the pit, the dress-circle, gallery and balconies. At twelve sharp the lights went out. The conductor appeared and the overture began.

After the overture the curtain went up. I was in rap­tures at what I saw on the stage. I had never seen anything more wonderful. The setting and the dancing were superb. The ballet seemed to me a fairy-tale. When the curtain fell the house burst into applause. I applauded (clapped) so much that my hands ached.

During the first interval we went to the refreshment room (buffet). When the last curtain fell cries of "encore" sounded all over the theatre. The dancers received call after call and were presented with large bouquets of flowers.

The performance was a great success. My first visit to the Bolshoi Theatre is one of the most pleasant memories I brought away from Moscow.