Watching a Live Performance and Saying Why It Worked · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Why that live moment worked

Arts & Music · Performing Arts · ages 15-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which moment shows live performers responding to their current audience?

    • An actor waits for laughter to stop before speaking.
    • A viewer pauses a recording to read a message at home.
    • A viewer replays a recorded dance to study a movement.

  2. Which response links a performance choice to its effect?

    • I enjoyed the whole play and would watch it again.
    • The actor's long pause made the warning feel tense.
    • The theatre seats felt cramped during the long show.

  3. A dull script can still be performed with strong acting.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. During a quarrel, the light snaps red. Which review links that choice to a possible effect in this scene?

    • The red light proves that every bulb in the theatre needs replacing.
    • The sudden red light may make this quarrel feel more intense.
    • Red light always shows anger in every scene and every kind of show.

  5. A dance reviewer writes, 'The ending felt sudden.' Which detail best supports that view?

    • The dancers wore bright blue costumes throughout the whole piece.
    • The stage floor stayed clear of props throughout the final section.
    • The lights cut out while dancers were still moving quickly.

  6. A review praises the lighting but says nothing about the script or acting. What can you conclude from that praise alone?

    • The lighting worked for that reviewer.
    • The script worked well for that reviewer too.
    • The acting worked well for that reviewer too.

  7. Silence after a scene proves that every audience member enjoyed it.

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. A dancer slips, grins and folds the slip into the next move. What can you conclude from this description?

    • The audience enjoyed the dance more because of the slip.
    • The dancer had planned the whole slip before the show began.
    • The dancer adapted to the slip as the dance continued.
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Why that live moment worked W1-mt_jmRc5JDGTd-s1

  1. An actor waits for laughter to stop before speaking. · The actor adjusts the timing in response to the audience's laughter. Pausing or replaying a recording does not change what its performers do.
  2. The actor's long pause made the warning feel tense. · The long pause is a performance choice. The response explains its effect: the warning felt tense.
  3. True · The quality of the writing and the quality of the acting can differ.
  4. The sudden red light may make this quarrel feel more intense. · The response connects the lighting change to a possible effect in this quarrel. It does not give red a fixed meaning in every show.
  5. The lights cut out while dancers were still moving quickly. · A blackout during quick movement is a specific observation that supports the reviewer's view that the ending felt sudden.
  6. The lighting worked for that reviewer. · Praise for lighting gives the reviewer's judgement of the lighting. It does not establish their judgement of the writing or acting.
  7. False · Silence is an observation. It does not establish what every audience member felt.
  8. The dancer adapted to the slip as the dance continued. · Using the slip in the next move shows adaptation during the performance. The description does not establish advance planning or increased audience enjoyment.
Worksheet · LightMySky