To in behind during at on

(a) We sat _________the stalls.

(b) The usher showed us _________our seats.

(c) There were two actors________the stage.

(d) You’d better ask ________the box office.

(e) My favourite actress was________the play.

(f) During the performance, work is going on_____the scenes.

(g) People usually have a drink or a cigarette____the interval.

(h) Our seats were_____the third row.

(i) He prefers to sit________the front; she likes to be ______the back.

(j) I like to sit __ the middle.

READING 4

68. Read the text about British drama and speak about its peculiarities.

British Drama

Britain is one of the world's major centres for theatre, and has a long and rich dramatic tradition. There are many companies based in London and other cities and towns, as well as numerous touring companies which visit theatres, festivals and other venues, including arts and sports centres and social clubs. There are 66 companies in receipt of subsidies from the Arts Council.

Contemporary British playwrights who have received international rec­ognition include: Harold Pinter — The Caretaker, The Homecoming; Tom Stoppard — Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Jumper; Caryl Churchill — Serious Money, Top Girls; and Peter Shaffer — Equus, Amadeus.

Among the best-known directors are Sir Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Jonathan Miller, Terry Hands, while the many British performers who enjoy international reputations include Sir John Gielgud, Sir Alec Guinness, Van­essa Redgrave, Sir Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Albert Finney, Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox, Dame Maggie Smith.

Britain has about 300 theatres intended for professional use which can seat between 200 and 2,300 people. Some are privately owned, but most are owned either municipally or by nonprofit-distributing organizations. In summer there are also open air theatres, including one in London's Regent's Park and the Minack Theatre, which is on an open cliffside near Land's End in Cornwall. Fifteen of many London's theatres are permanently occupied by subsi­dized companies. These include: the Royal National Theatre, which stages a wide choice of modern and classical plays; the Royal Shakespeare Com­pany, which presents plays mainly by Shakespeare and his contemporaries as well as some modern works; the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, London, which stages the works of many talented new playwrights.

Most theatres are commercially run and self-financing, relying on pop­ular shows and musicals to be profitable. By contrast there is the Royal Acad­emy of Dramatic Art, the Central School of Speech and Drama, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the Drama Centre (all in Lon­don); the Bristol Old Vic School, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (Glasgow) and the Welsh College of Music and Drama (Cardiff). Theatre design courses, often based in art schools, are available for people wanting to train as stage designers. A number of universities and colleges offer degree courses in drama.

I. Comprehension Check:

69. Say if the statements are true or false.

1. Britain is one of the world's major centres for theatre, and has a long and rich dramatic tradition.

2. There are practically few companies based in London and other cities and towns, as well as some touring companies which visit theatres, festivals and other ven­ues, including arts and sports centres and social clubs.

3. Britain has about 200 theatres intended for profession­al use which can seat between 500 and 1,500 people.

4. Most of the theatres in Britain are privately owned and not many are owned either municipally or by non-prof­it-distributing organizations.

5. In summer and late autumn there are also open air theatres, including one in London's Regent's Park and the Minack Theatre, which is on an open cliffside near Land's End in Cornwall.

6. 25 of many London's theatres are permanently occu­pied by subsidized companies.

7. Most of the theatres are commercially run and self-financ­ing, relying on popular shows and musicals to be profitable.

8. Theatre design courses, often based in sports centres, are available for people wanting to train as stage de­signers and stage hands.

9. A number of universities and colleges offer degree cours­es in drama.

10. There are 45 companies in receipt of subsidies from the Arts Council.

70. Choose the best variant according to the text:

1. Contemporary British playwrights who have received international recognition include:______________

A. Harold Pinter with his The Caretaker, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Homecoming

B. Caryl Churchill with Serious Money, Top Girls

C. Tom Stoppard with Equus, Amadeus

2. Among the best-known directors are:__________________

A. Sir John Gielgud

B. Sir Alec Guinness

C. Sir Peter Hall

3. The many British performers who enjoy international reputations in­clude: ____________________

A. Vanessa Redgrave

B. Trevor Nunn

C. Terry Hands

4. The Royal National Theatre stages_______

A. the works of many talented new playwrights

B. a wide choice of modern and classical plays

C. plays mainly by Shakespeare and his contemporaries

5. The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the Central School of Speech and Drama and the Drama Centre are situated in_______________________________________

A. Glasgow

B. Cardiff

C. London

71. Answer the questions.

1. Why is London considered to be one of the world's major centres for theatre?

2. What kinds of theatrical companies are based in London and other cities and towns?

3. How many companies are in receipt of subsidies from the Arts Council?

4. What contemporary British playwrights, who have received interna­tional recognition are known to you? What are their famous works?

5. Who are the best-known directors in Britain?

6. Can you give the names of the famous British performers who enjoy
international reputations?

7. On what bases are theatres rented or owned in Britain?

9. What are the most famous subsidized companies which occupy 15 theatres? What do they stage?

10.How do many commercially run and self-financing theatres make themselves profitable and successful with the public?

11.Where do people want to start their theatrical careers trained in England, Wales and Scotland? What are they trained for?

II. Vocabulary practice:

72. Look through the text and find the English equivalents of the following word com­binations:

бути одним з світових театральних центрів, мати давні і багаті театральні традиції, знаходитися (базуватися) в, численні гастролюючі театральні трупи, які одержують субсидії від Ради з мистецтва, сучасні драматурги Великобританії, одержати міжнародне визнання, мати великий успіх, в Британії і за її межами, призначатися для професійного використання, належати місцевим властям або добродійним організаціям, мати утримання на комерційній основі, бути вигідним, приносити збори, бути доступним для охочих, навчатися ремеслу театральних художників, випускати дипломованих театральних працівників (фахівців)

73. Fill in the blanks with a suitable word

a) company, cast, to cast

1. The Royal Shakespeare_____________________are divided between the country and the capital, playing concurrently at two theatres for most of the year.

2. There are many famous actors in the__________ today.

3. Paul Scofield___________ for the part of Macbeth.

4. The____________ is on tour, so the theatre is closed.

5. - The Mousetrap has been running for over twenty years.
- What? With the same___________?

6. The essential of a repertory__________ strictly speaking is that it should have several productions - a repertory of productions in fact -ready at the same time.

b) play, production, performance

1. The____________ begins at 7.30.

2. No doubt, the _______________must enter the repertoire of the twentieth century classics.

3. I’ve seen that ________________several times, and I think tonight's___________ is the best.

4. Judy Dench gave a brilliant_________ as Beatrice (in Much Ado About Nothing), but the ______________as a whole is very second rate.

5. We are going to see a new_______ at the Pushkin Theatre tonight.

6. I’ve never seen a better ____________________________of Othello.

7. The Cottesloe Theater is a very small theatre with movable seats for experimental_______________.

8. I didn't like the___________ but I was impressed by the acting.

9. He's been in a lot of interesting___________________________.

74. Choose the adjectives from the list that can go with the following nouns: acting part, play, company, performance, production, audience, reviews

main, supporting, walking on, leading, male/female, favorable thought-provoking, tragic, witty, convincing, natural, realistic, splen­did, dull, mystical, original, scary, serious, sophisticated, startling second-rate, new, successful, interesting, good, poor, unfavorable! terrible (coll.), well-established, permanent, resident, touring, brilliant,' mediocre, amateurish, responsive, irresponsive, enthusiastic, young, recently-formed, experienced, enthusiastically (poorly) received, well-received, cheerful, complex, contemplative, light, lively, melancholy, lovely

READING 3

Pre-reading

75. Answer the questions:

1. What do you know about the Ukrainian theatre and its creators?

2. What do you think are the special features of the Ukrainian theatre?

76. Read the text to get more information about the Ukrainian theatre.

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