Chapter 4: Applause and Advice
Watching plays well, writing honest reviews, and being a good audience — applause, advice and the critic's job.
Original notes — ready CBSE (NCERT, English Medium) • Class 8 • Arts • Book: Kriti
Chapter 4: Applause and Advice — EG's own notes, in simple words
Book: Kriti (CBSE, Class 8) | Chapter 4 | Section: Theatre | Medium: English
Diagram (labels are printed on the image): An audience watching a play: some clapping, some noting observations — watching carefully is part of theatre learning.
A student writing a review in a notebook right after a show, while the details are still fresh.
What the chapter is about
As theatre students you not only do theatre but also watch plays — and you learn more by watching. Watch a play whenever possible, in any language and any genre, on school field trips or with family and friends, and write a review for every performance you watch. Circle time, the discussion held after every chapter, is itself a form of review exercise.
Before the show, a good reviewer prepares: find out the name of the play, the playwright and the basic plot without spoiling it; go with an open mind, ready to enjoy and observe; understand the time period or setting if it is famous or historical; know the genre — comedy, tragedy, musical, historical drama or modern play — so you watch with the right mindset; find out about the performing team, whether professionals, students or a community group; carry a small notebook to jot thoughts during or right after the show; and revise what you intend to observe.
What to observe, and how to review
During the show, observe acting (was it believable and emotional?), lights and sound (did they add to the mood?), story (was it clear, engaging or confusing?), set design (did the stage support the story?), costumes (did they match the time and character?), flow, and errors that were visibly evident — and how they were handled. Activity 4.2, 'Watch and Reflect', practises exactly this on pictures: identify the genre, describe the scene and each actor's action, guess a few possible dialogues creatively, and give your opinion on lighting, costumes, make-up and props.
A reviewer must be honest but also fair and respectful. Holding a bias towards a team or an actor will not make a review honest. The chapter's summative assessment asks students to write a simple review of a performance they have seen and read it aloud, using voice skills like volume, pitch, diction and intonation, making the reading as creative and dramatic as possible; and in groups, to write a script with characters divided into scenes, adding music and dance where required, and perform a three-minute show. Reading professional reviews helps students understand the role of a critic, and the chapter also asks them to describe the life and work of theatre critics in English and local languages.
Be honest, fair and respectful — bias towards a team or an actor makes a review dishonest, not kind.
Jot thoughts during or right after the show. Memory fades fast; the best reviews are written while details are fresh.
Key Terms
- Review — A written or spoken judgement of a performance, based on observation of acting, story, design and handling of errors.
- Critic — A professional reviewer whose reviews help audiences and artists understand a performance.
- Genre — The kind of play — comedy, tragedy, musical, historical drama or modern play — which sets the mindset for watching.
- Circle time — An informal discussion after every class or activity in which students share thoughts and experiences honestly.
- Bias — An unfair favour or prejudice towards a team or actor, which spoils the honesty of a review.
Remember
- Watch plays in any language and any genre, whenever possible.
- Prepare: play, playwright, plot, period, genre, team — then watch with an open mind.
- Observe acting, lights, sound, story, set, costumes, flow and how errors were handled.
- Review honestly, fairly and respectfully — no bias.
- Write the review at once; read it aloud with full voice skills.
Exam Tip / Common Mistake
Common mistake: writing only 'it was nice' or only listing faults. A good review gives evidence — what was believable, what confused you, what the lights added — and ends with fair advice.
Chart / Table: A reviewer's observation checklist
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Acting | Believable and emotional? |
| Lights and sound | Did they add to the mood? |
| Story | Clear, engaging or confusing? |
| Set design | Did the stage support the story? |
| Costumes and make-up | Matched the time and character? |
| Flow and errors | Smooth? How were visible errors handled? |
Practice set — try it yourself
- Why should a theatre student watch plays, not only perform them?
Hint: Watching teaches what performing alone cannot. - List three things to find out before watching a play.
Hint: Play, playwright, plot; period; genre; team. - Why carry a notebook to a show?
Hint: To jot thoughts while they are fresh. - What makes a review dishonest?
Hint: Bias towards a team or actor. - In Activity 4.2, what four things must your picture review cover?
Hint: Genre, scene and actions, lighting/costumes/make-up/props opinion, plus guessed dialogues.
Questions with Answers
- What steps should a reviewer take before watching a play?
Find out the play's name, playwright and basic plot (without spoilers); go with an open mind; understand the period or setting; know the genre; learn about the performing team; carry a notebook; and revise what you intend to observe. - What should a reviewer observe during a performance?
Acting, lights and sound, story clarity, set design, costumes, flow, and any visible errors and how the actors handled them. - What makes a review honest?
Honesty with fairness and respect: saying what worked and what did not, with evidence, and without bias for or against any team or actor. - What is the role of a critic, and why read professional reviews?
A critic reviews performances professionally, helping audiences choose and artists improve. Reading such reviews teaches students how a review is structured and judged. - What does the chapter's summative assessment ask for?
Individually, a simple review of a seen performance, read aloud with volume, pitch, diction and intonation; in a group, a scripted three-minute show with characters, scenes, and music and dance where required.
Extension questions — go deeper
- Write a 6-line review of an imaginary school play, giving one praise and one fair criticism, each with evidence.
A good review names specifics — for example praising the loud, clear villain's voice that carried to the back row, while noting that the second scene's lighting change came too late and confused the time shift. - An actor forgets a line and another actor covers it smoothly. Should the review mention it? Why?
Yes, briefly and fairly: handling errors is part of the craft the chapter asks reviewers to observe, and graceful recovery deserves praise, not blame. - Why does the chapter call circle time a form of review?
Because after every activity students discuss what they did, share honest thoughts and experiences, and the teacher notes each student's response — review as reflection, not only as writing. - A friend's team performed badly and you want to be kind. How do you stay honest and respectful?
Praise what genuinely worked, describe problems as observations ('the second scene felt rushed') rather than insults, and suggest one concrete improvement — honesty with respect. - Compare reviewing a play with reviewing a film you watched. What is different about a live performance?
A live show cannot be replayed or edited; errors, audience energy and the actors' live handling of mishaps are part of the experience being judged.
- Watch widely: any language, any genre.
- Prepare before the show; notebook in hand.
- Observe acting, design, story, flow, errors.
- Honest, fair, respectful — no bias.
- Review aloud with full voice skills.
How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Use the Questions with Answers to check yourself afterwards. Ask your teacher or parent to check your answers.