CLEP Humanities : Theater

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for CLEP Humanities

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Answering Other Questions About Theater

The opera cycle known as The Ring of the Nibelung was written by __________.

Possible Answers:

Georges Bizet

Giuseppe Verdi

Gustav Mahler

Benjamin Britten

Richard Wagner

Correct answer:

Richard Wagner

Explanation:

The Ring of Nibelung, commonly known as the "Ring Cycle," is the most famous composition by the German opera composer Richard Wagner. Written over twenty-six years, the four pieces that make up the cycle, The Rhine Gold, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, and Twilight of the Gods, all feature many of Wagner's signature elements: a mythic story, melodramatic devices, and a challenging score.

Example Question #5 : Answering Other Questions About Theater

The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical featuring The King of Siam as a character is __________.

Possible Answers:

Carousel

Flower Drum Song

South Pacific

The Sound of Music

The King and I

Correct answer:

The King and I

Explanation:

The King and I is a musical retelling of the story of the real life Anna Leonowens, who was governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam. The 1951 musical was one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's largest hits, and was subsequently made into a film starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner.

Example Question #6 : Answering Other Questions About Theater

What is the Stephen Sondheim musical that takes inspiration from Roman comedies and satires?

Possible Answers:

Company

West Side Story

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Gypsy

Sunday in the Park with George

Correct answer:

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Explanation:

Stephen Sondheim based his 1962 musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum on the Roman comedies of Plautus. The play, set in Rome itself, centered on the humorous machinations of a slave. The play was another success after his previous work Gypsy and West Side Story, and got turned into a film also featuring the play's star Zero Mostel.

Example Question #7 : Answering Other Questions About Theater

Who is the actor, playwright, and theater owner who repopularized Shakespeare's plays during the eighteenth century?

Possible Answers:

Samuel Foote

Thomas Bowdler

David Garrick

Samuel Johnson

William Davenant

Correct answer:

David Garrick

Explanation:

The fortunes of the plays of William Shakespeare underwent a severe cratering during the Restoration era of the late seventeenth century. The era's over-the-top performances and focus on farces made Shakespeare's works seem out of place. David Garrick, the preeminent actor and theater impresario of the eighteenth century in England, introduced a naturalist style and new effects in stagecraft which also helped repopularize the work of Shakespeare.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors