theatrical performance
- noun
- /θiˈætrɪkəl pərˈfɔːrməns/
- Last night, I attended a breathtaking theatrical performance that told stories of love and loss.
- concerts and theatrical performances
Examples
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Theatrical performances by masked adolescents are most likely not a novelty among the Luluwa.
Academic text (1999) -
We could give them a theatrical performance.
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From the side of a hill, we saw below us, as if at the bottom of a bowl, a theatrical performance.
Fiction book (1993) -
Several times a year, the Jacobi ladies would mount a theatrical performance.
Fiction book (1996) -
The problem inherent in a theatrical performance is that it has immediate emotional appeal and yet displaces it by engaging the spectator in its plot.
Academic text (2002) -
Caligula was a man of many passions, and he indulged nearly all of them, including his passions for chariot racing, theatrical performances, gladiatorial games, and ships.
Academic text (2002) -
The school organized a theatrical performance to showcase the students' talents in acting.
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Every weekend, the local community center hosts a theatrical performance for families to enjoy.
Synonyms
A story written to be performed by actors on a stage
A live show of a play, concert, or dance for an audience
A performance of a play, film, or show for an audience
A set of live performances like music or dance for an audience
Presenting a play with choices about sets, lights, and actors
A public performance of a play
Putting on a play in a theatre with actors, sets, and lights
A staged play that actors perform live for an audience
An event where people put on a play with actors, a director, and stage sets
How Elaborate
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound meaning is directly and predictably derived from its parts: 'theatrical' (related to theatre/drama) modifies 'performance' (a staged presentation), yielding an event where a play or drama is presented. This compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Theatrical performance comes from its parts: theatrical points to the theatre where people watch, and performance is the act of showing a play. So it means 'an event where actors perform a play for an audience'.