Introduction to Drama

What is drama?

The word drama comes from the Greek word for “action.” Drama is written to be
performed by actors and watched by an audience.

 Drama is a literary composition involving conflict, action crisis and atmosphere

designed to be acted by players on a stage before an audience.

 Drama is defined by Aristotle as “a criticism of life, on a stage, with action,

characters and dialogue.” The Greek word for “deed” or “action” is dram.

Types of Drama

Tragedy

 shows the downfall or death of a tragic hero, or main character. In ancient

Greek plays, the hero was a good person brought down by a tragic flaw, or defect
in character. In a modern plays, the hero can be an normal person destroyed by an
evil in society.

 emphasizes human greatness.

Comedy

 often shows a conflict between opposite age groups , genders, or personality

types.
 typical comedies involve confusion, jokes, and a happy ending.
 stresses human weaknesses.

Tragicomedy

 Tragicomedy is a play that does not adhere strictly to the structure of tragedy.
This is usually serious play that also has some of the qualities of comedy. It arouses
thought even with laughter.

Farce

 A light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated

characters, and often slapstick events are used for humorous effect. It is the
situation here which provides the humor, not the cleverness of plot or lines, nor the
absurdities of the character.

Melodrama

 A drama, such as play, film, or television program, characterized by exaggerated

emotions, stereotypical characters, and interpersonal conflicts.

Romantic Melodrama

 An extended fictional prose narrative about improbable events involving

characters that are quite different from ordinary people.

Satire Melodrama

 A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision,
or wit. A literary mode based on criticism of people and society through ridicule.

Elements of Drama

1. Plot

 Plot is the form and structure of the action and the arrangement of incidents of a
story or play. Plot is only that aspect of the story which takes place on stage and
which is revealed to the audience through the dramatic actions and dialogue of the
characters.

Types of Plot

Natural Plot

 Is a chronological sequence of events arrangement where actions continuously

take place as an end result of the previous action.

Episodic Plot

 each episode independently comprises a setting, climax and resolution;

therefore, a full story in itself is formed.

2. Character

 Is a person, animal or entity in a story, scene or play with specific, distinguishing

attributes. The hopes and struggles of characters provide the principle material from
which plots are made. The protagonist is the main character in the plot who propels
the action forward. The antagonist is the chief opponent to the protagonist.

3. Setting

 Identifies the time and place in which the events occur. It consists of the
historical period, the moment, day and season in which the incidents take place.

4. Theme

 Is considered as the unifying element that defines the dramatized idea of the
play. It is the over-all sense or implication of the action. It defines the problem,
emphasizes the ethical judgment and suggest attitude or course of action that
eliminates the crisis is an acceptable way.

5. Style

 Refers to the mode of expression or presentation of the play which points out
the playwright’s position or viewpoint

A drama or play is a form of storytelling in which actors make the characters come
alive through speech (dialogue) and action (stage directions).

• Every performance of a play is different, even if the same actors perform the same play
many times.

• Performances are influenced by the audience. To be a part of an audience is different

than reading a play alone. The response of the audience will also affect our own response. For
example, we laugh louder when the rest of the audience is laughing, too.

How is a play written?

 The author of a play is called a playwright. Everything a playwright writes

must appear onstage.

 A play in written form is called a script.

 The playwright must write the dialogue, or what the characters say to each
other in conversation, as well as the stage directions, which tells how the play is
to be performed.

Dialogue

 Dialogue is what the characters say, and it is used to reveal their personalities =
Character Traits.
 The name of the character who is to speak is listed usually in bold at the start of
a line, followed by a colon.

 Every time the speaker changes, a new line is started.

Dialogue is necessary in order to develop conflict and advance the plot.

Staging a play

 Drama is more than just the words on a page. The production of a play involves
directing the way the characters move, what they wear, the lighting, and the
scenery.

 Staging is the practice of putting on the play. Some of the details of staging
may be included in the stage directions, however, the director and the producer
take what the playwright has described and bring it to life with their own ideas.

Sets

 Sets are the scenery, backdrops, and furniture that create the setting.
 A production may have different sets for different scenes. For example, some
scenes may take place outside in the street, while others may take place in a
character’s living room. Some scenes may take place during the day, while others
may take place at night.

Props

 Props are things like books, telephones, dishes, and other items that actors use
onstage during the performance to support the action.

Stage directions

 Stage directions are notes in the script usually written in italics and
enclosed in parentheses or brackets. They usually describe where and when a
scene takes place (setting), how the characters should say their lines, and how the
characters should move onstage. They may explain the character’s mood or how
the character is feeling.

 Stage directions may also describe sets, costumes, props, lighting, and sound
effects.

 Stage directions use certain terms to describe the stage. Look at the following
slide and see how.

Take a look at a script and MARK THE TEXT!

 Preview text features.

 Read aloud the dialogue, using stage directions to understand the

characters’ attitudes, emotions, and personalities.

 Read stage directions and imagine how the scene should be enacted.

 Mark the Text!

Audience

Dramatization

 A dramatization is a play that was once a novel, short story, folk tale,
biography, or other type of writing. Some plays are completely new works. Other
plays are adapted from novels, short stories, or even from nonfiction.

 A playwright takes scenes, characters, and action from an existing work and
turns them into a play, or dramatizes them.

How is a play divided?

 A play is largely divided up into parts, or acts. The number of acts in a

production can range from one to five, depending on how a writer structures the
outline of the story. The length of time for an act to be performed can range from
30 to 90 minutes.

 Acts may be further divided into scenes; in classical theatre each regrouping
between entrances and exits of actors is a scene, while today it describes a quick
change of setting.

Remember-People Produce Plays

 The actors and actresses who perform the play are known as the cast.

 The people who build sets, manage lighting, or work backstage are called the
crew.

Theater Etiquette

 All of the people involved in the production, both cast and crew, work very hard
to be sure they give a great performance.

 It is the job of the audience members to help the performers give their best
performance possible. The audience can do this by practicing the rules of theater
etiquette, which is how the audience should behave when watching a play.

Rules of Theater Etiquette

 Be on time to the theater. Turn off cell phones upon arrival.

 Be quite so other around you can hear the performance
 You should use the restroom before the show begins, and not get out of your
seat while the show is being performed.
 You should not eat, chew gum, or drink any beverages while watching the show.
 While it is appropriate to respond to funny, shocking, or entertaining moments
out loud, you should respect others around you and their enjoyment of the play by
not responding with loud, inappropriate reactions.

When Should You Applaud?

 Stand and applaud if you really thought the show was great. That is a called a
standing ovation, and it honors the actors who worked so hard to give a great
performance.

 It is customary to applaud at the end of songs, and at the curtain call, when
the actors come out to take their final bows. Throughout the show, audience
members may choose to applaud when something particularly 0utstanding has just
been performed. Do not whistle or scream out to the performers except for a Bravo.