The Elements of Drama

Drama

Comes from the Greek Word, “Dran”

Means “To do” or “To Act” The Doing/Acting Makes Drama

Drama…

…is a story told in front of an audience

Elements of Drama

Playwright-the author of a play

Actors-the people who perform

Acts-the units of action

Scenes-parts of the acts

Dramatic Speech

Dialogue-conversation between or among characters

Monologue-long speech by one single character (private thoughts)

Conflict

The internal or external struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or interests that create dramatic tension.

Stage Directions

Found in brackets [ ] Describe scenery and

how characters speak C, Center Stage L, Stage Left R, Stage Right U, Upstage or Rear D, Downstage or

Front

Theatre

Where a play takes place

Set

Construction on the stage that shows time/place

Could be called Scenery

Props

Small movable items that the actors use to make actions look real

Characterization

Is the playwright’s technique for creating believable characters.

Indirect Direct

Types of Drama

Drama is used to describe plays that address a serious subject.

Types of Drama

Comedy is a form of drama that has a happy ending. Humor comes from the dialogue and situations.

Types of Drama Tragedy is a form

of drama in which events lead to the downfall of the main character, often a person of great significance, like a king or hero.

Realism

Realism was a revolt against the neoclassic (adaptation of the classics) standards.

Rebellion against the contrived manners and elitist snobbery (stuck up) also fueled the attack

Theatre, they felt, should hold a mirror up to nature

Characteristics of Realism

Realism sought a “likeness to life”

Realism remains today the dominant influence in the theatre.

Realist playwrights seek to have the audience understand their own struggles and to feel compassion for the human condition.

Purpose

The unspoken purpose of every realistic play is exploring the mystery of life.

Characters in a realistic play are individuals we can compare thoughts and feelings with as they discover life’s meanings

The catharsis (emotional venting) of this genre is that each member of the audience is to gain an understanding of his or her own struggles and feel compassion for the struggles of others.

Plays in this era were often referred to as “problem plays” since they focused on social concerns.