Jasaan National High School Jasaan, Misamis Oriental

Handouts on Drama
A drama is a story enacted onstage for a live audience. o The word drama comes from the Greek verb dran, which means to do. The earliest known plays . . . were written around the fifth century B.C. produced for festivals to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility o The doing / acting makes the drama o It is a story told in front of an audience

Elements of Drama
3 Types of Drama Elements
1. Literary - What is needed to write a script or story? Script - the written words and directions of a play Plot - the storyline or arrangement of action. Dramatic Structure o Exposition - characters and conflict are introduced o Complications - tension builds o Climax -point of highest tension; action determines how the conflict will be resolved o Resolution - conflict is resolved; play ends

The elements work together to communicate a theme an idea about experience.

Setting -where the action takes place. Conflict - internal or external struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or interests that create dramatic tension. Theme main idea of the play Story Organization - how a story is told from the beginning, middle and end. Playwright The author of a play Character / Actors - a person portrayed in a drama. Characterization - playwrights technique for making believable characters Dramatic Speech Dialogue - a spoken conversation between and among characters. Monologue - long speech given by one character to others. Soliloquy - speech by a character alone onstage to himself or herself or to the audience. Aside - remarks made to the audience or to one character; the other characters onstage do not hear an aside.

2. Technical / Spectacle What is needed to produce a play? Scenery / Set the theatrical equipment such as curtains, backdrops, and platforms to communicate the environment. An example might be trees to show a forest environment. Costumes the attire, clothes worn by the actors of the play Properties ( Props) - any article other than costumes or scenery used as part of a dramatic production. An example might be a table on the stage. Sound and Music Sound is the effect an audience hears during a show, like the sound of rain. Music it is the song accompanied by instruments played on stage. Make-up - the use of costumes, wigs and body paint to transform an actor into a character. 3. Performance - What do the actors do on stage to make a character come alive? Stage Directions - Playwright describes setting and characters actions and manner. 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 Acting - how speaking and moving help to create characters. Speaking Speaking is vocal expression, projection, speaking style and diction. Non-verbal Expression - Non-expression includes gestures, facial expressions, and movement.

2 Other Important Elements of Drama

o Theater / Stage - Where a play takes place. Thrust stage The stage extends into the viewing area. The audience surrounds the stage on three sides. In the round stage is surrounded by an audience on all sides. Proscenium stage The playing area extends behind an opening called a proscenium arch. The audience sits on one side looking into the action. Audience The viewers and listeners of the play Finally, a play needs an audience to experience the performance understand the story respond to the characters

Two Major Types of Drama

1. Comedy A comedy is a play that ends happily. The plot usually centers on a romantic conflict. boy meets girl - --- boy loses girl - --- boy wins girl The main characters in a comedy could be anyone: nobility, townspeople, or servants Comic complications always occur before the conflict is resolved. In most cases, the play ends with a wedding. Modern Comedies In modern comedies, the genders in this romantic plot pattern sometimes are reversed.

2. Tragedy A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily. Most classic Greek tragedies deal with serious, universal themes such as i. right and wrong ii. justice and injustice iii. life and death Tragedies pit human limitations against the larger forces of destiny. The protagonist of most classical tragedies is a tragic hero. This hero i. is noble and in many ways admirable ii. has a tragic flaw, a personal failing that leads to a tragic end

Modern Drama
A modern play may be tragedy, comedy, or a mixture of the two usually focuses on personal issues usually is about ordinary people Modern playwrights often experiment with unconventional plot structures. o long flashbacks o music o visual projections of a characters private thoughts