Drama Terms Ppt

Do Now:Arrange these vocabulary words in random

order on the Bingo card you picked up on the way in!

What Do You Need to Know About Drama?

Types of DramaPlayTragedyComedy

Feature Menu

Elements of DramaDramatic StructureDialogueStage Directions

Your Turn

Types of Drama

Drama has been a source of entertainment for far longer than movies, television, or even books. Here are some types of drama:

plays tragedies comedies

Types of Drama

A play, or drama, is a story brought to life by real people in front of an audience.

Besides being viewed on a stage, plays are usually based on a written script that can be read.

Plays

Types of Drama

Plays can have many moods.

seriousfunny

sadmysterious

scary

Plays

Types of Drama

Plays can tell all kinds of stories: of kings and queens, of great battles, or of the everyday lives of ordinary people. [End of Section]

Plays

Types of Drama

The oldest known plays are from Ancient Greece.

The Greeks performed two types of plays: tragedies and comedies.

Tragedy

Types of Drama

A tragedy tells a serious story about important people and situations; tragedies always have unhappy endings.

A tragedy usually ends with the death of at least one of the main characters.

[End of Section]

Tragedy

Types of Drama

A comedy is a play with a happy ending.Comedy

Though the main characters in the Ancient Greek tragedies were always kings, queens, and other nobles, comedies were about all kinds of people—from nobles to servants.

Types of Drama

While you might think of a comedy as a play that is meant to make you laugh, many comedies are also written to make you think.

Comedy

A comedy’s humor might focus on a character’s crazy attempts to win over his love.

Once you’ve finished laughing, you may start to think about the difficulty of finding your perfect match.

wordplay

Types of Drama

Here are some of the elements of humor, the parts of a play that make you laugh:

comic actions

misstatements

exaggeration

Comedy

Types of Drama

Wordplay is humor that results from silly verbal exchanges or puns—jokes based on words with similar sounds but different meanings.Amy. Why did you stop taking music lessons? I thought you liked playing the piano.Rosa. Play the piano? All that practicing was more like work.

Amy. Why did you stop taking music lessons? I thought you liked to play the piano.Rosa. Play the piano? All that practicing was more like work.

Ithought you liked to play the piano.

Play the piano?

Rosa makes a pun on the word play by using a different meaning of the word than Amy does. Amy uses the word to mean “perform,” while Rosa means “amuse yourself.”

Comedy

Types of Drama

The humor in misstatements arises when a character uses wrong words or says the opposite of what he or she means.

Kelly. I can’t believe how bad my new hair color looks.Greta. It’s not so bad. Isn’t that the color you wanted?Kelly. Yeah, I love it. I walked into the beauty parlor and told them to make me look like I was auditioning to be a circus clown.

into the beauty parlor and told them to make me look like I was auditioning to be a circus clown.

Yeah, I love it. I walked

Kelly says the opposite of what she means when she tells Greta she loves her hair color and asked to be made to look like a clown.This misstatement provides the humor in this passage.

Comedy

Types of Drama

Exaggeration is a type of humor in which a character overstates something, making that thing seem like a bigger deal than it really is.Dr. Juarez. Well, Antonio, it looks like you’ll need braces.Antonio. Braces? Anything but braces! How can I possibly show my face at school? Oh, the humiliation! I’ll never be able to smile again. I’ll have to wear a paper bag over my head. Doctor, you can’t do this to me!

never be able to smile again. I’ll have to wear a paper bag over my head.

Antonio’s dramatic exaggeration about how difficult life with braces will be creates the humor in this scene.

Comedy

Types of Drama

Comic actions, such as unexpected behavior and exaggerated facial expressions, are based more on what a character does and less on what he or she says.

Humorous falls and funny faces are common examples of comic actions.

[End of Section]

Comedy

Types of Drama

Quick CheckDetective Marks. Where were you on the evening that the paintings were stolen?Davis. I went out to dinner with friends.Detective Marks. What did you have?Davis. We ordered sushi.Detective Marks. Sushi, eh? This story sounds fishy already.

Which element of humor does this most clearly demonstrate?

Types of Drama

Quick CheckMrs. Mann. Ben, be sure to clean your room before you go to practice.Ben (holding his head in his hands). Will the demands never stop? I have worked my fingers to the bone, taking out the trash, doing the dishes, and now I’m supposed to clean my room. Have you no heart? Next, you’ll be asking me to walk the dog!Mrs. Mann (smiling). Oh, Ben. . . .

Which element of humor does this most clearly demonstrate?

[End of Section]

Elements of Drama

Several basic elements work together to create a drama.

dramatic structure dialogue stage

directions

Elements of Drama: Dramatic Structure

Like stories, plays are about characters who have conflicts, or problems with which they struggle.

Characters and Conflicts

Keith dreams of being a rock star.

CharacterConflict

His strict grandmother won’t allow it.

Elements of Drama: Dramatic Structure

As characters work to resolve their conflicts, they face obstacles that complicate their struggles.

Characters and Conflicts

Complication

Keith’s grandmother catches him sneaking out and grounds him.

Complication

When Keith misses practice, his band kicks him out.

Elements of Drama: Dramatic Structure

The action in the play rises to a climax, the most dramatic point in the action and the turning point in the plot.

Climax

Climax

As Keith walks onstage for a big record company contest, he notices his grandmother in the crowd. Even if he wins the record contract, he thinks he’ll probably be grounded for the rest of his life.

Elements of Drama: Dramatic Structure

The play ends with a resolution that wraps up the action and shows how the conflict ends.

[End of Section]

Resolution

Resolution

Keith wins second place in the contest, but his grandmother is impressed. She promises to support him in his dream of being a rock star.

Elements of Drama: Dialogue

The conversations that take place among the characters in a play are called dialogue.

Elements of Drama: Dialogue

Most plays don’t have a narrator to describe what is happening, so you must learn about the characters by paying close attention to their dialogue.

Mother. You look tired. Fedra. I haven’t been sleeping very well lately.Mother. Is everything okay?Fedra (looking away). Oh yeah, fine. I don’t want to talk about it.Mother. Whatever it is, I’m here for you.

Even though there’s no narrator to tell you what’s going on, the dialogue suggests that something is bothering Fedra and Mother is concerned.

Elements of Drama: Dialogue

In addition to dialogue, plays may contain other kinds of lines, or spoken words.

monologue soliloquy aside

Elements of Drama: Dialogue

A monologue is a long speech that a character makes to at least one other character.

Mayor Hendrix. I thank you again for electing me to lead the city I love. Your support means so much to me. I plan to repay my supporters—and all of the people of this city—with the strong leadership you voted for and with the excellent schools, clean parks, safe streets, and caring mayor you need.

I plan to repay my supporters—and all of the people of this city—with the strong leadership you voted for and with the excellent schools, clean parks, safe streets, and caring mayor you need.

Playwrights often use monologue to reveal details about a character’s personality. In this example, you can see that Mayor Hendrix is grateful for his position and has many goals.

Monologue

JAMES sits alone after the game.

James. We won. We won the state championship. So why do I feel this way? I should be happy.I have to admit it to myself: I just don’t like playing football. I want to be on the sidelines playing in the band. What is Coach going to say when I tell him I’m quitting football to play the tuba?

Elements of Drama: Dialogue

A soliloquy is a long speech given by a character who is alone on stage. Soliloquies help playwrights reveal characters’ thoughts and secrets.

I have to admit it to myself: I just don’t like playing football. I want to be on the sidelines playing in the band. What is Coach going to say when I tell him I’m quitting football to play the tuba?

Besides sharing feelings, a character may confess secrets in a soliloquy.

Soliloquy

Elements of Drama: Dialogue

An aside is a brief comment that a character makes to the audience. Though other characters are onstage, they cannot hear the aside.Ed. Honey, what are you doing up so early?Jane. Nothing, dear. Go back to sleep. I’m fine.Ed (rolling over). Well, turn out the lights.Jane. Okay, I will. . . (aside) as soon as I book our anniversary cruise to Bermuda.

(aside) assoon as I book our anniversary cruise to Bermuda.

An aside can reveal a character’s feelings or secrets to the audience—without other characters finding out. In this case, Jane states her vacation plans, but Ed doesn’t hear them.

[End of Section]

Aside

Elements of Drama: Stage Directions

Stage directions explain what is happening onstage. They may include information about the following:

setting propscharacters’

actionscharacters’ emotions

Elements of Drama: Stage Directions

Stage directions are usually printed in italic type. Sometimes they appear at the beginning of a scene.

The curtains rise on a typical high school classroom. It is the last period of the day on Friday, before a long weekend. The students try to sit quietly as the teacher writes notes on the board at the front of the room.

Elements of Drama: Stage Directions

Stage directions may also appear in parentheses next to the dialogue.

Jesse (quietly trying to get Andy’s attention). Psst . . . Andy! (hands him a piece of paper) Pass this to Katrina.Andy. Okay, but this is the last time. I don’t want Ms. Nichols to get mad.Ms. Nichols (sounding frustrated). Boys, could you please save that for the weekend? Return your attention to the board.

Andy (glaring at Jesse). Thanks a lot. [End of Section]

Elements of Drama

Quick CheckELTON, wearing a tuxedo, sits alone on the school’s front steps.

Elton. I can’t believe it. She didn’t come. I got stood up for my own prom. Everyone’s staring at me know. They’re laughing, I know it.This is so humiliating! How could she do this to me? What did I ever do to her? I suppose I sort of knew something was wrong. I thought she was just a little nervous. I guess it was more than that.

This excerpt is an example of which kind of lines?

What does Elton reveal in the excerpt?

Elements of Drama

Quick CheckThe curtain rises on a stage that is completely empty except for SASHA, who is pacing back and forth, holding a script.

Sasha (nervously). I can do this. I can do this. I can get this role.Mike comes running onto the stage, waving a baseball cap.

Mike. Oh good, I was afraid I’d miss you. I have something for you—my lucky hat. Good luck!Sasha (putting on the hat). Thanks, I have a feeling I’ll need it.

What do the stage directions reveal about the setting and the props?

What do the directions reveal about characters’ actions and emotions?

[End of Section]

Analyzing Drama

Choose a play or movie you have seen recently and answer the following questions.1. Was the play or movie a comedy or a tragedy?

How could you tell?2. What conflict did the main character face? How

was the conflict resolved?3. What did you learn about the main character

through the play’s dialogue?

Your Turn

The End