Elements Of Drama/Theatre Greek Drama Comes from the Greek word “Dran” Means to do or to act Is a story told in front of an audience.

Elements Of Drama/Theatre

Greek Drama

• Comes from the Greek word “Dran”

• Means to do or to act

• Is a story told in front of an audience

Early DramaThe earliest known

plays . . . were written

around the fifth century B.C.

produced for festivals to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility

– were written around the fifth century B.C.

– produced for festivals to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility

Elements of Drama: The elements of drama, by which dramatic works can be analyzed and evaluated, can be categorized into three major areas: literary elements, technical elements, and performance elements.

literary elements

technical elements

performance elements

The Elements of Drama

Literary ElementsPlot: the series of events that takeplace in a play. There are 6 stagesin a plot structure:

Initial incident- the event that “gets the story going”

Preliminary event whatever takes place BEFORE the action of the play that is directly related to thePlay

Rising action: a series of events following the initial incident and leading up to thedramatic climax.

Climax: the turning point or high point of a story, when events can go either way

Falling action: the series of events following the climax.

Denouement or Conclusion : another term for the ending-it is the French word for “unraveling”).

Literary Elements

Character: a person portrayed in a drama, novel, or other artistic

piece.

Exposition is the “who, when, where and what” part of the play.

Story organization: beginning, middle, end

Conflict: the internal or external struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or interests that creates dramatic tension.

Suspense: a feeling of uncertainty as to the outcome, used to build interest and excitement on the part of the audience.

Theme: the basic idea of a play; the idea, point of view, or perception that binds together a work of art.

Language: in drama, the particular manner of verbal expression, the

diction or style of writing, or the speech or phrasing that

suggests a class or profession or type of character.

Style: the shaping of dramatic material, settings, or costumes in a deliberately nonrealistic manner.

Literary Elements

Soliloquy: a speech by a single actor who is ALONE on stage

Monologue: a long speech made by one actor; a monologue may be delivered alone or in the presence of others.

Literary Elements

Technical ElementsScenery (set): the theatrical equipment, such as curtains, flats, backdrops, or platforms, used in adramatic production to communicate environment

Costumes: clothing and accessories worn by actors to portray character and period.

Props: short for properties; any article, except costume or scenery, used as part of a dramatic

production; any moveable object that appears on stage during a performance, from a telephone to a train.

is a play A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily.

that ends unhappily.

• Tragedies pit human limitations against the larger forces of destiny.

right and wrong

justice and injustice

life and death

Tragedy

• Most classic Greek tragedies deal with serious, universal themes such as:

The protagonist of most classical tragedies is a tragic hero. This hero

• is noble and in many ways admirable

• has a tragic flaw, a personal failing that leads to a tragic end

rebelliousness

jealousy

pride

Tragedy

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

Comedy

The main characters in a comedy could be anyone:

nobility servantstownspeople

Comedy

• Comic complications always occur before the conflict is resolved.

• In most cases, the play ends with a wedding.

Comedy

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

Technical ElementsLights: the placement, intensity, and color of lights to

Help communicate environment, mood, or feeling

Sound: the effects an audience hears during

performance to communicate character,

context, or environment

Makeup: costumes, wigs, and body

paint used to transform an actor

into a character.

Function of the Scene Design

• The scene design allows the author of the play to create a sense of Setting

Scene Design

• A subdivision of an act in a play. Each scene usually takes place in a specific setting and time.

Performance ElementsActing use of face, body, and voice to portray character

Character motivation: the reason or reasons for a character’s behavior; an incentive or inducement for further action for a character

Character analysis: in responding to dramatic art, the process of examining how the elements of drama—literary, technical, and performance—are used

empathy: the capacity to relate to the feelings of another.

Performance ElementsSpeaking: the mode of expression or delivery of lines

Breath control: proper use of the lungs and diaphragm muscle for maximum capacity and efficiency of breath for speaking

Vocal expression: how an actor uses his or her voice to convey character

Inflection: change in pitch or loudness of the voice.

Projection: how well the voice carries to the audience

Speaking style: the mode of expression or delivery of lines

Diction: selection and pronunciation of words; clarity of speech.

Nonverbal expression:

Gestures any movement of the actor’s head, shoulder, arm, hand, leg, or foot to convey meaning

Body alignment physiologically correct posture and use of the body to ensure the maximum capacity and efficiency of breathing and movement

Facial expression physical and vocal aspects used by an actor to convey mood, feeling, or personality

Character blocking the path formed by the actor’s movement on stage, usually determined by the director with assistance from the actor and often written down in a script using commonly accepted theatrical symbols

Movement stage blocking or the movements of the actors onstage during performance; also refers to the action of the play as it moves from event to event.

Performance Elements

Props (short for properties) are items that the characters carry or handle onstage.

• The person in charge of props must make sure that the right props are available to the actors at the right moments.

Setting the Stage

When you read a play, remember that it is meant to be performed for an audience.

Stage DirectionsStage Directions

Playwright describes setting Playwright describes setting and characters’ actions and and characters’ actions and manner.manner.

[Wyona is sitting on the [Wyona is sitting on the couch. She sees Paul and couch. She sees Paul and jumps to her feet.]jumps to her feet.]

Wyona.Wyona. [Angrily.] What do [Angrily.] What do you want?you want?

Performance of a Play

PerformancePerformance Theater artists bring the Theater artists bring the

playwright’s vision to life playwright’s vision to life on the stage.on the stage.

The audience responds to The audience responds to the play and shares the the play and shares the experience.experience.

Modern playwrights often experiment with unconventional plot structures.

Modern Drama

long flashbacksmusic

visual projections of a character’s private

thoughts

Performance of a Play

Theater artists include

Actors

Directors

Lighting technicians

Stage crew

Stages can have many different sizes and layouts.

“Thrust” stage

Setting the 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.

Setting the Stage

Proscenium stage

Setting the Stage

• The playing area extends behind an opening called a “proscenium arch.”

• The audience sits on one side looking into the action.

upstage

downstage

stage leftstage right

Setting the Stage

Stages in Shakespeare’s time were thrust stages.

Globe Theater

• Globe Theater

A stage’s set might be

realistic and detailed

Setting the Stage

abstract and minimal

The costume director works with the director to design the actors’ costumes.

• Like sets, costumes can be

detailed minimal

Setting the Stage

The characters’ speech may take any of the following forms.

Dialogue:Dialogue: conversations of characters onstage conversations of characters onstage

Monologue:Monologue: long speech given by one character to otherslong speech given by one character to others

Soliloquy: Soliloquy: speech by a character alone onstage to himself or herself or speech by a character alone onstage to himself or herself or to the audienceto the audience

Asides: Asides: remarks made to the audience or to one character; the other remarks made to the audience or to one character; the other characters onstage do not hear an asidecharacters onstage do not hear an aside

The Characters

The End