The Elements of Drama

Guiding Question

 How does the movie/television world create their product?

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

Elements of Drama

 Characterization playwright ’ s technique for making believable characters

Dramatic Speech



Dialogue

conversation between or among characters 

Monologue

- a long speech by one single character (usually

spoken to othe

r characters as advice, a story, etc)

Dramatic Speech



Aside –

Words (

short

thoughts) spoken by an actor directly to the audience or to another character, which are not "heard" by the other characters on stage during a play.



Soliloquy -

A long speech in a play that is

meant to be heard by the audience only

and not by other characters on the stage. If there are no other characters present, the soliloquy represents the character thinking aloud.

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

Theater

 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

The History of Drama

Primitive Drama

– Thousands of years ago in tribal ceremonies. Purpose to communicate with the gods.

Greek Theater

– 5 th century B.C. a festival to honor Dionysus. Dramas staged in amphitheaters; all classes of Greeks attended.

The History of Drama

Medieval Theater

– 7 th century B.C. the Church outlawed classical drama due to its non-sacred subject matter. By the 9 th century, plays began appearing in churches at Christmas and Easter. Three types emerged: •

Mystery Plays:

dramatizations of Biblical events •

Miracle Plays:

presentations of the lives of the saints •

Morality Plays:

for men’s souls plays dealing with the struggle

The History of Drama

Elizabethan Drama –

Last decades of the 16 th century. Queen Elizabeth supported drama and backed it financially. Stages changed from open to picture-frame style or multi-level trust stages. Shakespeare was the most famous Elizabethan playwright.

In 1642, 39 years after the death of Queen Elizabeth, the theaters of England were shut down by the Puritans, who thought acting and actors were sinful.