1. DramaDrama

2. A drama is a story enacted onstage for a live
audience.
What Is Drama?What Is Drama?

3. What Is Drama?What Is Drama?
 Origins of DramaOrigins of Drama
 The wordThe word dramadrama comes from thecomes from the
Greek verbGreek verb dran,dran, which meanswhich means
“to do.”“to do.”
 The earliest known plays . . .The earliest known plays . . .
 were written around the fifthwere written around the fifth
century B.C.century B.C.
 produced for festivals to honorproduced for festivals to honor
Dionysus, the god of wine andDionysus, the god of wine and
fertilityfertility

4. Like the plot of a story, the plot of a play involves
characters who face a problem or conflict.
Climax
point of highest tension;
action determines how the
conflict will be resolved
Resolution
conflict is resolved;
play ends
Complications
tension builds
Exposition
characters and conflict
are introduced
Dramatic StructureDramatic Structure

5. Dramatic StructureDramatic Structure
ConflictConflict isis a struggle or clasha struggle or clash
between opposing charactersbetween opposing characters
or forces. A conflict mayor forces. A conflict may
develop . . .develop . . .
 between characters who wantbetween characters who want
different things or the samedifferent things or the same
thingthing
 between a character and his orbetween a character and his or
her circumstancesher circumstances
 within a character who is tornwithin a character who is torn
by competing desiresby competing desires

6. A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily.
• Tragedies pit human limitations against the
larger forces of destiny.
right and wrong
justice and injustice
life and death
TragedyTragedy
• Most classic Greek tragedies deal with
serious, universal themes such as

7. 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
TragedyTragedy

8. 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
ComedyComedy

9. The main characters in a comedy could be
anyone:
nobility servantstownspeople
ComedyComedy

10. • Comic complications always
occur before the conflict is
resolved.
• In most cases, the play
ends with a wedding.
ComedyComedy

11. Modern ComedyModern Comedy
 Modern ComediesModern Comedies
In modern comedies, the genders in this romanticIn modern comedies, the genders in this romantic
plot pattern sometimes are reversed.plot pattern sometimes are reversed.

12. A modern play
• usually is about ordinary people
• may be tragedy, comedy, or a mixture of the
two
• usually focuses on personal issues
Modern DramaModern Drama

13. Modern playwrights often experiment with
unconventional plot structures.
Modern DramaModern Drama
long flashbacks
music
visual projections
of a character’s
private thoughts

14. When you read a play, remember that it is meant
to be performed for an audience.
Stage DirectionsStage Directions
Playwright describes settingPlaywright describes setting
and characters’ actions andand characters’ actions and
manner.manner.
[Wyona is sitting on the[Wyona is sitting on the
couch. She sees Paul andcouch. 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 PlayPerformance of a Play
PerformancePerformance
 Theater artists bring theTheater artists bring the
playwright’s vision to lifeplaywright’s vision to life
on the stage.on the stage.
 The audience responds toThe audience responds to
the play and shares thethe play and shares the
experience.experience.

15. Performance of a PlayPerformance of a Play
 Theater artistsTheater artists includeinclude
 ActorsActors
 DirectorsDirectors
 Lighting techniciansLighting technicians
 Stage crewStage crew

16. Stages can have many different sizes and
layouts.
“Thrust” stage
Setting the StageSetting the Stage
• The stage extends
into the viewing area.
• The audience
surrounds the stage
on three sides.

17. “In the round” stage is surrounded by an
audience on all sides.
Setting the StageSetting the Stage

18. Proscenium stage
Setting the StageSetting 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

19. Setting the StageSetting the Stage
Stages in Shakespeare’sStages in Shakespeare’s
timetime were thrust stages.were thrust stages.

20. Scene design transforms a bare stage into the
world of the play. Scene design consists of
• props
• sets
• costumes
• lighting
Setting the StageSetting the Stage

21. A stage’s set might be
realistic and
detailed
Setting the StageSetting the Stage
abstract
and minimal

22. A lighting director skillfully uses light to change
the mood and appearance of the set.
Setting the StageSetting the Stage

23. The costume director works with the director to
design the actors’ costumes.
• Like sets, costumes can be
detailed minimal
Setting the StageSetting the Stage

24. 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 StageSetting the Stage

25. The characters’ speech may take any of the
following forms.
Dialogue:Dialogue: conversations of characters onstageconversations 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 orspeech 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 otherremarks made to the audience or to one character; the other
characters onstage do not hear an asidecharacters onstage do not hear an aside
The CharactersThe Characters

26. Finally, a play needs an audience to
experience the performance
understand the story
respond to the characters
The AudienceThe Audience

27. The EndThe End