2. What is drama?
A drama is a serious, intense, or well
plotted story that elicits emotion.
The term comes from a Greek word
meaning “action” which is derived from “to
do” or “to act”
Traditionally performed on stage
before an audience, but nowadays can
refer to a TV show, a
movie, Broadway show, etc.
3. Features of drama
The feature of is to be
performed on stage
or to be performed
in front of an
audience.
It has to have:
Actors
Dialogue
Actions
4. Elements of drama
Collaboration/Convention
Plot
Audience
Theme
Stagecraft
Character
5. Features - Actors
Actors are various
persons who act in
a dramatic or comic
production and works
in film, television, theatre
or radio in that capacity.
The ancient Greek word
for an actor
(hypokrites), means
literally "one who
interprets"; in this
sense, an actor is one
who interprets a
dramatic character.
6. Features - Dialogue
Dialogue is
a literary and theatri
cal form consisting
of a written or
spoken
conversational exch
ange between two
or more ("dia"
means through or
across) people.
7. Elements - Theme
Considered as the soul of the drama if plot
were to be thought of as the body.
The same plots have been and will be used
many times; it is the theme’s treatment that
supplies each effort with originality or artistic
worth.
The treatment of theme is equally varied.
8. Elements - Character
Most simply a character is one
of the persons who appears in
the play.
In another sense of the term, the
treatment of the character is the
basic part of the playwright's
work.
Conventions of the period and
the author's personal vision will
affect the treatment of character.
Most plays contain major
characters and minor
characters, and protagonists
and antagonists.
9. Stagecraft
Refers to the surroundings and
various props needed to
promote the atmospheric effect
of the drama.
The stage creates its effects in
spite of, and in part because
of, definite physical limitations.
Setting and action tend to be
suggestive rather than
panoramic or colossal. Both
setting and action may be little
more than hints for the
spectator to fill out.
