| What Is Drama? Drama is writing that is meant to be performed. Drama relies on the characters' words and actions to tell a story. A story written in form is called a play. Some plays are intended to be acted out on a stage, in front of an audience. Others are written for film or television. Still others are written for radio.
The History of Drama By 500 B.C., plays were part of Greek religious ceremonies. These dramas were either tragedies or comedies. A tragedy usually ended with the death or punishment of the major character. A comedy often made fun of current events. Both types of plays used a character called the chorus. The chorus was actually a group of actors speaking as one voice. From about 300 A.D. to about 900 A.D., drama was not popular. Then people started writing and performing plays about Bible stories. Gradually the topics of plays grew broader. By the 1500's, there were new tragedies and comedies and new types of plays. The greatest playwright of this time was William Shakespeare of England. Later drama developed new forms. In the 1700's, for example. people enjoyed the type of play called comedy of manners. These plays poked fun at upper-class society. In the 1800's, audiences asked for melodrama. Melodramas usually involved thoroughly evil villains threatening unbelievably good characters. Plays of the 1900's became realistic. Characters began to act and sound more like real people.
The Elements of Drama A play has many of the same elements as a short story. We learn about these elements mainly through the characters' words and actions. Plays follow certain ways of doing things. These set ways of doing things are called conventions. For example, a written play always shows the character's name and then his or her words.
Watson. You never cease to amaze me, Holmes. It's incredible!
Characters. The language the character uses often suggests what the character is like. It is important to note such clues that explain why a character acts as he or she does. The reasons are called motivation.
Plot. The events of a play are separated into scenes. Each scene has a different setting, either in time or place. Usually the events are shown in the order they happen. Sometimes, however, one scene may be followed by another scene showing an earlier action. This second scene is called a flashback. In a long play, scenes are grouped in acts.
Stage Directions. Stage directions are the writer's instructions for performing the play. They tell actors how to move or deliver lines. They also describe the stage set, costumes, and props. The stage directions for a radio play describe sound effects and music. In the written version of a play, stage directions are often printed in italics.
Dialog and Asides. Conversation between two or more characters is called dialog. Sometimes a character speaks directly to the audience. Such a comment is an aside. The other characters do not hear it.
Narrator. A narrator is a character who introduces or comments on the action.
How To Read a Play 1.As you read a play, imagine that you are directing it. Try to picture the production. Imagine how the stage would look. 2.Read the play aloud, if possible. Imagine the sound effects. 3.Read all stage directions carefully. Try to picture the looks, movements, and tone of voice of each character. 4.At all times, keep track of which character is speaking. ; |