Drama

By Derick Miller

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

 Origins of Drama
The word drama comes
from the Greek verb dran,
which means to do.
The earliest known
plays . . .
were written around
the fifth century B.C.
produced for festivals
to honor Dionysus,
the god of wine and
fertility

Dramatic Structure
Like the plot of a story, the plot of a play
involves characters who face a problem
Climax
or conflict.
point of highest tension;
Plot:
Sequence of events
that develop the
drama

Exposition
characters and conflict
are introduced

action determines how the

conflict will be resolved

Resolution
conflict is resolved;
play ends

Elements of
Drama

There are three types of Drama

Elements.
Literary
Technical
Performance

Literary Elements
(What is needed to write a script or story?)

Script
Plot
Character
Story Organization
Setting
Dialogue
Monologue /soliloquy/aside
Conflict

Technical Elements
(What is needed to produce a play?)

Scenery
Costumes
Props
Sound and Music
Make-up

Performance Elements

(What do the actors do on stage to make a character come alive?)

Acting
Speaking
Non-verbal Expression

Butwhat do all these

words mean?

All the elements of drama

combine to make a good
production. They are all
important. Some demonstrate
more of one element than
others.

Literary Elements
Script?
A script is the written words and
directions of a play.

Literary Elements
Plot?
The plot is the storyline or
arrangement of action.

Literary Elements
Character?
A character is a person portrayed in
a drama.

Literary Elements
Story Organization?
The story organization is how a story
is told the beginning, middle and
end.

Literary Elements

Setting?
The setting is where the action takes
place.

Literary Elements
Dialogue?
A dialogue is a spoken conversation
between two characters.

Literary Elements
Monologue?
A monologue is a long speech made by
one person.
Soliloquy? A character alone on stage
reveals private thoughts.
Aside? A character briefly expresses
private thoughts to the audience that
other characters on stage cannot hear.

Literary Elements
Conflict?
The internal or external struggle
between opposing forces, ideas, or
interests that create dramatic
tension.

Technical Elements
Scenery?
The scenery is theatrical equipment
such as curtains, backdrops, and
platforms to communicate the
environment. An example might be
trees to show a forest environment.

Technical Elements
Props?
Props are any article other than
costumes or scenery used as part of
a dramatic production. An example
might be a table on the stage.

Technical Elements
Sound and Music?
Sound is the effect an audience
hears during a show, like the sound
of rain. And music well, you know
what music is!

Technical Elements

Make-up?
Make-up is the use of costumes, wigs
and body paint to transform an actor
into a character.

Performance Elements
Acting?
Acting is how speaking and moving
help to create characters.

Performance Elements
Non-verbal Expression
Non-expression includes gestures,
facial expressions, and movement.

Performance Elements
Speaking
Speaking is vocal expression,
projection, speaking style and
diction.

The ancient Greeks developed

drama, making two basic types of
play.
These two types are:
A Tragedy
A Comedy

Tragedy
A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily.
Most classic Greek tragedies deal with
serious, universal themes such as
right and wrong
justice and injustice
life and death

Tragedy

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

pride

rebelliousness

jealousy

Comedy
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

townspeople

servants

Comedy
Comic complications always
occur before the conflict is
resolved.

In most cases, the play

ends with a wedding.

Conclusion
A comedy ends happily after an amusing
series of problem.
Tragedy stresses human greatness, but
comedy emphasizes human faults and the
weaknesses of society

Thanks