Introduction to Drama

Miss Longoria

English I & II

Definition

Unlike short stories or

novels, plays are

written for the

purpose of being

performed.

Definition

Actors play roles and

present the storyline

through dialogue,

action, and gestures.

Definitions

For the most part, plays have no narrators.

(There are a few notable exceptions to this

rule.)

The audience must learn critical

information from the action on stage.

Dealing with Details

Plays have special features.

– Plays are divided into acts and scenes.

– Scripts feature lists of characters and stage directions which require the reader to pause and visualize the set up.

– Readers and actors must pay close attention to the dialogue in order to understand the characters and action.

How is a play written?

The author of a play is called a playwright.

Everything a playwright writes must appear

onstage.

A play in written form is called a script.

The playwright must write the dialogue, or what

the characters say to each other in conversation,

as well as the stage directions, which tells how

the play is to be performed.

Dialogue

Dialogue is what the characters say, and it is

used to reveal their personalities = Character

Traits.

The name of the character who is to speak is

listed usually in bold at the start of a line,

followed by a colon.

Every time the speaker changes, a new line is

started. Dialogue is necessary in order to

develop conflict and advance the plot.

Staging a play

Drama is more than just the words on a page.

The production of a play involves directing the

way the characters move, what they wear, the

lighting, and the scenery.

Staging is the practice of putting on the play.

Some of the details of staging may be included

in the stage directions, however, the director

and the producer take what the playwright has

described and bring it to life with their own

ideas.

Sets

Sets are the scenery, backdrops, and furniture

that create the setting.

A production may have different sets for

different scenes. For example, some scenes

may take place outside in the street, while

others may take place in a character’s living

room. Some scenes may take place during the

day, while others may take place at night.

Props

Props are things like books, telephones, dishes,

and other items that actors use onstage during the

performance to support the action.

Stage directions

Stage directions are notes in the script usually written in italics and enclosed in parentheses or brackets. They usually describe where and when a scene takes place (setting), how the characters should say their lines, and how the characters should move onstage. They may explain the character’s mood or how the character is feeling.

– Stage directions may also describe sets, costumes, props, lighting, and sound effects.

– Stage directions use certain terms to describe the stage. Look at the following slide and see how.

Example of Stage Directions

Examples of Stage Directions

Important Terms

Monologue – an extended speech by one

character. It is meant for other characters to hear.

Soliloquy – an extended speech by one character,

alone on stage. Soliloquies are used to express

the private thoughts of one character.

Aside – a character’s direct address to the

audience, which is not heard by the other

characters.

Monologues, soliloquies, and asides are dramatic techniques that provide direct insight into motives, attitudes, and overall tone.

These techniques function like a fictional narrator.

Examples

Monologue -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRlh_w6uRd

s&t=1s

Soliloquy –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP31L6AhB

3M

Aside – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-

41jc6jSgk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLAaUvsKlj

c&t=84s

Let’s practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qAC

oMK1ypE&t=108s

Two Basic “Flavors”

Tragedy

Tragedies treat serious subjects and often focus on the tragic hero’s character. Tragedies usually end with death.

Comedy

Comedies are dramatic works which use humor to explore various themes and characters. Comedies usually end on a happy note.

More Terms

Dramatic Irony

– Playwrights use dramatic irony when they allow the

audience to know more than the characters do about a

specific situation or incident.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the audience hears the

fiendish plot of Claudius and Laërtes. Both are

determined to see Hamlet dead. Moments later, Hamlet

responds to news of the King’s great wager and his own

impending duel with Laërtes by saying, “[…] how ill

all’s here about my heart” (V.ii. 186).

Key Terms

Melodrama

– This nineteenth century view of drama appeals to the emotions. Based on stock characterswho are either villainous or virtuous, these sensational plays have happy endings.

– Like many contemporary television shows, melodramas feature static characters who deal with the world but fail to experience real growth, development, or insight.

Key Terms

Realism

– Realistic drama deals frankly with social

issues and contemporary life. Instead of

focusing on the lives of kings or great heroes,

these dramas present a look at ordinary people

and everyday problems.

Key Terms

Effects of Realism

– Realism requires a shift away from painted

backdrops and scenery.

– The result is the “box set” which utilizes

three, more or less, solid walls. The fourth

“wall” remains open to the audience.

– Sets are decorated with real furniture.

– New methods make changing scenery faster.

Key Terms

Naturalism

– Like realism, naturalism developed in

response to the sentimental and sensational

melodramas that were popular in the

nineteenth century.

– Using realistic plots, naturalism explores the

forces that influence the human condition.

Key Terms

Satire

– The term satire refers to social criticism that is cloaked in comedy and used to ridicule social institutions and figureheads.

Farce

– The term farce refers to comedy that lapses into ludicrous, improbable plots, mockery, and even slapstick.

Plot

The overall storyline and sequence of

events is known as the plot.

Elements of Plot

Exposition – introduces the characters,

setting and basic situation.

Rising action – presents the central

conflict, complications, suspense and

crisis.

Climax – the point of greatest tension.

Elements of Plot

Falling action – subsiding intensity.

Denouement – the resolution which ties up

loose ends and concludes the action.

Reading Drama

Pay particular attention to the overall plot.

– What are the major conflicts or issues?

– When does the climax occur?

– What force or forces seem to be at work in the

play, moving the action along?

Pay close attention to characters.

– Who are the central characters?

– What do you know about their personalities? How do you know this information?

– What are the characters’ strengths and weaknesses?

Photo credit: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. Cornell

Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.

Recognizing the Theme

Most written works have a central theme

and several additional themes.

–Try to identify the central theme.

–Back up your interpretation with

examples from the text.

If possible, watch a

production of the play

you’ve been reading.

How does the

production correspond

to your reading? How

does it differ?

The Theater, Enjoy!