Drama is a composition in prose form that presents a story entirely told in dialogue. It´s a story enacted onstage for a live audience.

What Is Drama?

The word drama comes from the

Greek verb dran, which means “to do” or “to act”

The earliest known plays... were written around

the fifth century B.C. produced for festivals

to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility.

ORIGINS OF DRAMA

1. Ancient Drama 2. Medieval Drama 3. Restoration And 18th-Century

Drama4. 19th Century Drama and The

Romantic Rebellion 5. The Modern Drama

6. Symbolist Drama

7. Expressionist Drama

8. Ensemble Theatre

9. Absurdist Theatre

10.Contemporary Drama

TRAGEDYA tragedy is a play that ends unhappily. Most classic Greek tragedies deal with serious, universal themessuch as :right and wrong justice and injusticelife and death

MELODRAMAIt shows events that follow each other rapidly, but seems to be governed always by chance. The characters are victims in the hands of merciless fate.

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

FARCEFarce is a sub-category

of comedy, characterized by greatly exaggerated characters and situations.

Farces typically involve mistaken identities, lots of physical comedy and outrageous plot twists.

musicalIn musical theater, the story is told not

only through dialogue and acting but through music and dance.

Musicals are often comedies, although many do involve serious subject matter.

TRAGICOMEDYIt is a play that does not

adhere strictly to the structure of tragedy.

There is a mix of comedy andTragedy side by side in

these types of plays. It focuses on character

relationships and shows societyin a state of continuous

flux. 

OPERAWestern opera is a

dramatic art form, which arose during the Renaissance in an attempt to revive the classical Greek drama tradition in which both music and theatre were combined.

PantomimeThese stories follow in the tradition of fables

and folk tales. Usually there is a lesson learned, and with some help from the audience, the hero / heroine saves the day. This kind of play uses stock characters seen in masque and again commedia dell'arte, these characters include the villain (doctore), the clown / servant (Arlechino / Harlequin / buttons), the lovers etc.

Creative dramaCreative drama includes dramatic activities and

games used primarily in educational settings with children. Its roots in the United States began in the early 1900s. Winifred Ward is considered to be the founder of creative drama in education, establishing the first academic use of drama in Evanston, Illinois. 

Like the plot of a story, the plot of a play involves characters who face a problem or conflict.

Climaxpoint of highest tension;

action determines how the conflict will be resolved

Resolutionconflict is resolved;play ends

Plot: Sequence of events that develop the drama (complications)

Expositioncharacters and conflict are introduced

Conflict is a struggle or clash between opposing characters or forces. A conflict may develop . . .between characters

who want different things or the same thing

between a character and his or her circumstances

within a character who is torn by competing desires

There are three types of Drama Elements.

1.Literary2.Technical3.Performanc

e

1. Literary Elements(What is needed to write a script or

story?) Script Plot Character Story Organization Setting Dialogue Monologue

/soliloquy/aside Conflict

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

SceneryCostumesPropsSound and

MusicMake-up

3. Performance Elements (What do the actors do on stage to make a character come

alive?)

Acting Speaking Non-verbal

Expression

1. Size of Stagea)“Thrust” stage The stage extends into the viewing

area. The audience surrounds the stage on three sides.

b)“In the round” stage is surrounded by an audience on all sides.

c)“Proscenium” stage is 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

2. Scene Design of StageScene design transforms a bare stage

into the world of the play. Scene design consists of :

a)Setsb)Lightingc)Costumesd)Props

a)Sets >> A stage’s set might be

realistic and detailed

abstract and minimal

b)Lighting >> A lighting director skillfully uses light to change the mood and appearance of the set.

c) Costumes >> The costume director works with the director to design the actors’ costumes. Like sets, costumes can be :

detailed

minimal

d)Props (short for properties) are items that the characters carry or handle on stage.

The person in charge of props must make sure that the right props are available to the actors at the right moments.

1.Protagonist is the main character, usually the "good" guy in the story. The story mainly focuses on this character's experiences.

2.Deuteragonist is the second important character in the story; the first is, of course, protagonist.

3. Antagonist is usually portrayed as the "bad" guy, or the person that goes against the protagonist and what he’s trying to do.

4.Tritagonist is the character who follows the protagonist and deuteragonist in order of importance.

Finally, a play needs an audience to experience the performance, understand the story, and respond to the characters.

PANTOMIME

OPERA

MUSICAL