Chapter Five Stage & School Textbook Structure of Drama Chapter Five Stage & School Textbook

Essential Standard B.A.1 Analyze literary texts and performances. Clarifying Objectives B.A.1.1 Interpret the plot structure and the thematic, technical, and dramaturgical elements within scenes from plays. B.A.1.2 Analyze informal or formal theatre productions in terms of the emotions or thoughts they evoke, characters, settings, and events.

Vocabulary Action - that which happens on stage to hold the audience's attention Antagonist - the person or the force working against the protagonist in a play Atmosphere - the environment of the play created by staging and lighting Denouement - an element of the plot that is the solution of a mystery or an explanation of the outcome Dialogue - the lines of a play spoken by characters Exposition - the information put before an audience that gives the where, when, why, and who facts of a play Mood - the emotional feeling of a play

Vocabulary continued…. Moral - the lesson or the principle contained within a taught by a play Plot - the series of related events that take place in a play Preliminary situation - a clearly defined explanation of the events in the lives of the leading characters before the start of the play's action Protagonist - the main character in the play Situation - problem or challenge a character or characters must face Soliloquy - a speech delivered by an actor alone onstage that reveals the character's innermost thoughts Theme - the basic idea of a play

Key Elements of a Play Characters - The play must be about someone or something - can be human or non-human. Diction - Specific words the playwright chooses to use. Melody - Everything you hear - music, sound effects, silence are all examples of this. Plot - Show must have a beginning, middle and end. Something needs to happen and a character must be challenged. Spectacle - All the visuals represented in the play. Represents everything you see: set, costumes, lights, etc. Thought - What the audience learns - the moral of the play. Aristotle (Greek philosopher, 384-322BC) wrote The Poetics stating the key elements of a successful play.

Aristotle’s Philosophy Action must have unity Events must occur in logical order with a plausible conclusion Protagonist must be believable, “average or better” people who experience happiness or misery resulting from reactions to situations Action in tragedy should purge emotions (of audience) though pity or fear (catharsis) Play should reveal universal truth

Evolution of Aristotle’s Ideas Aristotle’s theories came to be considered rules French & neoclassicists (16th C) set up rules requiring 3 unities: time, action, and place Their rules required a 24-hour period and a single place The 3 unities became essentials in French classical tragedy Later playwrights discarded traditional rules

Modern Changes to Structure Many plays are two parts of several scenes with an intermission instead of 3-Act or 5-Act structure Open stage is increasingly used Eliminates the principle of aesthetic distance Removes reminder that a play is a play and not reality

Narrative Essentials – Exposition The literary setting exposed in exposition: what kind of play is being presented where and when it takes place who the leading characters are what situations and conflicts take place Problem: exposition is necessary but information without action is uninteresting Effective exposition: brief and unobtrusive; gives information in a subtle way

Methods of Exposition Time and place printed in program and assumed at the beginning A character states the facts, then what follows reveals information that the audience needs in order to understand the play action

Atmosphere and Mood Established in the exposition Atmosphere largely created by staging and lighting Added to with various tempos of speech and movement, and choice of language Atmosphere brings out feelings that create the mood of the play Mood established by characters, setting, lighting, dialogue Audience should be able to identify mood at the start of the play. (Playwright’s job) Mood is subject to change or reversal as play progresses.

Essentials of Exposition Preliminary Situation (Antecedent Action): the most important part of the exposition Events that occur before the action of the play begins; therefore, the basis for the play Techniques for exposition PS: Minor characters bring audience up to date Prologues Telephone conversations Narrators Ingenious scenic effects

PLOT Events that take place Problem faces protagonist Conflict between protagonist & antagonist Conflicting elements give rise to suspense Conflict is resolved in some manner Plot unfolds in several stages

Stages in Plot Structure How the Plot Develops Preliminary Situation Explanation of events that occurred before action of play begins. Initial Incident First important event from which the rest of the plot develops. Makes the audience wonder what will happen next. Rising Action All or nearly all important characters introduced; goals and obstacles facing protagonist revealed; series of situations develop from conflict. Lifts the level of interest in the audience. Climax Turning point of action; moment of intense crisis. Determines the outcome of the conflict. Falling Action Shorter than the rising action; incidents must be significant. Conclusion Logical outcome of preceding action: success, failure, happiness, sorrow of characters

Another term for resolution is Another term for resolution is. denouement – French term for “untying the knot”. It addresses the untangling of complications.

Georges Polti: The 36 Dramatic Situations Supplication Deliverance Crime pursued by vengeance Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred Pursuit Disaster Falling prey to cruelty or misfortune Revolt Daring enterprise Abduction The enigma Obtaining Loss of loved ones

The 36 Dramatic Situations – continued Enmity of kinsmen Rivalry of kinsmen Murderous adultery Madness Fatal imprudence Involuntary crimes of love Slaying of unrecognized kinsman Self-sacrificing for an ideal Self-sacrifice for kindred All sacrificed for passion Necessity of sacrificing loved ones Rivalry of superior and inferior Adultery Crimes of love Discovery of loved one’s dishonor Obstacles to love An enemy loved Ambition Conflict with a god Mistaken jealousy Erroneous judgment Remorse Recovery of lost one

Characters Characters in a play should be people who can hold the audience’s interest throughout the play. In a well-written play, even minor characters are interesting and unique Some plays (esp. 20th C), have group protagonists Our Town Must be vivid and varied in personality Traits made evident through speech and action, and what others say about them

Character continued…… Actions must suit positions in life and past experience Dialogue reflects: Character’s time Social class Community Experience Character actions/speech must move plot forward Cannot speak aimlessly like do in real life

Character Actions Clever lines *Witty dialogue can hurt a play if not in harmony with overall aim of the playwright* Soliloquies: speeches when actors talk alone Vital part of drama until realistic plays became popular Most important phase of characterization is understanding character motivation Action/speech must have a reason behind it

Questions Playwrights Must Ask What does the character want or need? Who or what stands in the way of the character’s needs or wants? What conditions affect the character’s thoughts, words, and actions? Why does the character say or do certain things?

Theme The basic idea of the play Dramatized through conflicts of characters Often left to interpretation Do not mistake a minor truth for the main theme Theme is the specific idea that gives unity and purpose to everything that happens Title of play Key Line

Moral Moral is a lesson or a principle contained within a play Although some plays make moral statements, many plays have no particular moral

Review Questions to Answer Name and define the four narrative essentials of a play. How are the essentials communicated by a playwright? Who first expressed the principles of traditional drama? What did he identify as key elements of a play? How does modern drama differ from traditional drama?

Review Questions to Answer What are the narrative essentials of a written play? What influence has Aristotle had on drama? How does modern drama differ from traditional drama? What does the exposition of a play reveal? How is a plot divided into parts? How do playwrights create characters? What is the theme of a play? How do playwrights use dialogue, action, and situation?

Review Questions to Answer What are the five major parts of plot structure that follow the preliminary situation? How does theme differ from moral? Describe three methods of characterization playwrights use. Identify the four narrative essentials present in a movie or a play. Discuss how the playwright presents each. Describe how theme is conveyed in a play or a movie.