Elements of Drama

TODAY YOU WILL: Learn vocabulary to use in discussing drama Learn to recognize the elements of drama Learn strategies for reading drama

DRAMA : PLAY Drama is a form of literature that is performed for an audience, either on stage or before a camera.

Comparison of Drama and Fiction Similarities: It tells a story with characters, plot, and setting. Differences: It is written to be performed in front of an audience. Dramas are written in a special form called a script, in which lines are written out for the characters to speak.

PARTS OF THE SCRIPT Cast of Characters: is a list of characters that often has a short description appearing next to a character’s name Dialogue: is the conversation between characters. Both the plot of the play and the characters’ personalities are revealed through dialogue.

TV shows ARE WRITTEN IN A FORM CALLED A TELEPLAY.

Produce Man: How many peaches for you today, Mrs. Werthan? Daisy: Three, thank you. Produce Man: You’re not gonna be gettin’ any better ones the rest of the summer. Lemme give you a few more.

Stage Direction: instructions for the director, the performers, and the stage crew. These are printed in italics or are enclosed in parentheses. Many stage directions tell the actors how to speak or move. They also describe the scenery – all the decorations on the stage that help create the setting. Props, the objects that actors need during the play, are also described in the stage directions.

(Boolie goes into the pantry, where Daisy is transferring pickles from a large crock into jars.) Daisy (off camera): No! Miriam: Don’t worry, sugar. I’ll come after for temple tomorrow. (Idella enters with dishes of ice cream)

Acts and Scenes The action of the play is divided into scenes. A scene changes whenever the setting changes. Sometimes scenes are grouped into acts. In a movie or television script, the scenes are not usually labeled by number. In a TV drama, a commercial break often comes between scenes. In a stage play, the lights dim, the curtain closes, or music plays while the props are changed.

FRONT HALL. (Daisy puts on her hat and gathers her gloves and purse.) BACKYARD. ( Daisy is backing her car out of the garage. It suddenly shoots backward and stops, hanging over the edge of the neighbor’s stone wall. Daisy gets out and slams the door, and the car drops into the neighbor’s garden.)

Strategies for Reading Drama 1. Read the play silently. You need to know the entire plot and understand the characters before you read it aloud. 2. Figure out what is happening. Be patient. Read several pages to understand what is happening.

3. Read stage directions carefully 3. Read stage directions carefully. When you read drama, you must imagine the action and the scenery. If you skip the stage directions, you miss some important information. 4. Get to know the characters. Dialogue is how you get to know the characters. Analyze the characters’ words carefully and try to discover the meaning behind the words.

5. Keep track of the plot. The plot of the drama centers on a main conflict that the characters try to resolve. Look for the conflict, watch for the action to build to a climax, and evaluate how the conflict is resolved.

6. Read the play aloud. When a drama is performed, it becomes almost like real life. You bring your own interpretation of the character to the role. Let yourself become the character. React to the other characters in the story.