Varieties of Drama Other Types of Drama
Fantasy Deals with unreal characters, dreams, and imaginary times and places. Usually occur in make- believe lands and include spirits, gods, witches, and flawless heroes.
Fantasy Many of the most beloved tales are a part of the fantasy genre, including The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and the legend of King Arthur.
Romantic Comedy Features plots focusing on love affairs between flawless heroes and virtuous heroines. The lovers are ideally suited for each other and often appear too good to be true. Their love has its ups and downs but always ends happily. Examples include The Merchant of Venice and Brigadoon.
Melodrama Marked by its stock characters and implausible plots. Presents a trite story where a damsel in distress is threatened by an evil villain and rescued by a flawless hero. Melodrama ends with the climax, leaving the audience hanging on for the resolution.
Melodrama Melodrama is similar to tragedy, but is different in several ways. It focuses more on the actions of the characters rather than their motivations. It lacks the tragic sense of inevitability. And it presents a cut-and-dry view of morality, leaving no room to question the motives of the villain or the hero.
Play of Ideas Often called a problem play or a social drama and deals with a social problem, such as racism, classism, or sexism. The playwright presents a solution to the problem, or at least guides the characters in the right direction.
Play of Ideas Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun follows an African American family struggling to escape poverty. Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People shows one man’s efforts to do the right thing and speak the truth in the face of extreme social intolerance.
Psychological Drama These are generally serious plays. They penetrate the soul and are often very painful. Playwrights battle the complexities of the human psyche and personal relationships.
Psychological Drama Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie illustrates family and personal struggles. Masha Norman’s ‘Night Mother deals with a troubled woman and her relationship with her mother.
The “Whodunit” Audience is hooked by the suspense of solving a crime or a courtroom drama. Examples include Ten Little Indians and The Mousetrap.
Allegory An allegory is a play that teaches moral concepts through characters who personify abstract qualities and concepts, such as truth, justice, love, death, and humanity.
Allegory The classic example is the medieval play, Everyman. Everyman is summoned to meet Death and must appear before God for judgment on his life. All of his friends—Five Wits, Fellowship, Kindred, Discretion, Beauty, Strength, and Knowledge—fail him. Only his Good Deeds go with him in death.
Children’s Theatre Defined as drama written, designed, and performed for children. Regional, high school, and professional theatre groups often include children’s theatre as part of their seasons.
Monodrama A monodrama is a play written to be performed by a single actor. In Eugene O’Neill’s Before Breakfast, a nagging wife drives her husband to committing suicide offstage. Jane Wagner’s Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe creates a variety of characters in a series of monologues that are part comedy and part social criticism. Another popular form of monodrama is impersonating historical figures.