1. The essentials of drama

2. What is a plot? A series of actions. The groundwork of the story. The narrative thread of the play.

4. Crisis and climax Crisis is the moment of highest tension in a story, just before the turning point, when a decision has to be made that will determine the story’s outcome. Climax is the turning point, the action or decision that determines the outcome. Sometimes the crisis and climax appear to be the same moment.

5. Conflict, protagonist and antagonist Conflict: the opposition between opposing forces in a play. Protagonist: the central character. Antagonist: whatever opposing force the protagonist struggles with, such as another character, environment or something within the protagonist.

6. Exposition Background information given for the plot development. Information supplied by characters. Given circumstances (including scenery, music, sound effects). And, in the modern American era, what the program says.

7. Complication The point at which major conflicts or problems unfold. Causes the rising action of a drama.

8. Dénouement or resolution The final stage or unraveling of the plot, usually very brief – the tension is over, and unanswered questions may be explained.

9. Optional aspects Irony can be verbal (saying the opposite of what is intended), situational (an outcome that is opposite of what is expected) or dramatic (a situation when the reader understands more than the characters). Humor can lighten dramatic moments. A moral can be light or like a sledgehammer.