Monday June 8th Unit 6: Lesson 2

Class Outline Read for 15 minutes, until 8:25. Reading Log # 6 due Thursday June 18 th Review last day’s lesson Parts of a Radio Drama Write one scene with dialogue and basic sound effects based on a fable

Last Thursday’s Lesson What is Radio Drama – a play without visual elements What are the disadvantages and how could they be overcome? What are the advantages?

Parts of a Radio Drama Plot Character Dialogue

Plot The plot grows from the conflict that arises when two forces in a play come into opposition. In the fable “The Tortoise and the Hare” the plot grows when the two characters come into opposition. In a disaster movie the plot grows when a community comes into opposition with a force of nature. In Star Wars the plot grows when the forces of good and evil come into opposition. Plot is often described as a series of actions and consequences.

Characters Characters are the people in a drama. The main characters are defined, not by their physical descriptions of characteristics, but rather by what they do and say. What does the character do and say in response to complications in the play? What choices does the character make and how do those choices influence the character’s relationships with other characters and, ultimately, the outcome of the play? Think of the tortoise and the hare. What does the hare do that causes him to lose the race? This is more reflective of the hare’s character than the way he looks or talks. (Besides, in radio drama looks are irrelevant!)

Dialogue Dialogue is what the characters say. Dialogue and conversation are not the same thing. In a drama people do not just talk for the sake of talking. They say what the writer needs them to say to establish character and move the plot forward. Plays do not duplicate real life. They take ideas from real life and then mold them to suit the writer’s dramatic purpose. Dialogue in a play might be realistic and sound like real-life talking, but it is carefully planned by the writer.

Activity Divide into small groups of 3 or 4. Each group take a simple existing story such as a fable and write one scene in the story as a radio drama. Different groups might choose different scenes. At the end of class, read aloud your scenes, including make-shift sound effects. Group discussion, discuss the plot, characters and dialogue in your scenes.