DRAMA ELA I Notes Textbook p. 245-249

Drama What are we going to learn? Understand and identify Drama terms Understand and appreciate Drama

Drama DEFINITION: 1 of the 5 major genres Characters and plot are developed through dialogue and action Drama is intended to be performed for an audience

Key Elements of Drama CHARACTERISTICS: Stage Directions Plot Character Dialogue

Drama EXAMPLES TV, movies, commericals, radio Textbook dramas speech skits

Skit or Play DEFINITION: Brief dramatic performance CHARACTERISTICS: Short Stage directions and dialogue EXAMPLES Mythology skits and “Simile City”

Stage Directions DEFINITION: Instructions for the director, actors, and stage crew.

Stage Directions EXAMPLE Printed in italics and parentheses CHARACTERISTICS: Tell the actors how to speak and move. Describe lighting and sound EXAMPLE Printed in italics and parentheses (Move downstage left.)

The Stage (see p. 246) Upstage left Upstage Right Upstage center Right Downstage left Downstage right Downstage center

Dialogue DEFINITION Conversation between characters A drama is composed of mostly dialogue CHARACTERISTICS Dialogue reveals the plot and the characters’ personalities. EXAMPLES: SEE TEXTBOOK p. 253

Characters DEFINITION: CHARACTERISTICS: Cast The people, animals, and/or inanimate objects that take part in the action of the drama. CHARACTERISTICS: Cast A list of the characters at the beginning of the script. The list sometimes has a brief description of the character.

Characters EXAMPLES: Narrator One of the characters may be a narrator that sets the scene for the drama. The narrator may comment throughout the drama. Foil A contrast to the main character

Script DEFINITION Special written form of a drama CHARACTERISTICS Cast Character names set apart from dialogue Published in many different ways

Plot DEFINITION Sequence of events in the drama CHARACTERISTICS Scenes and Acts Scenes change when the setting changes Some scenes are grouped into acts

Scene DEFINITION: One setting/section of a drama CHARACTERISTICS: Describe the scenery and props Scenery: items onstage to create setting Props: objects actors use onstage

Strategies for Reading Drama Read the play silently. Read the stage directions carefully. Get to know the characters. Keep track of the plot. Read the play aloud with others.

Camera Angle/camera shot DEFINITION The point of view from the camera lens CHARACTERISTICS High from above? Low from the ground? Centered? Off-center?

Close-Up DEFINITION a photograph, movie, or video taken at close range and showing the subject on a large scale EXAMPLE A close-up shot of someone’s face

Physical Gesture DEFINITION A form of non-verbal communication EXAMPLES Wave or shrug

Director DEFINITION Person that is in control of the artistic development of a play or drama