Elements of Drama Structures of Text

Term Definition Example drama a story that is acted out in front of people, or an audience. play, puppet show, song, dance (Little Red Riding Hood) characters who will be appearing in the play Narrator 1, Narrator 2, Narrator 3, Narrator 4, Little Red, Mother, Wolf, Grandmother, Huntsman setting where and when the play takes place (there may be more than one setting) village, woods, path, grandmothers cottage, dialogue what characters say in a drama Wolf: “Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Riding Hood?” scene the action that takes place in a single setting Little Red Riding Hood’s mother sending her off to grandmothers

Term Definition Example script the text of a play, including the dialogue the actors speak and stage directions cast of characters, stage directions, dialogue stage directions specific instructions from the playwright about how the play should be staged and performed Wolf (speaks in a high pitch tone): “The better to eat you with” tragedy a serious drama that has an unhappy ending Romeo and Juliet comedy a drama that is often funny and has a happy ending A Midsummer Night’s Dream theme the message, moral, lesson of the story be cautious with strangers