Types of Drama Genre A French word meaning type or category. In theatre, genre denotes the category into which a play falls: for example, tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, farce, melodrama or a number of others.

Theatrical Genres Chapter 8

Genres Tragedy Dramatic form involving serious actions of universal significance and with important moral and philosophical implications, usually with an unhappy ending.

Traditional Tragedy Tragic Heroes and Heroines Tragic Circumstances Tragic Irretrievability Acceptance of Responsibility Tragic Verse The Effect of Tragedy

Probe the same questions as traditional Modern Tragedy Probe the same questions as traditional Why do men and women suffer? Why do violence and injustice exist? What is the meaning of our lives? Do not have kings and queens as heroes and heroines but may have characters that are representative of modern groups of society Usually not written in verse

Heroic Drama Heroic Drama Romanticism Serious but basically optimistic drama written in verse or elevated prose, with noble or heroic characters in extreme situations or unusual adventures. They have happy endings. Romanticism 19th century dramatic movement that imitated the episodic structure of Shakespeare, and thematically focused on the gulf between human being’s spiritual aspirations and physical limitations.

Other Dramas Bourgeois or Domestic Drama Melodrama Drama dealing with problems—particularly family problems—of middle-and lower-class characters. There are serious and comic domestic problems. Melodrama Dramatic form made popular in the 19th century that emphasized action and spectacular effects and also used music to underscore the action; it had stock characters, usually with clearly defined villains and heros.

Comedy Comedy Characteristics of Comedy In general, a play that is light in tone, is concerned with issues that point out the excesses and folly of human behavior, has a happy ending, and is designed to amuse. Characteristics of Comedy Suspension of natural laws such as slapstick which is a type of comedy, or comic business, that relies on ridiculous physical activity—often violent in nature—for its humor. The comic premise is an idea or concept that turns the accepted notion of things upside down. Slapstick examples are cartoons, “The Three Stooges” and etc. (no real consequences for violent ridiculous behavior)

Comedy Techniques of Comedy Verbal Humor Pun “Raise the Dough”, Malapop “She will provide the perpendiculars” rather than “particulars” Comedy of Character Characters believe and act as if they are someone else which is obvious to others, but not themselves Plot Complications that are Comic Situations Coincidences and mistaken identities, “Noises Off” Pun example – A baker says he will, “start a bakery of he can raise the dough”. Malapop example – Mother says, “My daughter is illegible for marriage” and says she will “supply the perpendiculars later.”

Comedy Forms of Comedy Farce A subclass of comedy with emphasis on exaggerated plot complications and with few or no intellectual pretensions. Satire Comic form using irony and exaggeration to attack and expose folly and vice. Domestic Comedy Sitcoms (Situation Comedies/TV)

Comedy Forms of Comedy Comedy of Manners Became popular in the English Restoration that is set within sophisticated society, while poking fun at its characters’ social pretentions, usually through verbal wit. Comedy of Ideas The humor is based on intellectual and verbal aspects of comedy Rather than physical comedy or comedy of character. A drama whose emphasis is on the clash of ideas, as exemplified in the plays of George Bernard Shaw. Mrs. Warren’s Profession and Arms and the Man Are examples of using humor to point out a social view of the author.

Tragicomedy Tragicomedy Defined Modern Tragicomedy During the Renaissance, a play having tragic themes and noble characters but a happy ending; today, a play in which serious and comic elements are integrated. Many plays of this type present a comic or ironic treatment of a serious theme. Modern Tragicomedy Indicative of modern times where a tragicomic viewpoint of current affairs is a coping mechanism for much of modern society. Comedies of Menace and The Theatre of the Absurd Comedies of Menace are based on the idea of a theatrical experience that is simultaneously terrifying and entertaining. This is not merely intermingling comedy and tragedy scenes but rather where one eye looks at a situation with a comic touch and the other with a tragic viewpoint, like food which is “sweet and sour” together into one unique flavor. It is a fusion of the comic and tragic elements of drama.

Theatre of the Absurd Theatre of the Absurd Defined Absurdist Plots 20th century plays expressing the dramatists’ sense of absurdity and futility of human existence through the dramatic techniques they employ Absurdist Plots Illogicality of action in the play Absurdist Language Nonsense and Non Sequitur (Non sequitur in Latin means “It does not follow” Absurdist Characters Existential Beings (In Theatre, existential beings have no personal history and therefore no specific causes for their actions This is not merely intermingling comedy and tragedy scenes but rather where one eye looks at a situation with a comic touch and the other with a tragic viewpoint, like food which is “sweet and sour” together into one unique flavor. It is a fusion of the comic and tragic elements of drama.

Exercises 9-11 Exercise #9 Exercise #10 Exercise #11 Give an example of a play that is climactic and one that is episodic. Explain the difference in your groups. Which does your group play identify with and why? Diagram “Antigone” (climatic) and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (episodic). Show the difference in the diagrams. Exercise #10 What kind of characters are in your group play and explain why. Exercise #11 What genre does your group play/scene fit into and why? This is not merely intermingling comedy and tragedy scenes but rather where one eye looks at a situation with a comic touch and the other with a tragic viewpoint, like food which is “sweet and sour” together into one unique flavor. It is a fusion of the comic and tragic elements of drama.