DRAMA Plays are divided into Acts, and acts are divided into scenes. There can be one or several acts in a play.

Drama has evolved from the times of ancient Egypt to the present.  Egypt- drama was used in religious celebrations  Greeks Language: Spoke in verse Sets and costumes Wore masks Had little sets Had no special costumes Performed out doors in the morning or afternoon. Performed in arenas Audience was close to the stage Audience could hear even a whisper The assigned seating plan created a sense of community

 Medieval times Sets & Costumes Performed on push wagons and carts Some special effects were used Many themes revolved around reward and punishment in the after life. Performance Performed inside or outside churches Created a sense of belonging in churches and communities Actors came into the audience & broke the illusion of separation  Elizabethan Language: Most lines were in verse Sets & Costumes Actors spoke directly to the crowds Actors wore contemporary costumes There was very little scenery

Performance Was performed in the afternoon The theatre was wooden with an enclosed space open to the sky The stage was covered, as was the seating for patrons & upper class Seating was arranged by social class Actors spoke directly to the audience The audience was not silent during the productions  19 th /20 th century Performance Performed on a proscenium stage Actors acted unaware of the audience’s presence. The audience was a silent observer looking through an imaginary fourth wall. The detachment from the actors created a realistic atmosphere Gas lights and electricity were introduced.

 21 st century drama (the present) Drama is eclectic The audience sits in a dark theater & looks at a lighted stage Effects are ran by computerized lighting boards  Drama is meant to imitate life. It both entertains and instructs. Today’s dramas are lifelike & allow an audience to examine human nature.  When reading a play, the audience (reader) does not get the benefit of the director’s, actor’s, and scene designer’s interpretations.  The reader must work hard to visualize the scenes and action from the author’s stage directions.

 Plot  Characterization: direct characterization is given through stage directions  Setting: including time, place, & scenery. These are important in influencing the audience’s emotional reactions.  Dialogue: verbal exchange between characters Soliloquy-when an actor is on stage speaking his or her own thoughts or feelings. These thoughts are usually true and give the audience information that other characters may not know Monologue: A long speech given by one character. Aside: A short statement made by a character that no other character on stage can hear. Elements of Drama

 Music  Movement: stage direction informs the reader of where the characters are, when they move, how they move, and sometimes, the significance of their movements.  Theme: The play’s message; its central concern. Theme reduces the complex action in the drama into a relatively simple, universal phrase.