Elements of Drama

Drama A story that is intended to be performed for an audience, either on stage or before a camera. You may see dramas on television, at the movies, in videos, and on the stage.

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is a teleplay that was shown on television. A Christmas Carol has been adapted as a stage play.

Script The special form in which drama is written. It differs from the dialogue in a short story in that the lines are written out for the characters to speak rather than being written with quotation marks and tag lines.

“It’s the monster! It’s the monster!” Tommy shouted in fright. Short Story “We may need this,” Don stated holding up his shotgun. “A shotgun?” Steve questioned as he pulled the gun out of Don’s hand. Tommy (shouting, frightened). It’s the monster! It’s the monster! Drama (Don Martin joins them, carrying a shotgun. He holds it up.) Don. We may need this. Steve. A shotgun? (He pulls it out of Don’s hand.)

Plot As in short stories, the plot of a drama is a sequence of related events.

The plot begins with exposition. Then it moves through the rising in which there is a series action of complications in the conflict. The climax is the point of highest tension or the turning point of the plot. It is followed by the falling action or resolution.

A section presenting events that occur in one place at one time. Scene A major section of a play made up of more than one scene. Act

Cast of Characters The major and minor characters are listed at the beginning of the script. The cast of characters often includes a short description next to each character’s name.

Cast of Characters Sometimes a narrator sets the scene for the drama and comments on what happens.

Stage Directions Instructions for the director, the actors, and the stage crew. They are usually printed in italic type and enclosed in parentheses.

Stage directions tell actors how to speak and move. They describe the scenery, items on the stage that create the setting.

They also describe the props, which are the objects the actors use during the play. Sometimes they make suggestions for lighting and sound. Stage directions will refer to special areas of the stage.

wings upstage right upstage center upstage left stage right stage left (off stage) upstage right upstage center upstage left stage right stage left center downstage right downstage center downstage left orchestra pit audience