ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

SO DRAMATIC A drama is a story that is meant to be performed. Story Writer: author Writer: playwright Consists of characters in a particular setting caught up in a conflict Plot: events Plot: actions Plot: exposition, conflict, climax, resolution Written in: paragraphs & dialogue Written in: script made up of dialogue and stage directions Divided into chapters Divided into acts and scenes

Acts & Scenes Basic structure that divide a drama A drama’s structure affects the meaning that the audience finds from the performance (ex. Commercial break) An act is made up of several scenes

Setting The time and place of the story Sometimes a drama’s setting is described at the beginning of the play in the stage directions. Read the setting for: Details that affects the characters’ moods/actions Details that create conflict (a dangerous, challenging environment)

Plot A drama’s plot is the sequence of events that make up the action of the story. A drama (like a story) also has an exposition (setting, characters), rising action (conflict), climax, falling action, and resolution. The audience/reader is not told, but SHOWN Ex.: an eerie, scary setting is shown by dark lighting, spooky scenery, and creepy music Ex.: a selfish character is revealed through dialogue and actions, not a narrator’s point of view

Conflict The conflict that the main character, or protagonist, faces drives the action of the drama. External Conflict: protagonist vs. outside force Man vs. man (protagonist vs. antagonist) Man vs. society Man vs. nature Man vs. technology/fate/supernatural Internal Conflict: a struggle inside the mind of the protagonist

Characters the people or animals that take part in the plot Stage directions and dialogue are important to character development. Stage directions tell how characters speak (loudly, softly, sarcastically), move (crosses stage and falls), and look (says with a grimace) Dialogue reveals a character through speeches, interactions with other characters, and comments made about others

Dialogue the words spoken by the characters Look for dialogue that: Reveals a character’s thoughts or feelings Moves the action forward Reveals the conflict

Types of Dialogue Monologue: long speech spoken by a character to another Soliloquy: a long speech spoken by a character alone; reveals private thoughts (speaks either to the audience or to himself) Aside: a comment made to the audience, not meant to be heard by other characters

Stage Directions written in the script and tell how the actors need to perform the drama Lighting, sound effects Character movements, facial expressions, tone Costumes, props, and Scenery

Set & Props Set/Scenery: the onstage construction that suggests the setting Props: small objects used to help make the actions of the characters realistic

Theme Dramas also convey themes, or central messages about life. To discover a drama’s theme: Look at how characters respond to conflicts: do the characters change and grow? How does the setting impact the action? What are the characters doing and saying (plot)? What message are they conveying?