The Elements of Drama The Nature of Drama

Uniqueness Written to be performed 1. Presents action through actors 2. Presented on stage 3. Presented before an audience

1. Presented by actors Immediate impact Immediate impact Impact depends on actors’ skill Impact depends on actors’ skill Impact is direct to audience’s senses Impact is direct to audience’s senses

2.Presented on stage Live performance has drawbacks Live performance has drawbacks Author cannot comment on characters/events Author cannot comment on characters/events The audience cannot see into a character’s mind The audience cannot see into a character’s mind Advantage of “holding the audience captive” Advantage of “holding the audience captive”

Getting into the character’s mind Soliloquy-character speaks alone on stage, presumably to himself as if thinking aloud Soliloquy-character speaks alone on stage, presumably to himself as if thinking aloud Aside-character is speaking to the audience as if thinking aloud as if other characters do not hear Aside-character is speaking to the audience as if thinking aloud as if other characters do not hear Taken as the truth Taken as the truth

2. Other issues Story lines are limited Story lines are limited Story scope is limited Story scope is limited Scenes are limited Scenes are limited Settings are limited Settings are limited

3.Presented before an audience Community experience affects each person’s perception Community experience affects each person’s perception Must hold audience’s attention Must hold audience’s attention Divisions/climaxes Divisions/climaxes Central meaning must be apparent Central meaning must be apparent

A good play will include Power of words Power of words Power of fiction Power of fiction Power of dramatic technique Power of dramatic technique

Types of drama

Realistic and nonrealistic drama All stage productions include an idea of unreality All stage productions include an idea of unreality Staging Staging Makeup Makeup Scenery Scenery Costuming Costuming

Realistic vs Nonrealistic Realistic attempts in context and presentation to preserve the illusion of actual, everyday life Realistic attempts in context and presentation to preserve the illusion of actual, everyday life Nonrealistic attempts in context and/or presentation to move beyond everyday life Nonrealistic attempts in context and/or presentation to move beyond everyday life

Tragedy Creates a catharsis-emotional release Creates a catharsis-emotional release Hero’s hamartia-a criminal act committed in ignorance of some material fact or for the sake of the greater good Hero’s hamartia-a criminal act committed in ignorance of some material fact or for the sake of the greater good Tragic hero Tragic hero Man of noble stature Man of noble stature Good man whose fall results from hamartia Good man whose fall results from hamartia Downfall of his own fault though not wholly deserved Downfall of his own fault though not wholly deserved Flaw is not pure loss though he may die Flaw is not pure loss though he may die Does not leave the audience depressed Does not leave the audience depressed

Comedies Scornful comedy-satirical, older, expose and ridicule human folly Scornful comedy-satirical, older, expose and ridicule human folly Romantic comedy-main characters are placed in difficulties from which they are rescued Romantic comedy-main characters are placed in difficulties from which they are rescued Melodrama-happy ending where good triumphs over evil Melodrama-happy ending where good triumphs over evil Farce-emphasizes improbable situations Farce-emphasizes improbable situations

Dramatic conventions We are asked to believe We are asked to believe in scenery in scenery in language of actors no matter the setting in language of actors no matter the setting Chorus-Greek device in which a group of actors speak in unison with a dance to convey group emotion Narrator-nonrealistic device playwrights use to achieve truth

The Glass Menagerie Written by Tennessee Williams and first performed in 1944 Born in Mississippi in 1911, son of a traveling salesman Family moved to St. Louis This play made him a success