1. Welcome to the Theater!
Elements of Drama

2. The Nature of Drama Before an audience On state Through actors
Meant to be performed, not read
The Nature of Drama

3. Not Play WRITE, But WRIGHT ---one who crafts Derived from “Wrought”
Note on Playwrights

4. Limits of POV We know a characters mind through:
Soliloquy
Aside
Most Characterization is indirect:
Action
Reaction
Objective (also called dramatic)
Limits of POV

5. Power of Drama Drawbacks of Drama
Can utilize all range of human expression
Forcibly commands audience attention
Experience is communal, and therefore intensified
Is limited to the
talent and under-
standing of the actors’
portrayals
Action is confined to stage
/theater, not limits of imagination
Must keep audience attention, and be written so central meanings must be grasped in a single performance
Power of Drama
Drawbacks of Drama

6. The Format of a Play Title Character List Stage Directions Act & Scene
1041
Act & Scene
Numbers
Roman Numerals
Arabic Numerals
Character Names
In all caps
Dialogue
What is actually meant to be said
Parenthetical Instruction
In brackets or parentheses, italicized
Title
Character List
Order of importance
OR order of appearance
Stage Directions
Setting
Time
Staging instructions
Usually in italics before the scenes
The Format of a Play

7. Play Project Your task: Present a one act play Requirements Staging
Costume
Character Analysis
Marked Script
Memorized Lines!
Play Project

8. Our Choices Trifles (1029) Beauty (1046) Tape (1052) POOF! (1057)
5 characters
Beauty (1046)
2 characters
Tape (1052)
3 characters
POOF! (1057)
3 characters
The Sandbox (1064)
5 characters
Time Flies (1071)
4 characters

9. Read the six play options and pick which ones you would like to do.
Homework

10. Realistic and Nonrealistic
Drama
To some degree all theater is “not real”—due to the suspension of disbelief necessary to understand the set and actors relationship to the audience. However, this really concerns the qualities of dramatic presentation.

11. Realistic Drama NonRealistic Drama*
general movement in  theatre
time period of
dramatic and theatrical conventions aimed at bringing real life to texts and performances.
The use of dramatic or theatrical conventions that focus on fantasy or imagination
Or a theatrical style that revolves around existentialist theories regarding the absurdity of human life.
*Not to be confused with “un-realistic” which means the drama has no human “truth”---even fantasy and imagination can carry metaphorically “true” ideas

12. Realism

13. Non-Realism

14. Dramatic Conventions Necessary Optional
Room with 3 walls or fewer represents 4 walls
Actors will speak the language of the audience—no matter the nationality of the character
Actors will sit or stand facing the audience most of the time
Writing in prose vs. poetry
Realistic vs. nonrealistic
Revealing thoughts through aside or soliloquy
Non-realistic
Using a chorus or narrator
Providing extensive props vs. blank stage

15. Which was Glass Menagerie?
Page 1153
Which was Glass Menagerie?

16. Which is Which?
Set
Character
Situation/Story

17. Homework: Read Act 1
The Crucible

18. Would you describe The Crucible as Realistic or Nonrealistic? Why?
Do Now
Would you describe The Crucible as Realistic or Nonrealistic? Why?

19. Set

20. Crucible Reading
ACT 2

21. Read Act 3
Homework

22. Do Now
Practice Test

23. The Background of the Crucible

24. Homework
Finish the Play & write a short essay (500 words) about how the play helped Arthur Miller comment on the Cold War and McCarthyism

25. For Later
The next slides will be used later in this unit.

26. Characterization Pick a character sheet
How would you introduce yourself?
Appearance
Relation to other characters
Background
Motivations

27. Character Mocktail Party
Debrief!
Character Mocktail Party

28. Subtext The message behind the text
Includes character’s feelings and hidden motivations
Influenced by their background, indirect characterization, and parenthetical instructions!

29. Subtext Using stickynotes: Get into groups of three
Read your section—each taking a role
Mark your subtext on a sticky note—what is the character really meaning?
Explain how you know on the back side.