1. Our Big Question:
“How can we use SPEECH, GUESTURES, and MOVEMENT to bring characters to life?”

2. Drama
Vocabulary

3. Drama
A play that tells a story through the words and actions of characters.
Example: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

4. What Is Drama?
A drama is a story enacted onstage for a live audience.

5. What Is Drama? Origins of Drama
The word drama comes from the Greek verb dran, which means “to do.”
The earliest known plays . . .
were written around the fifth century B.C.
produced for festivals to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility

6. Tragedy A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily. right and wrong
Logical order of events; causal relationships
A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily.
Most classic Greek tragedies deal with serious, universal themes such as
right and wrong
justice and injustice
life and death
Tragedies pit human limitations against the larger forces of destiny.

7. Tragedy pride rebelliousness jealousy
The protagonist of most classical tragedies is a tragic hero.
The tragic hero:
is noble and in many ways admirable
Usually a fall from grace
Domino effect
has a tragic flaw, a personal failing that leads
to a tragic end
Recognition/discovery – in the end Hero realizes his flaw/mistake
pride
rebelliousness
jealousy

8. Comedy
A comedy is a play that ends happily. The plot usually centers on a romantic conflict.
boy meets girl
boy loses girl
boy wins girl

9. Comedy The main characters in a comedy could be anyone: nobility
townspeople
servants

10. Comedy Flaws lead to prosperity/humor rather than catastrophe
Ordinary people
Stereotypes
Plots unpredictable

11. Types of Comedy Satire Exposes human faults Critical of human conduct
Romance
Tolerant and friendly
Sympathetic as opposed to corrective

12. Comedy
Comic complications always occur before the conflict is resolved.
In most cases, the play ends with a wedding.

13. Playwright
A writer of a play

14. Cast of Characters Group of actors who are playing character roles
Example:
Snow White……….Mary Rodriguez
Prince……………..Harry Collins
Witch/Old Lady…..Susie Sparks
Magic Mirror………Robert Smith

15. Roles
The character or person that an actor or actress plays the part of.
Example:
A 4th grade girl plays the role of Snow White in the play, ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.

16. Script
The written text of a play.

17. Stage Directions
Directions that tell characters how to act or show their feelings.
Describes setting
In ( ) parenthesis or brackets [ ]
Example:
Snow White: (Smiles when she sees the shiny red apples.) Those apples look delicious! Can I have one?

18. Props (properties)
Things, or items, that the characters or actors/actresses may need to use as they perform their part.
Example:
Snow White………………………………....apple
Ranita (Ranita, The Frog Princess)……… golden arrow
Curious George…………………………….banana
Charlie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)…chocolate bar

19. “Show, Don’t Tell”
In a novel, writers use narrative passages to tell story along with description and dialogue
In a play, the whole story must be conveyed by dialogue and stage actions
Example: If a man is mean---
In a short story or novel, writer can tell you
In a play, must show by actions or dialogue

20. Dialogue 1) All speech in a play
2) conversation between two characters

21. Function of Dialogue
Dialogue brings characters to life by revealing their personalities and by showing what they are thinking and feeling as they react to other characters.

22. A Collaborative Medium
Set Designers
Costumers
Lighting
Sound
Playwright
Producer
Director
Actor

23. Get Ready for a Quiz! Number your paper from 1 to 7.
Write the letter of the correct answer for each
question.
GOOD LUCK!

24. QUIz
What is another word for ‘drama’.
Tragedy
Story
Play
Movie

25. QUIz What do we call the writer of a play. Poet Author Playwright
illustrator

26. Quiz
The group of people that are playing certain roles in a play is called the _______________.
Audience
Cast of characters
Writers
speakers

27. Quiz
The directions, or words, in parenthesis that show the actions or feelings that the characters are supposed to show. They may also give information about the setting. These directions are called _____.
Plot directions
Stage directions
Actor directions
Audience directions

28. quiz 5. What do we call the part that an actor plays in a drama? Role
Prop
Dialogue
Narrator

29. quiz 6. What do we call the written text of a play. Paper Script
Playwright
Text

30. quiz
7. What do we call the things, or items, that a character may use in a play. For example, the person playing the role of Snow White may have an apple which will cause her to fall into a spell when she bites it. The apple is called a ________.
Fruit
elements
Food
Prop (properties)