1. D RAMA R EVIEW Cyrano de Bergerac & A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2. W HAT IS A P LAY A play is a prose (conversational) or verse (poetic) piece of writing that is meant to be represented by actors pretending to be the characters and performing the dialogue and action of the story

3. P EOPLE N EEDED TO P UT ON A P LAY Director—in charge of all actors in a play and their movements on stage Prop Master—in charge of setting up the set with props (objects that help set up the setting) and building particular structures that are needed for the play Costume and Makeup/Hair Designer—in charge of creating all costumes and designing the makeup and hair styles of the characters/actors Lighting Technician—in charge of creating the mood with different lighting and shadow effects Sound Technician—in charge of creating and making certain sounds that are needed in a play

4. P EOPLE N EEDED TO P UT ON A P LAY Major Characters/Actors— these are all the primary or most important characters/actors in a play—these are the starring roles Protagonist—the main character in a play around whom the action centers Antagonist—the main character who opposes or competes with the protagonist Minor Characters/Actors— these are all the secondary characters/actors in a play

5. O RGANIZATION OF A P LAY (D RAMA )— S TRUCTURE OF A P LAY Plays are broken up into Acts and scenes Each scene is made up of lines Two or more scenes make up an Act There might be more than one Act in a play—often there are anywhere from three to five Acts.

6. O RGANIZATION OF A P LAY — H OW IS THE P LOT S ET U P The three Acts of a drama or play usually divide the plot into beginning, middle, and end Act 1 —the introduction and the rising action of the plot is found here—the first Act introduces the characters, setting, and the basic conflict (the main problem of the story) Middle Acts —this is where the conflict and the characters are developed; there may be added complications that makes the story more exciting Last Act —the climax, the falling action, and the resolution of the plot is found here—this is where the conflict is solved (climax—determines the rest of the action and leads to the resolution) and all loose ends of the story are tied up in the resolution.

7. E LEMENTS OF D RAMA — T ERMS U SED W HEN D ISCUSSING D RAMA Dialogue— conversation between characters Script—The written part of the play which can be read by the actors or readers Footnotes—notes to the reader that are found at the bottom of the script in a play which tells the reader the definition of a vocabulary word to help them understand

8. T RAGIC F LAW Often in tragedies or even comedies the main character possesses a tragic flaw. A tragic flaw refers to the main character’s personal weakness that brings about his/her downfall in the play.

9. E LEMENTS OF D RAMA S TAGE D IRECTIONS Stage directions are set off in either (parenthesis) or italics or by (both) —stage directions are notes that are included in the script to guide actors and help readers picture the action and setting Stage directions are parts of the play that are not said by the actors—instead stage directions are used to describe costumes, the set, and character’s movements on stage Stage directions provide suggestions for props, lighting, music, and sound effects Examples that would be described in the stage directions—the sound of a knock, what a character looks like, when a character enters or exits, who is accompanied by a character

10. D RAMATIC D EVICES S TRATEGIES THAT W RITERS OF D RAMA U SE Aside—a short speech that allows a character on stage to share his thoughts or feelings with the audience without being heard by the other characters on stage Soliloquy—a long speech made by a character alone on stage where the character acts in an exaggerated manner about a problem Monologue—a long speech made by a character that is overheard by other characters Ways of Speaking

11. D RAMATIC D EVICES S TRATEGIES THAT W RITERS OF D RAMA U SE Verbal Irony—when a character says something about another character, yet means the opposite Dramatic Irony—when the reader or audience learns information that certain characters do not know Situational Irony—when a reader or character expects one thing to happen, but something entirely differently occurs Irony—The Opposite of What is Expected

12. D RAMATIC D EVICES S TRATEGIES THAT W RITERS OF D RAMA U SE Readers learn about a character through the character’s own words Readers learn about a character through the character’s own actions Readers learn about a character through the words of another character Characterization— How the Audience/Reader Learns about a Character

13. D RAMA A SSESSMENT R EVIEW … All of the following elements are part of scene or set design in plays except… A. Costumes B. Lighting C. Props D. Stage directions

14. D RAMA A SSESSMENT R EVIEW … In a soliloquy a character… A. Behaves in an exaggerated manner B. Provides a contrast to another character C. Is based on a stereotype D. Plays a subordinate role in a dramatic work

15. D RAMA A SSESSMENT R EVIEW … A foil is a character who… A. Behaves in an exaggerated manner B. Provides a contrast to another character C. Is based on a stereotype D. Plays a subordinate role in a dramatic work