DRAMA

DRAMA
Reference:

 Exploring Life through English and

American Literature by Romero and
Delos Reyes
 Topic: What is Drama?
Introduction to Drama

“Drama is life with dull bits cut out.”

Definition

 Drama, as a genre, is
another literary form
that mirrors life,
onstage.
Definition

 A literary work
written to be
performed onstage
and intended to create
an illusion of reality.
Definitions

Play- drama acted on stage

For the most part, plays have no narrators.
(There are a few notable exceptions to this
rule.)
The audience must glean critical
information from the action on stage.
Etymology

Greek word dran- ‘to do, to act or to

perform’
mimesis –basis or core of drama
-the imitation of life

Fifth Century Greece through the efforts

of Thespis, a poet.
> thespian- an actor
The Elements of Drama

Dialog
Action
Plot
Characters
Theme
Setting
Elements

DIALOG/DIALOGUE
-the chief tool for the dramatist
- it helps develop the character
- it helps create the mood of the play
- it helps advance the action of the play
Elements

CHARACTER
Two Major Functions
1. They reveal the kind of persons they
are.
2. Their performance must contribute
in furthering the action of the play.
Elements

CHARACTERS

Protagonists

Antagonists
Elements

PLOT OR DRAMATIC STRUCTURE

Basic Parts
1. Exposition/Foreshadowing
2. Complication
3. Climax
4. Denouement
5. Resolution
Elements

Special Features of a Dramatic

Plot:

- acts
- scenes
ACTS/SCENES
scripts feature lists of characters and stage
directions which require the reader to pause
and visualize the set up.

readers and actors must pay close attention to

the dialogue in order to understand the
characters and action.
Elements
THEME
-the general truth about life.
SETTING
-generally refers to time and place
- suggested by the physical
environment onstage, the costumes,
language, props and sounds and
atmosphere
LITERARY DEVICES

Chorus (Greek)
Soliloquy
Symbols
Masks
Orchestra
GROUP ACTIVITY

Recall one soap opera or a telenovela that

you have watched.

Role play a scene, highlighting some of the

elements (dialog, action, characters and
theme).
Criteria
Content
Characterization
Overall group performance
(discipline, time, participation ,etc.)
THE HISTORY OF
DRAMA
Greek Drama

earliest plays were part of religious and

agricultural festivals
goal is to thank God for a bountiful harvest
originally spiritual
only men are allowed
to act
Greek Drama

The plays featured heroes of the past ages,

presented through song and dance.
The plays usually had a chorus.
Costume highlights were masks and boots.
Maenads and Dionysus
Two Main Types of Drama

Tragedy

Comedy
Amphitheater
Chorus
Costume Highlights
First Great Dramatist
AESCHYLUS (525 B.C.)
ROMAN DRAMA

borrowed elements of the Greek drama and

combined them with its own
known to have used:
- raised stage
- curtain
- spectacles of chariot
races and more vigorous kind of acting
Roman Theater
ROMAN DRAMA

the venue for the New Comedy

New Comedy- dealt with Romance
plots that showed how love may triumph
over evil and ultimately death
dealt with the lives of ordinary people
Key Figures of the New Comedy

Plautus
c. 254- 184 B.C.
Key Figures of the New Comedy

Terence
c. 194- 159 B.C.
Key Figures of the New Comedy

Seneca
(c. 4B.C. – A.D. 88)
Medieval Drama

7th Century A.D. – 16th Century

formation of troupes
Church was the most powerful institution
mystery, morality and miracle plays
Corpus Christi or the Incarnation Play
Medieval Drama
Renaissance Drama

15th- 17th Century

Was first felt in Italy in the 15th century
commedia dell’arte
 is a theatrical form characterized by improvised dialogue and a cast
of colorful characters that emerged in northern Italy in the fifteenth
century and rapidly gained popularity throughout Europe.

There was construction of permanent

playhouses in England
The Theatre in London (1586)
commedia dell’arte
commedia dell’arte
Renaissance Drama

There were traces of Medieval drama

Their moral themes with a twist
There was humanistic approach rather
than catechism
Key Figure
Christopher Marlowe
- wrote The Jew of Malta
Renaissance Drama
Elizabethan Drama

The accession of Queen Elizabeth

bolder and more realistic qualities of drama
popular comedy and popular tragedy
more daring with dialogue and action
stage- a major factor in playwright’s
dramatic method
Elizabethan Theater
Elizabethan Drama

Christopher Marlowe, John Lyly, George

Peele, Robert Greene and Thomas Kyd
William Shakespeare
Ben Jonson
– classicist, realist and a “meticulous rebel”
Every Man in his Humour and Volpone
For tomorrow:

Quiz
Discussion
Restoration of 18th Century Drama
19th Century Drama
20th Century Drama
THE HISTORY OF
DRAMA
 Restoration of 18th Century
Drama
largely influenced by the French theater
emphasis on scenery and elaborate
spectacle rather than dialog
introduction of movable panel
patronage of the royals
women/women roles
Restoration of 18th Century Drama
 Restoration of 18th Century
Drama
John Dryden on the theater scene
-introduced the tragic drama in
rhyme
trend in comedy
William Congreve
-produced The Way of the World
Sentimental Comedy
Tragedy
19 th Century Drama

Industrial Revolution in drama

– The technical aspect
– The idea that propelled and sustained the
revolution
French Social Realists-Emile Augier,
Eugene Scribe and Alexandre Dumas
19 th Century Drama
19th Century Drama
Key Terms

Realism
– Realistic drama deals frankly with social
issues and contemporary life. Instead of
focusing on the lives of kings or great heroes,
these dramas present a look at ordinary people
and everyday problems.
Key Terms

Effects of Realism
– Realism requires a shift away from painted
backdrops and scenery.
– Sets are decorated with real furniture.
– New methods make changing scenery faster.
19 th Century Drama

Naturalism
Proponents of Naturalism-Emile Zola,
Henry Becque and Eugene Brieux
Naturalism

– Like realism, naturalism developed in

response to the sentimental and sensational
melodramas that were popular in the
nineteenth century.
– Using realistic plots, naturalism explores the
forces that influence the human condition.
19 th Century Drama

George Bernard Shaw

Melodrama
20 th Centrury Drama

political instrument for intellectuals and

common people
Realism, Naturalism, Symbolism,
Impressionism
introduction of vaudeville
Vaudeville
 PLAYWRIGHTS

John Galsworthy
Eugene O’Neill
Maxwell Anderson, John Steinback, and
Lilian Hellmen
Playwrights

Thornton Wilder
Tennessee William
Arthur Miller
Next Meeting

Quiz on:
Introduction to Drama
History of Drama
Lesson/Discussion on:
Types of Drama
Theatrical Terms
Drama Workshop
 GROUP ACTIVITY
DRAMA WORKSHOP
PROXEMICS
- the position of people in relation to each
other onstage. It works closely with
characterization and a relatively new science
known as kinesics, which is the study of
movement and gestures and the meanings
these can have in terms of personality or
character.
 DRAMA

Theater (threatre)
– from the Greek word
theatron meaning “a place
for seeing”
– a building specifically
designed for the purpose
of presenting dramatic
performance before an
audience.
Greek Theater
Parts:
1. Parodos
- points of entry or exit

2. Theatron
-place where the audience sit
Greek Theater

3. Seats of Honor
- for emperors, high-ranked, noble

4. Orchestra
- where the chorus dance and sing
Greek Theater

5. Themele
- altar of Dionysus
6. Proscenium
- scenery of the play; where the main
characters act
7. Skene
- dressing room (later on it became
a backdrop)
USES OF DRAMA/PLAY

1. Holds man up and dissect him for

critical analysis.
2. It entertains.
3. It instructs.
4. It exalts (catharsis effect).
TYPES OF DRAMA

MAJOR TYPES

1. COMEDY

2. TRAGEDY
TYPES OF DRAMA

MAJOR TYPES
1. Comedy

a. High Comedy
Ex. Comedy of Manners
b. Low Comedy
Ex: Burlesque- a ludicrous or
mocking imitation
- a variety show characterized
by ribald comedy, dancing,
striptease.
 Slapstick- a kind of comedy that
depends on fast, foolish activity for its
humour
- involves exaggerated
physical violence and activities
c. Satiric Comedy/ Satire
TYPES OF DRAMA

MAJOR TYPES
2. TRAGEDY
a. Classical Tragedy
Ex. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
b. Modern Tragedy
Ex. Riders to the Sea by John
Millington Synge
OTHER TYPES OF DRAMA

TRAGICOMEDY
Ex. The Merchant of Venice
Winter’s Tale
THEATER OF THE ABSURD
Ex. The Long Christmas Dinner by
Thorton Wilder
Underground Lovers by Jean Tardieu
FARCE
Ex. The Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare
The Jew of Malta by T.S. Eliot
MELODRAMA
Ex. The Brute by Anton Chekhov
Tender Offer by Wendy Wesserstein
Modern day TV soap operas
MASQUE
Ex. Masque of Beauty by Ben Jonson
The Fairy-Queen by Henry Purcell

PANTOMIME

FEMINIST THEATER
PROBLEM PLAY
- personal and social problems of a modern
man
SENTIMENTAL COMEDY
- youthful romance, motherly love,
patriotism and self-sacrifice
- designed to arouse superficial emotion
SOCIAL COMEDY
- life among wealthy that makes fun of
their weaknesses and vices
FANTASY
- unreal characters in a land of make
believe
ONE-ACT –PLAY
- short one; ideal for classroom; centers
only one situation
FOLK PLAY
- represents the people, custom and points
of view of some particular country or
district
MONODRAMA
- represents only one character but has a
complete plot and detailed stage
background
FOR TOMORROW

Quiz on THURSDAY

GROUP ACTIVITY
Mime a situation in 3-5 minutes.
Classmates will guess what the situation is
all about for you to get the perfect score of
20.
THEATRICAL TERMS
THEATRICAL TERMS

ACT
– The major division of a play

ACT CHANGE
– A change of setting, props, lights and/or
costumes between acts
ACTING AREA
– The portion of the stage business or
conversation

ACT CURTAIN
– The front of main curtain on a proscenium
stage directly behind the grand drapery
ADLIB
– To extemporize stage business of a theatrical
production

ANGEL
– A financial banker of a theatrical production
APRON
– The section of the stage in front of the curtain

BACKDROP
– A large piece of cloth hung at the back of the
stage setting
BACKING
– Flat or drops behind the scenery opening to
mask the backstage area

BACKLIGHTING
– The process of illuminating the subject from
the back
BACKSTAGE
– The stage area beyond the acting area,
including the dressing rooms

BLOCKING
– The movement of actors onstage
BLOCK YOURSELF
– To get behind furniture or actors so that the
audience won’t see you

BLOW UP
– To forget the lines and business in a play
BREAK A LEG
– An expression used instead of “good luck”
when one wishes an actor success before
opening night
BREAKDOWN
– An analysis of everything needed for a
production, including technical and personal
needs
BUILD A SCENE
– The use of such dramatic devices such as
increased in tempo, volume or emphasis to
achieve a climax
BUSINESS
– Action performed on stage
C
– Symbol used to designate center of stage

CALL BOY
– A backstage crewmember responsible for
summoning actors to go on stage
CAMEO
– Important, but small character role

CHARACTER DART
– A role containing some physical,
psychological, mental or spiritual eccentricity
COMPANY
– Group of actors and technicians working on
show

COUNTER CROSS
– A shifting of a position by one or more actors
to balance the stage picture
COVER
– To obstruct the view of the audience

CRISIS
– The turning point in a play that determines the
hero’s fortune
CUE
– The last word or action of one actor
immediately preceding the lines or business of
another
CUE CARD
– A large card used to prompt a radio or
television actor
CUE SHEET
– A chart containing the cues for light, sound
effects and curtains

CUT
– To stop action or omit the action
CUT IN
– To break into the speech of another character

CURTAIN CALL
– Bowing and receiving the audience’s applause
at the end of a show, or sometimes in opera, at
the end of the act
DEBUT
– Players first appearance in public, in a new
place or in a new production

DELIVERY
– The way the actor says his lines
DRESS THE STAGE
– To set the stage with necessary scenery
equipment, props, furniture and also to keep
the stage picture balanced during the action
DRY RUN
– A performance without an audience, and of
which without recording is made
DOUBLE
– One who resembles a member of the cast and
takes his/her place in scenes needing special
skills
DOWN STAGE
– The part of the stage closest to the audience
DRESSING ROOM
– A space for performers to hang costumes, put
on makeup and otherwise prepare for their
show
DRESS REHEARSAL
– Final rehearsal in which all the visual elements
of production including costumes are used
DUB IN
– To replace or add to a film’s sound track
THEATRICAL TERMS
ENSEMBLE
– Sense of family unity developed by a group of
performers during the course of a play
– Willingness of actors to subordinate
themselves to the production as a whole
EPISODE
– Dramatic scene presenting important action in
an early Greek play
EXIT/EXEMPT
– To leave the stage

FINALE
– The final number, usually in a musical show
FLOOR PLAN
– Line drawing of a stage set as seen from above
showing the placement on the stage floor of
the scenic elements

FREEZE
– To stop all movement
GESTURE
– The use of hand, body and facial movement to
make actor’s movement more meaningful

HAND PROPS
– Personal properties (used by individual player)
HIT
– To emphasize a word or line with extra force
– A successful play or performer

HOLD FOR LAUGHS

– To wait for the audience to quiet down after a
funny line or scene
INTERMISSION
– Intervals between the acts/scenes allowing for
set changes, audience respite, costume change,
etc.

LEAD
– Starring role in a performance
LIMELIGHT
– A focusing public attention on a person

LINE
– The basic unit of verse; one portion of an
actor’s part in a dialogue
MATINEE
– An afternoon performance

OFFSTAGE
– Areas of the stage not in view of the audience
OPERA
– A dramatic or comic work set to music in
which words are generally sung rather than
spoken

ORCHESTRA
– Main floor seating area of the auditorium
PREMIERE
– The first showing of a play

PRIMA DONNA
– Main female singer in an opera company
– Any conceited or temperamental performer
PRODUCTION NUMBER
– Large show with lots of singers and dancers,
spectacular scenery, beautiful costumes and
effective lighting

PROLOGUE
– Explanatory speech regarding the opening of a
play
PROMPT BOOK
– Copy of the script on which all information ,
including the blocking is recorded

PROPERTIES/PROPS
– All the stage furnishing including the furniture
PROP LIST
– The m aster list of all items that could be
considered props

PUNCHLINE
– The line that should get a laugh
REHEARSAL
– The time for discussion and analysis
– The time to learn parts and other aspects
REPERTORY
– Set group of productions that a theater
company has prepared for performance
– The practice of alternating performances of
different plays in a repertory
REPRISE
– In musicals, a repetition of a song or dance
with some variations

ROLE
– A part in a play, a character
ROYALTIES
– Payments made to authors (and their
representatives) for permission to reproduce in
text or in performance their artistic products

RUN
– The number of performance for a particular
show
SCENARIO
– Outline of a play

SCENE
– Division of an act
– Descriptor for the locale
SCRIPT
– Dialogue, lyrics and stage directions of a play

SOLILOQUY
– A character’s speech to himself
STEAL OF SCENE
– To attract away from the person to whom the
center of interests legitimately belongs

SUPPORTING ROLE
– Secondary role
THESPIAN
– actor

TELEPROMPTER
– A mechanical device that enables television
actors to read their lines while appearing to
speak from memory
HOLD IT
– To keep perfectly still

TELEPLAY
– A television drama
SOAP OPERA
– Sentimental melodrama or comedy popular
today in television

WARDROBE
– All articles of clothing worn by the cast
The Production Staff

DIRECTOR
– Organizes the whole theater and production
– Supervises the whole work for the production
– Adjusts differences in opinion, compare
disagreement and build morale within the
group
– Controls the production
– Sees to it that actors and scenic artist work
together
DIRECTOR
– Suggests ideas to the actors
– Designs the production, select cast,
communicates detail of his decision,
familiarizes the members with their parts
DIRECTOR

GIST
– Interprets the play, creates the play’s mode of
production and prepares it for performance
The Production Staff

ACTOR

– Memorizes his lines

– Keeps the stage balance
– Able to keep up cues
– Keeps himself abreast with the director’s
pointers
STAGE MANAGER
– In-charge of all backstage activities, sets and
stage equipments
– His assistants, the props men have the duty of
seeing all movable articles are placed in the
stage
SCENIC ARTIST
– Consults the director in determining the style
to be employed
– Adapts the design to the stage equipment and
materials available
 END OF LECTURE

GET READY FOR THE

SHOW!
Important Terms

 Monologue – an extended speech by one

character.
 Soliloquy – an extended speech by one character,
alone on stage. Soliloquies are used to express
the private thoughts of one character.
 Aside – a character’s direct address to the
audience, which is not heard by the other
characters.
 Monologues,
soliloquies, and asides
are dramatic
techniques that
provide direct insight
into motives,
attitudes, and overall
tone.
 These techniques
function like a
fictional narrator.
Two Basic “Flavors”
 Comedy
Comedies are
dramatic works which
use humor to explore
various themes and
characters. Comedies
usually end on a
happy note.
 Tragedy
Tragedies treat serious
subjects and often
focus on the tragic
hero’s character.
Tragedies usually end
with death.
More Terms

 Dramatic Irony
– Playwrights use dramatic irony when they allow the
audience to know more than the characters do about a
specific situation or incident.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the audience hears the

fiendish plot of Claudius and Laërtes. Both are
determined to see Hamlet dead. Moments later, Hamlet
responds to news of the King’s great wager and his own
impending duel with Laërtes by saying, “[…] how ill
all’s here about my heart” (V.ii. 186).
Key Terms

Melodrama
– This nineteenth century view of drama appeals
to the emotions. Based on stock characters
who are either villainous or virtuous, these
sensational plays have happy endings.
– Like many contemporary television shows,
melodramas feature static characters who deal
with the world but fail to experience real
growth, development, or insight.
Key Terms

Realism
– Realistic drama deals frankly with social
issues and contemporary life. Instead of
focusing on the lives of kings or great heroes,
these dramas present a look at ordinary people
and everyday problems.
Key Terms

Effects of Realism
– Realism requires a shift away from painted
backdrops and scenery.
– The result is the “box set” which utilizes
three, more or less, solid walls. The fourth
“wall” remains open to the audience.
– Sets are decorated with real furniture.
– New methods make changing scenery faster.
Key Terms

Naturalism
– Like realism, naturalism developed in
response to the sentimental and sensational
melodramas that were popular in the
nineteenth century.
– Using realistic plots, naturalism explores the
forces that influence the human condition.
Key Terms

Satire
– The term satire refers to social criticism that is
cloaked in comedy and used to ridicule social
institutions and figureheads.

Farce
– The term farce refers to comedy that lapses
into ludicrous, improbable plots, mockery, and
even slapstick.
Plot

The overall storyline and sequence of

events is known as the plot.
Elements of Plot

Exposition – introduces the characters,

setting and basic situation.
Rising action – presents the central
conflict, complications, suspense and
crisis.
Climax – the point of greatest tension.
Elements of Plot

Falling action – subsiding intensity.

Denouement – the resolution which ties up

loose ends and concludes the action.
Reading Drama

Pay particular attention to the overall plot.

– What are the major conflicts or issues?
– When does the climax occur?
– What force or forces seem to be at work in the
play, moving the action along?
  Pay close attention to
characters.
– Who are the central
characters?
– What do you know
about their
personalities? How do
you know this
information?
– What are the
characters’ strengths
and weaknesses?
Photo credit: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams. Cornell
Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.
Recognizing the Theme

Most written works have a central theme

and several additional themes.

–Try to identify the central theme.

–Back up your interpretation with
examples from the text.
 If possible, watch a
production of the play
you’ve been reading.
 How does the
production correspond
to your reading? How
does it differ?
The Theater, Enjoy!

From The Shakespeare Review

An English Music Hall look at Shakespeare
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