AN INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA

 What is drama?

It is a composition, especially one telling a serious story, that is intended for representation by actors impersonating the characters and performing the dialogue and action. 

Important Terms

1. Playwright/Dramatist – It is a person who writes plays. 

2. Script – It is the text of the play. 

3. Lines – They are the words the playwright has written for the actors to speak.

4. Cast – Consists of the actors and actresses in a play

The Structural Elements of Drama

1. Act – An act is a major division in a play. In an act, there is usually a major development which begins, has its climax, and ends.

2. Scene – A scene is a subdivision of an act. In a scene, a specific development takes place i) at a specific time, and ii) in a specific place.

3. Exposition – At the beginning of a play the dramatist often gives a certain amount of essential information about the plot and the events which are to come. Information can also be given about what has already happened in the exposition.

4. Conflict – Conflict is the tension in a situation between characters, or the actual opposition of characters.

5. Climax – The climax is the point at which a crisis is reached; it is the most intense part of the conflict.

6. Denouement – The denouement is the event/s following the major climax, or the resolution of the conflict.

7. Peripeteia – Peripety is a reversal of fortune, a fall. In drama, usually the sudden change of fortune from prosperity to ruin, or vice versa.

8. Characterization - Characterization is the method used by a playwright to develop a character. The method includes: (1) showing the character's appearance (costume, etc), (2) displaying the character's actions (stage directions), (3) revealing the character's thoughts (soliloquy/monologue), (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others.

Types of Plays

1. Tragedy – This type of play generally captures and maintains a mood that emphasizes that it is about something serious, even though there may be moments of comic relief. 

2. Serious Drama – Like tragedy, this has a serious tone and a serious purpose. 

3. Melodrama – In this type of drama there is a villain whose actions threaten the well-being of other characters with whom the audience sympathizes. The situations in these plays tend to be extreme and are often violent. 

4. Comedy – The writers of this type of drama treat the topics with which it deals in a lighthearted manner (at least on the surface). In comedy, we are sometimes made to laugh at the villain, who in the end, either sees his mistakes and reforms or gets some form of punishment. 

5. Farce – Farce is like comedy in that it arouses laughter. The main difference is that, in farce, the situations are exaggerated.