Learning%20About%20Drama

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Learning About Drama

• What is Drama?
• Types of Drama
• Elements of Drama

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What is DRAMA?

• Drama is a story told in dialogue by performers
  in front of an audience.
• Drama is another word for a play.
• When you think of drama, you might think of stage
  plays performed in theatres. However, drama is
  more than theatre.

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DRAMA

• Drama includes
• STAGE PLAYS drama written to be performed on a
  stage for a live audience
• SCREENPLAYS scripts written for films. These
  will include camera angles and can allow for more
  scene changes than a stage play.

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DRAMA Continued

• Drama also includes
• TELEPLAYS scripts written for television and
  often contain elements similar to a screenplay.
• RADIO PLAYS written to be performed as radio
  broadcasts. They include sound effects and
  require no set, stage, or directions that explain
  movement.

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Types of Drama

• There are 3 main types of drama.
• Comedy
• It is light and humorous
• Has a happy ending
• Features normal characters in funny situations
• Written to entertain, but may also point out the
  faults of society
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Types of Drama continued

• 2) Tragedy a contrast to comedy
• a) the events of the drama lead to the downfall
  of the main character
• b) character can be an average person, but is
  often a person of great significance like a king
  or a heroic figure
• c) has a tragic ending ends in catastrophe for
  the main character
• d) the cause of the tragedy can be a weakness or
  flaw in the main character or an evil in society
• e) written to cause the audience to pity and
  then to think about the weakness or flaw
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Types of Drama Continued

• 3) Drama used to describe plays that address
  serious subjects
• usually highly emotional
• written to excite emotion from the audience
• intended to portray life or character or to
  tell a story usually involving conflicts and
  emotions

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Types of Drama conclusion

• There are many other types of drama that fall
  under these 3 main types.
• For example melodrama, tragicomedy, comedy of
  manners, social document, burlesque, pantomime,
  mime, opera, musical comedy, musical, mystery,
  murder mystery, farce, problem drama, classical
  drama, historical drama, expressionism, theater
  of the absurd, theater of cruelty, mixed media
  theater, epic, pageant, masque, miracle play,
  revival, serial, thriller

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ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• The following elements make drama come to life
• The PLAYWRIGHT is the author of a play.
• The ACTORS are the people who perform the drama.
  The ACTORS take the parts of the characters.

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ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• CHARACTER is a person or an animal that takes
  part in the action of the drama.
• The way a playwright develops a character is
  called CHARACTERIZATION.
• This is shown by
• 1) what the character says and does,
• 2) what the character feels and thinks,
• 3) what other characters say about a character,
• 4) and what the narrator tells the audience
  directly.

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ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• Dramatic Speech
• advances the storys actions
• Dialogue conversation between or among
  characters
• Monologue a long speech that is spoken by a
  single character. Many times it reveals a
  characters private thoughts and feelings.

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ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• Stage Directions the sets of bracketed
  information that describe the scenery and how
  the characters should move and speak
• Theatre a place where plays are usually
  presented
• Set the construction on the stage to suggest
  time and place
• Scenery another word for set

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ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

• Props small movable items that actors use to
  make their actions look realistic.

• ACTS are the units of action in a drama.
• The ACTS are often divided into smaller parts
  called SCENES.