Elements of Drama

1. Elements of Drama

2. Terminology • Acts – units of action in drama Example: Act 1 • Scenes – smaller parts of acts Example: Act 1, Scene 1 • Dialogue – words that characters say Example: Gluskabe: It is very cold this winter. • No quotation marks used • Character’s names placed in front of character’s words

3. Script – printed form of a play or drama Example: The physical copy of the play Gluskabe and Old Man Winter • Stage Directions – written as information in brackets Example: [Dark room with one lamp glowing; Jeb looks tired.] • Describes what the stage looks like • Describe how characters should act

4. Set – arrangement of scenery that shows tie and place of action Example: wigman in corner with bare trees, snow on the ground • Props – objects on the stage that actors use Example: book, suitcase, flashlight

5. Types of Drama • Drama - word often used to describe a play with a serious subject • Comedy – a type of drama with a happy ending. Some are written for entertainment. Others are written to address serious issues in a humorous way. • Tragedy – drama in which events lead to a downfall of the main character. The main character is usually a very important person, such as a king.

6. Dramatic Forms • screenplays- scripts for movies • Teleplays – screenplays for television • Radio plays – scripts for radio broadcast