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DRAMA VOCABULARY. Based on Kentucky Core Content for Assessment AH 08 1.3.1. Drama is divided into 3 groups of “elements.” Elements of PLOT Elements of PERFORMANCE Elements of PRODUCTION. ELEMENTS OF PLOT. Elements of plot deal with the “story” of the play.
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DRAMA VOCABULARY Based on Kentucky Core Content for Assessment AH 08 1.3.1
Drama is divided into 3 groups of “elements.” • Elements of PLOT • Elements of PERFORMANCE • Elements of PRODUCTION
ELEMENTS OF PLOT • Elements of plot deal with the “story” of the play. • Many elements of plot will be familiar from reading class. • PLOT – THE ORDER OF EVENTS THAT TELL WHAT THE PLAY IS ABOUT.
MORE ABOUT PLOT • Plays are written in a format called a SCRIPT. Scripts are meant to be acted out, and do not include quotation marks. • Scripts also include STAGE DIRECTIONS, which give the actors more info about their character. STAGE DIRECTIONS are usually in parentheses. .
LANGUAGE • All words in a script, including the stage directions are called the play’s LANGUAGE • LANGUAGE also includes DIALOUGE (conversations between two or more people) and MONOLOUGE (one person talking to them selves or the audience).
EVEN MORE ABOUT PLOT • Every play, like a story, has a beginning, middle and end. • There are six basic parts to a plot. • EXPOSITION • CONFLICT • RISING ACTION • CLIMAX • FALLING ACTION • RESOLUTION
PARTS OF A PLOT • EXPOSITION – the beginning of the plot where characters are introduced. • The exposition give us information about characters and their relationship to one another. • We also learn about the setting of the play.
PARTS OF PLOT • CONFLICT – an obstacle or problem that a character deals with through the course of the play • INTERNAL CONFLICT – man vs. self • A problem within oneself, such as a fear • EXTERNAL CONFLICT – man vs. man • A problem between two people - man vs. nature A problem with something with no human characteristics.
PARTS OF PLOT • RISING ACTION – part of the plot where action starts occurring more rapidly. • The rising action builds the action to the climax of the story. • CLIMAX – the highest point in the play’s action • Think of the climax as a bulls eye – it is the part of the plot that all the action is aiming for.
PARTS OF PLOT • FALLING ACTION – the “calming down” events • The falling action usually only consists of one or two events. It’s job is to begin to lead the action towards a resolution. The conflict may begin to get solved here. • RESOLUTION – the story is wrapped up • Sometimes, but not always, this is the “happily ever after.” • Think of this as the “rear end” of the story.
LITERARY DEVICES • A LITERARY DEVICE is a trick an author or playwright (person who writes plays) uses to get the audiences attention. • Examples are : • Suspense • Foreshadowing • Empathy
LITERARY DEVICES • SUSPENSE – an uncertainty about what is going to happen • “….to be continued.” • “We’ll find out …after the break!” • FORESHADOWING – hints in the plot that give clues about what’s going to happen • “…over my dead body.”
LITERARY DEVICES • EMPATHY– putting yourself in the character’s shoes. • Playwrights use empathy to make you care about the characters. • THEME– the main idea of a play or story.
ELEMENTS OF PERFORANCE • An actor’s tools are • Their body • Their voice • Actors depend on these two things for CHARACTERAZATION – creating a believable character in a play
BREATHING • BREATH CONTROL – budgeting your air supply to meet your speaking needs. • Try this exercise… • Breathe in for 4 counts. • Now breathe out for 4. • Breathe in again for 4. • This time, breathe out for 24 counts. • Ask yourself – which was easier? Why?
VOCAL TECHNIQUES • DICTION – speaking clearly, making sure the audience can understand your words. Also called articulation • PROJECTION – speaking loudly, to be heard by all members of the audience. Also called volume
MORE VOCAL TECHNIQUES • INFLECTION – the rising and falling of pitch to convey meaning in your voice. • Inflection is how you know someone is happy, sad, angry or upset. • The absence of inflection is called “monotone.”
VOCAL EXPRESSION • There are many other ways to create a unique character using your voice. • RATE – the speed of your speech. • ACCENT – how one pronounces their words based on where they are from. • DIALECT – choice of words based on where one is from • Coke vs. soda vs. pop • Ya’ll vs. yous guys
NONVERBAL EXPRESSION • BODY ALIGNMENT – how one sits, stands or moves to create a character. Also called posture. • GESTURES – small movements to enhance a character • FACIAL EXPRESSION
BLOCKING • BLOCKING is planning each actors movements in each scene. • Directors spend lots of time blocking each scene to ensure that everyone and everything can be seen. • Blocking is used to create a stage picture – what the audience sees. • Actors remember their blocking through cues.
ELEMENTS OF PRODUCTION • These are also called the “technical elements” of drama. • They are the easiest set of elements to remember because you are familiar with most of them. • Elements of production are used to create a play’s spectacle.
SIX ELEMENTS OF PRODUCTION • COSTUMES • PROPS • SET/SCENERY • MAKEUP • LIGHTS • SOUND
COSTUMES • COSTUMES are clothes worn by actors onstage. • Costumes also include any accessories, such as jewelry or eyeglasses needed to portray the character • Often, costumes must be historically accurate to reflect the time period of the play’s setting.
MAKEUP • MAKEUP is any type of cosmetic used to alter an actors appearance. • Makeup is not limited to face paint - masks, wigs and even contact lenses and false teeth are also part of makeup. • CHARACTER MAKEUP – looks like the character. • BASIC MAKEUP – looks like the actor.
PROPS • PROPS are anything an actors can touch or move that make the play seem more real • The word “prop” is short for properties • Try this exercise • Look around the room. If this were a scene from a play, which items would be props?
SET • SET (or Scenery) is used to depict where and when the play takes place. • The word set is short for “setting,” which is the place and time a story takes place in. • Set can include backdrops (painted screens), scrims or moveable set pieces. Props can also be part of the set.
LIGHTS AND SOUND • LIGHTS and SOUND are used to create or enhance a play’s mood or setting. • Lights can be used by changing their intensity, color or clarity to show mood, time of day, or location. • BLACKOUT - all lights go off at once. • Sound effects (and music!) can be also be used to set the mood.
HINTS FOR CATS TEST! • Do your best to answer each question – DON’T EVER LEAVE A BLANK! • When in doubt, go with what you know. A lot of this is common sense stuff. Don’t try to make it harder than it is. • Even though Arts and Humanities is tested last, it’s still important. Take your time and don’t rush through.