DRAMA  The time and place in which the play occurs,

providing context for the story.

DRAMA VS. PLAY  Influences the mood, atmosphere, and characters'
A Glimpse into History behaviors and interactions.
PLAY  Can be represented through physical sets, props
 Originated in ancient Greece around 5th century and stage design.
BC, with tragedy and comedy as the main forms. 6. Conflict
 Developed and diversified into various genres  The struggle between opposing forces that drives
over centuries. the plot forward.
 Modern plays experiment with form and content,  Can be internal (within a character) or external
moving away from traditional structures. (between characters or societal forces).
DRAMA  Conflict creates tension and is essential for
 Drama, as a literary form, originated even earlier character development and thematic exploration.
than plays, in ritual and religious ceremonies. 7. Dramatic structure
 The evolution of drama has been expansive,  The framework that organizes the plot into a
influencing and being influenced by culture, coherent narrative.
society, and technology.  Common structures include linear, non-linear,
WHAT IS A PLAY? and episodic formats.
 refers to a work of drama, a written composition,  Helps to build tension and guide the audience
intended for performance in a theater. A play is a through the emotional journey of the play.
blueprint for production, detailing characters, 8. Genre
dialogues, and instructions for staging, commonly  The category or style of the play, such as tragedy,
known as stage directions. comedy, drama, or musical.
 In essence, a play is like a recipe: the playwright  Influences the tone, themes, and audience
provides the ingredients and directions, while the expectations.
director and the actors contribute the actual  Understanding genre helps in analyzing the
cooking process, combining all elements into a conventions and techniques used by playwrights.
theatrical feast for the audience. 9. Staging
WHAT IS A DRAMA?  The physical arrangement of actors, sets, and
 Drama is a genre of literature that involves telling props on stage.
a story through dialogue and action, primarily  Affects how the story is presented and perceived
intended for theatrical performance. by the audience.
ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF DRAMA  Includes elements like blocking, lighting, and
1. Plot sound design, which enhance the overall
 The sequence of events that make up the story in experience.
a play. 10. Audience
 Typically follows a structure: exposition, rising  The group of people who watch and interpret the
action, climax, falling action, and resolution. play.
 Engages the audience by creating suspense and  Their reactions and interpretations can vary based
emotional investment in the characters' journeys. on personal experiences and cultural
2. Character backgrounds.
 The individuals who drive the plot and embody  Understanding the audience is crucial for
the themes of the play. playwrights and directors to create impactful
 Can be complex (round) or simple (flat), with theatre.
distinct traits and motivations. GENRES OF DRAMA
 Character development is crucial for audience 1. Comedy - Is a genre that consists of discourses or
connection an understanding of the narrative. works intended to be humorous or amusing by
3. Theme inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up
 The underlying message or central idea explored comedy, television, radio, books, or any other
in the play. entertainment medium.
 Can address universal concepts such as love, 2. Farce - Is a type of dramatic comedy. Its primary goal
power, identity, and morality. is to entertain the audience by making them laugh.
 Themes often emerge through the characters' 3. Tragedy - Is a serious drama that ends with an
experiences and conflicts. unhappy outcome, often involving death or suffering.
4. Dialogue 4. Tragicomedy- When you combine the elements of a
 The spoken exchanges between characters that comedy and a tragedy, you get a tragicomedy.
reveal their personalities and advance the plot. Tragicomedies are more complex than a drama with a
 Can convey subtext, emotions, and relationships, few jokes, or a comedy with a serious scene.
enhancing the audience's understanding. MAIN THEMES:
 Effective dialogue is essential for pacing and  A serious plot delivered in a funny, sarcastic,
maintaining engagement. or snarky manner.
 Characters with tragic flaws whose acts do not
5. Setting result in death.
  A confusing subject Characters with broad 1. Character list- includes names, ages, and
personalities that act in stereotypically descriptions of the characters.
humorous ways. 2. Stage directions- Written in italics and brackets
 There is no joyful or funny conclusion. 3. Page numbering- each page is numbered
4. Act/scene designations- each act and scene is clearly
5. Melodrama- Melodramas are an exaggerated kind of marked
drama in literature, in which conventional one-  An act is a major division of a play, while a
dimensional characters such as heroes, heroines, and scene is a smaller subdivision within an act
villains contend with exciting, passionate, and that usually marks a change in setting or
frequently deadly situations. characters.
MAIN THEMES 5. Setting description- describes the location of the
 Character clichés include heroes, heroines, action
villains, mentors, and so on. 6. Dialogue- is what characters say when they speak to
 Romantic or sombre stories with sweeping arcs one another.
 Plots and events that are larger-than-life (or very 7. Blackout/curtain/end designations- marks the
small stories told in big ways) beginning and end of acts and action
 Character reactions are exaggerated
 Clearly defined literary topics
 Character flaws must be overcome in order to
attain a resolution Ending that is sometimes
cheerful and sometimes sad
6. Opera- an opera is a type of drama where the actors
sing the lines or dialogues instead of speaking them.
MAIN THEMES:
 Arias, which are actually musical soliloquies.
 Plot-driving sequences that may or may not be
melodious
 A libretto (text) that has been turned to music.
 Tragic, comic, or melodramatic subject matter
 May have a dancing aspect, but mostly depends
upon vocal performances
 Set design, costume design, and production
7. Musical Drama- musicals are different from opera.
While lines in opera are sung, dialogues in musicals
are infused with music and performances.
MAIN THEMES:
 Firstly songs break up periods of conventional
plot.
 Characters frequently sing in unison to express
their emotions.
 Songs as plot-altering devices
 Storylines that be dramatic or hilarious
 A memorable and unique musical score
 Frequently a lot of singing and dancing.

PLAYSCRIPT

A playscript is a written document that contains the

dialogue, characters, setting, and stage directions for a
theatrical performance. Playwrights write playscripts, and
actors, directors, and designers use them to stage the play.

PURPOSE OF A PLAYSCRIPT
 Ensures that everyone involved in the production
knows the story and their roles
 Helps actors convey a character's feelings through
expression
 Helps audiences infer what characters are
thinking and feeling.

ELEMENTS OF A PLAYSCRIPT