OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
CREATIVE NONFICTION

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

A masterpiece can only be achieved through the synchronization of its elements.

Failure to make sense of the harmony of the elements means failure in creating
an impact to your audience. This is the crucial consideration that a playwright
should always bear in mind. In understanding how these elements interact with
each other, you will have the power to project the story that you want effectively
(Buhisan & Sayseng, 2016, p. 103).

Elements of the Drama: (Romero & De Los Reyes, 2014, p. 313-314)

1. Dialog – except for the pantomime, this serves as the chief tool of the
dramatist. The dialog of a play must achieve the following elements:

a. Help develop the character by giving the reader or viewer a deeper insight
into the character’s personality;

b. Help create the mood of the play which the readers or audience must
perceive; and

c. Help in advance the action of the play.

2. Character – In a play, characters perform two major functions.

a. They reveal through their actions and words the kind of persons they are.
What they say, why, and how they say it must project to the audience their traits,
values, and attitudes.

b. Their performance must contribute in furthering the action of the play. The
lead characters in a play are the protagonists and the antagonists who may be
heroes or heroines or antiheroes or anti-heroine. The antagonist is a character
lacking in the usual attributes of a traditional hero such as idealism, skill, courage,
or sense of purpose. He or she is often an ordinary, isolated, groping character.

3. Plot or dramatic structure – As in the plot of the short story or novel, plays
have all the basic parts, starting with the exposition or foreshadowing which
presents the hint of what is to come; followed by the complication of the plot
with the use of a dramatic question and secondary questions which culminate in
the climax of the play. The denouement followed by the resolution signals the
completion of the plot.

Plays are usually divided into acts. Each act is divided into scenes. Both signify
changes in time, place, or development of the plot. Changes in acts often require
new settings with the entrances of characters leading to the complication of the
plot.

4. Theme – From the kind of persons the character’s play – their motives,
actions and words – the viewers are left to infer the theme or general truth about
life. An analysis of the other elements can lead to the statement of the theme or
themes and subthemes if there are subplots.

5. Setting – In any story, setting generally refers to time and place. In a play,
time and place are suggested by the physical environment reconstructed for the
stage, the costumes and language of the characters, props and sounds suggesting
mood, and atmosphere. Symbols may also enhance the setting.
Change of scenery as the play progresses is essential not just for the background
effect but to help situate the audience and also to prompt the characters to
action.

In modern theater; convention, genre and audience were added to the list. This
acknowledges the fact that these elements greatly affect the play when not given
due attention (Buhisan & Sayseng, 2016, p. 104).

1. Convention – refers to the different types of methods and techniques used

by the director to create a specific style or effect.

2. Genre – plays can be categorized into different genres such as tragedy,

comedy, mystery and historical type of play.

3. Audience – the most crucial part is keeping in mind your target audience.
They are the reason for the creation of such play.

Technical elements are the scenery or set, costumes, props, lights, sound, and
makeup. Below are the examples and description of each element.

1. Set/Scenery – technical equipment such as curtains, flats, backdrops, etc.]

2. Costumes – clothing and accessories

3. Props – any movable objects that appear on stage. (e.i. telephone, tables,
etc.)

4. Lights – choice of light colors, intensity, and placement of lights

5. Sound – the effects the audience hears which provide context,

communicate character, and establish the environment.
6. Makeup – cosmetics and prosthetics used to enhance/change a person’s
image.

Performance elements can be summed up into four (4) types. These are:

1. Acting – the use of body, face and voice to portray certain role or character

2. Character motivation – the force that influences the behavior of the

character

3. Character analysis – the process used in evaluating how the elements in

drama/play are used to create impact to the audience

4. Empathy – refers to how you relate to the experiences of other people.