AN INTRODUCTION TO

DRAMA
Based on Greek word “dran”, meaning “to do”
‘Drama is a story that people
act out on a stage before
spectators.’ -G. B. Tennyson
 NATURE OF DRAMA
 Drama is an inherently collaborative genre where the work of the
writer constitutes only a part of the complete work.
 Dramatists need to have actors and actresses, production designers,
directors, choreographers and other creative practitioners
 Earliest copies from 5th century in ancient Greece
– For festivals for Gods
– Competition each year to see who would win with best play
– Most Greek conventions within theater are still followed today
 NATURE OF DRAMA

WHAT SEPARATES DRAMA FROM OTHER

LITERATURE

1. Conveyed through actors

 Costumes
 Impact is direct, immediate, and heightened by actor’s skills

2. Performed On stage (At most times)

 Forcefully commands spectator's attention
 Not only dependent on power of words
 Scene Design
 Lighting
 Props
 Stage directions
 NATURE OF DRAMA

WHAT SEPARATES DRAMA FROM OTHER

LITERATURE

3. Performed before an audience

 spectator “to view” and audience “to hear” 
 Actors and playwrights can feed off of audience response
 The experience created is communal and its impact is intensified
 Spectator’s responses are influenced by other spectators many times
ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
 PLOT
 CHARACTERS
 SETTING
 POINT-OF-VIEW
 VOICE & DIALOGUE
– VOICE – relates to how the writer tells the story,
specifically the literary style he is employing in
narrating the story
– DIALOGUE – refers to speech, specifically the
direct speech
STRUCTURE OF DRAMA
ACT
 The biggest unit of a play
 The sequence of scenes
 Designated using roman numerals
 Classic structure: Five-act structure
(exposition-resolution)
Simplified structure: Three-act structure
(Set-up, Conflict, Resolution)
STRUCTURE OF DRAMA
SCENE
 The unit of action of a play
 Changes depending on the setting and/or
flow of events
 Labeled with Arabic numbering
 SCENE DESCRIPTION
1st Kind: Where the scene is taking place
2nd Kind: The actions happening on the
stage
STRUCTURE OF DRAMA
 STRUCTURE OF DRAMA

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