DRAMA

INTRODUCTION

DEFINATION

ELEMENTS
&
HISTORY
 WHAT IS DRAMA..?

● ..?..?..?..
● The question asked is

● WHAT IS DRAMA..?

– Can we truly define it..?

– Is there a 'textbook' definition for this word..?
– What is drama in relation to theatre..?
– Why is drama so important..?
– What are its uses, its aims..?
Some have said that drama develops self-
esteem and encourages creativity and
imagination.
This is true, and will be demonstrated
through examples from personal experiences.
Usually the first thing that occurs in a drama
class is that someone will ask for a definition
of the word drama.
At first glance, it seems a simple question, but
as one begins to delve into the true nature of
drama, the answer is not so cut and dry
For some, drama is a type of television
show, such as a KbSb or Kahani GGki
show.

For others, it is that section of the movie

rental hire a CD and 'chick flicks' are.

For still others, drama means Sophocles,

Euripides, and Shakespeare.
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 TEACHER & DRAMA

For teachers, drama means all and

none of these things.
A clear definition is needed in order to
lead the students in various activities,
and towards various goals. What good
is it to have the students explore within
themselves
if the teacher does not know what the
aim or direction of the exploration is?
Many teachers claim that their purpose of
drama is to develop the child's sense of self.
This however is slightly vague.
Most people in education strive for this in
one way or another.
Bettering the child in body mind and spirit
is a general goal for teachers, so this idea is
not particular to drama.

TEACHER & DRAMA

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 So then,

what exactly is drama..?

 DEFINATION

An expressive process which is best understood

through the idea of symbolization and its role in
the discovery and communication of meaning
(McGregor 24).

This is an accurate definition, as it also goes on

to explain that drama is 'multi-faceted' and
that the child gains experience through voice,
language and the body as prime means of
expression; and the associated media of light,
sound and space (McGregor 24).
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Drama is tension. In the context of a play
in a theatre,
Tension often means that the audience is
expecting something to happen between
the characters on stage.
i.e., Will they shoot each other?
Will they finally confess their undying love
for one another?
Will Oedipus figure out that he was the one
that caused the plague by killing his father
and married his mother?
Oedipus at the end
 Drama on stage often reflects
the drama of everyday life,
BUT
(just like other forms of literature and art)
it concentrates life,
focuses it,
and
holds it up for examination
 DRAMA

&
THEATRE
 DRAMA
“Dran”
a Greek Word,
Means “To do” or “To Act”
The Doing/Acting Makes Drama
“ A THING HAPPENED”.
-In literary context : Dramatic text
-In present context: Unexpected thing happened

Drama is a written text it becomes play when played by player.

Drama…is a story told in front of an audience

- Drama presents a sequence of situations in which characters express

themselves through what happen to them which they do / to do.
 THEATRE
IT IS EXTRACTED FROM TWO WORDS
1. THEOMAI (a Greek word)
2. THEATRON (an Italian/Latin word)

The meaning of these two words are:

A place to see
A place to site & see
A place to site , see & perform
A comprehensive element in which audience and performers involved.
 THEATRE ART

THE ART TO BE PEFORMED IN THEATRE

IS
CALLED

THEATRE ART
The object of the performance should be to
create something believable, human and to make
the audience think.

So the actors try to find a way of conveying the

thoughts and experience of their characters
To do this they need a wide supple techniques a set of skills
(mental & physical) that enables them to convey their
understanding of
a character and allows a great variety of expressionisms
Another aspect one can concentrate on is body
movement and non-verbal communication. We say so
much about ourselves through body language. If we
can learn to control each part of our bodies and the
movements it may make, we can be more in control of
our lives.

Focus and concentration also plays a large part in

drama
 Oedipus with
his mother/wife
Oedipus the king
Personal feelings are not the only subject
for drama.

Drama can be used to introduce the student

to a number of different topics, be it
historical, political, scientific, or artistic. A
variety of situations can be concocted,
allowing the child to explore his actual
social relationships at the real level, and an
unlimited number of hypothetical roles and
attitudes at the symbolic level (McGregor
24).
By experimenting with various roles in society,
the child becomes better prepared to face these
challenges in the real world. As well, by
allowing him/herself to experience things as a
different personality and by letting the
imagination grow free, the teacher is building up
the child's confidence in him/herself and the
validity of their own ideas and feelings.
The child is now more perceptive to the needs
and feelings of others, having portrayed many
different types of people.
Gavin Bolton's definition of dramatic
action as a tool for learning that rests in its
capacity

(1) to separate and objectify an event and

(2) to break down established concepts

and perceptions (142).
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Child Drama

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 In the early 1950s,

Peter Slade
wrote a book entitled as

“ Child Drama”
 “The world was changing;
people's perceptions were changing.
Children were finally seen as people who needed
to be
nurtured,
directed,
guided.
Unfortunately there were still some groups
who felt that the traditional outlook
(drama with an audience)
was the way to go.”
Peter Slade was advocating drama for personal
development.

He stated that he sees formal theatre as a final

stage in a child's development (Bolton 22).

Many traditionalists extrapolated from this

statement that he was anti-theatre.
Peter Slade was not anti-theatre,
he merely felt that not all activities
had to be performed; some were for
self-exploration only.
He wanted to turn away from the
formalised styles designed to make all
children sound like 'little adults' and turn
back to the natural direction that children
wanted to take.
For me,
Me & Drama
drama has always allowed me to become characters that
I would never play in real life.
Play-acting has made me more creative;
I can use my imagination to its full potential, as I no
longer feel threatened by an audience. I have always
found play-acting and other creative drama exercises to
be therapeutic whenever I was distressed.
By interacting with others in the group I have developed
an appreciation for the mind and for the spirit. My view of
society has changed; each one of us has a place in it, and
it is up to the individual to define that place, however it is
the duty of the group to adapt to each individual.
This is the only way to lead a successful and happy life
outside of the classroom, in the real world.
STAGE LAYOUT

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 DRAMA

INTRODUCTION

DEFINATION

ELEMENTS & HISTORY

 ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
Since plays are written with the intention of
performance, the reader of the play must
use his/her imagination to enact the play as
he/she reads it.

Readers of the play need to imagine not just

feelings or a flow of action, but how the
action and the characters look in a theater,
on a stage, before a live audience.
 4 basic
Elements of Drama

Voice
Body Movement
Emotional Expression
Memorization:
Voice:
Volume - project your voice to fill the
room in which you perform
Clarity - take the time to clearly
enunciate all consonants
Rate - Use pauses and speak slowly
enough to be clearly understood
Body Movement:
Cheating out - turn your body toward the
audience
Exaggerated gesture - emphasize physical
gestures to communicate them more clearly
Facial expression - use "big" expressions
that embody emotion
Emotional Expression:
Use the voice and the body together to
convey emotional states to your
audience. This is the central work of an
actor.
Memorization:
Knowing your lines is the essential
first step to working on the three
previous elements.
Aristotle
Aristotle was born in Stagirus,
Macedonia, Greece in 384 BC and
died 62 years later in 322 BC.
He was a student at Plato's
Academy and later became one
of the greatest philosophers of
Ancient Greece.
In one of his treatises,
The Poetics, he outlines the
Six Elements Of Drama, based on
the Ancient Greek belief that
tragedy was the highest form of
Drama.
This outline has become a
guideline for many playwrights
throughout history, and is
especially emphasized in the
works of William Shakespeare.
 ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
by
Aristotle's
The six elements listed below follow the
format suggested by Aristotle's Poetics in
Greece around 300 B.C. While these
elements are ranked by Aristotle in this
order according to importance, note that
many modern plays have little plot and
much spectacle. In the end, however, the
most important element for all theatre is
telling the story
 Aristotle's
Six Elements of Drama

1. Plot (the incidents or story line)

2. Character (physical, social, psychological,
moral--people represented in the play)
3. Thought/Theme (insights into humanity and life)
4. Music (all sound)
5. Spectacle (scenery and other visual elements)
6. Diction/language (the dialogue and poetry)
1. PLOT - (a map, a chart) The overall
structure of a play. This consists of a beginning a
middle, and an end. The beginning establishes
given circumstances, has the inciting incident
and progresses to the middle, which has the
rising action and conflict, leading to a climax.
The end, also called the denouement, establishes
new circumstances which the conflicts (now
resolved) have brought about.
2. CHARACTER - (an engraving instrument)
The participants in the play. Characterization is
developed in three levels: PHYSICAL,
SOCIAL, and PSYCHOLOGICAL.
3. THOUGHT - (to seem like something else)
The themes, concepts and ideas in the play.
Generally speaking, a play needs to be
UNIVERSAL in thought (which makes it appeal
to the basic emotions and ideas of the majority)
and yet needs to be INDIVIDUAL, or as others
would say, personal, unique or original.
4. DIALOGUE - (between words or thoughts)
The exchange of ideas by characters in a play.
Dialogue gives information, reveals character,
directs play and audience attention, reveals play
themes, controls tempo and rhythm.
5. MUSIC - (the art of sound and tone) The
sound of a play. Most performers only consider
music as sound provided by musical instruments,
yet the sound provided by the human voice is
very critical to a play's success. Music in Theatre
is the sound of the human voice, sound effects,
and sound provided by instruments for mood or
rhythm.
6. SPECTACLE - (to see) The visual
elements of a production. Spectacle gives
information about locale, time and style of a
production. Spectacle aids characterization.
Spectacle establishes the mood of a play.
“Art is one way of ordering, clarifying,
understanding, and enjoying our
experiences.”

-Oscar Brockett, theatre

scholar
 Aristotles
Six Elements of Drama
PLOT – what happens in a play; the order of events, the
story as opposed to the theme; what happens rather than
what it means.
THEME – what the play means as opposed to what
happens (plot); the main idea within the play.
CHARACTER – the personality or the part an actor
represents in a play; a role played by an actor in a play.
DICTION/LANGUAGE/DIALOGUE – the word choices made
by the playwright and the enunciation of the actors
delivering the lines.
MUSIC/RHYTHM – by music Aristotle meant the sound,
rhythm and melody of the speeches.
SPECTACLE – the visual elements of the production of a
play; the scenery, costumes, and special effects in a
production.
 PERHAPS
IT IS TRUE THAT
ACTING
IS THE ONE INDISPENSABLE
ELEMENT.
WITHOUT WHICH IT IS
IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A PLAY
 ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
IN MORDEN AGE
Character Genre
Plot Audience
Theme Stagecraft
Dialogue Design
Convention Conversions
 Aristotle's Definition

Play Structure:

1. Exposition
2. Rising Action
3. Climax
4. Falling Action
5. Resolution/Denouement
Freytag's Triangle
Gustav Freytag was a
German writer and
critic born in Kreuzburg,
Silesia, in July of 1816,
and died in 1895.
In his book Technique of
the Drama (1863), he
proposed a method of
analyzing plots derived
from Aristotle's concept
of unity of action that
came to be known as
Freytag's Triangle or
Freytag's Pyramid.
Freytag's Triangle
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Structure of a Play

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 Beginning:

i.      Prologue and or start of play with

introduction of characters, date, place,
time, setting, and exposition and
inciting incident introduced
ii.      Point of attack, introduce primary
conflict and central dramatic question
 Middle:
 
i.      Characters pursue objectives and
encounter obstacles
ii.      Answers sought; goals of characters
conflict with other characters
iii.      Characters attempt to overcome
obstacles and challenges
iv.      Characters plan tactics, succeed,
fail, attack, retreat, surprise, and are
surprised, encounter major reversals and
a crisis is reached
 End:

i.      Characters engage in final conflict (climax of

play)
ii.      Characters main objective achieved of lost
iii.      Central dramatic question is answered,
theme or ideas of play confirmed. Resolution
where order is established
The basic Characteristics of the cause to
effect arrangement are:
Clear exposition of situation
Careful preparation for future events
Unexpected but logical reversals
Continuous mounting suspense
An obligatory scene
Logical resolution
 Genre/Form
of Play
Drama is divided into the categories of
tragedy,
comedy,
melodrama and
tragicomedy. 
Each of these genre/forms can be
further
subdivide by style and content.
 DESIGN
Theater Space
The Proscenium Theater
The Thrust Stage
The Arena Stage
Variant Forms
The Fixed Architectural Stage
Auditoriums
Set Design,, realistic, abstract,
suggestive, or functional.
Stage Facilities
Lighting Design
Costume Design
Mask, Makeup
Technical Production
Sound and Sound Effects
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arena

In an arena theatre
the actor is totally
surrounded by the
audience. Entrances
to the acting area
are normally made
through the audience
at the four corners of
the stage. It look like
tennis court.
thrust

In a thrust stage
theatre the actor is
surrounded on three
sides by the audience--
the fourth side contains
the scenery.
Entrances to the acting
area are through the
scenery upstage and
through the audience at
the two front corners of
the stage.
Preferable to fashion
show, rock show etc.,
proscenium

In a proscenium house
the actor is on a raised
platform in front of the
audience.
Scenery typically fills
the space behind,
upstage of, the actor.
Entrances to the playing
space are made through
the scenery,
we prefer this type only.
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 Drama…

…is a story told in front of an audience

Elements of Drama
Playwright-the
author of a play
Actors-the people
who perform
Acts-the units of
action
Scenes-parts of the
acts
 Elements of Drama

Characterization
-playwright’s
technique for
making believable
characters
Dramatic Speech
Dialogue-
conversation
between or among
characters
Monologue-long
speech by one
single character
(private thoughts)
Stage Directions
Found in brackets [ ]
Describe scenery and
how characters speak
C, Center Stage
L, Stage Left
R, Stage Right
U, Upstage or Rear
D, Downstage or Front
Theater

Where a play
takes place
 Set
Construction on
the stage that
shows time/place
Could be called
Scenery
Props
Small movable
items that the
actors use to
make actions look
real
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Art is
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skill acquired by
experience, study, and clear
observations.

Ramesh B. M.com,M.P.A

Dramatics Specialist
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 Bibliography

Forman, R.J. Classical Greek and

Roman Drama: An Annotated
Bibliography. Salem Press, 1989.
The Classical World Bibliography
of Greek Drama and Poetry. New
TheYork,
Poetics, by Aristotle
1978.

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