DRAMA

DRAMA
 The terms “Drama” is from a Greek word drao,
meaning “to do” or “to act.” It is
performed by actors and actresses on radio,
television or stage before an audience. Often, it
combined with music and dances (Clark, 1965;
Banham, 1998)
 Drama is a play that is acted out. It is a reflection
of the everyday lives of people. It shows how
people seriously or humorously experience some
eventful period in their lives. It combines the arts
of the actor, author, director, designer, and others
(Bain et al., 1973).
Dramatic Elements
 Audience. The audience is the body of theatre-
goers that the writer always had in mind when
he/she wrote the play. The role of the audience is
to witness the production and to encourage the
actors through their applause and appreciation.
 Dialogue. The dialogue is a technique in which
playwright used two or more characters to be
engaged in conversation with one another. It has
two parts: Inner Dialogue (the characters speak to
themselves and reveal their personalities like a
monologue) and the
Outer Dialogue (a simple conversation between
two characters in a play).
 Plot. It refers to the order of events or story that
occurred in a play. What the characters do, how
they interact, the course of their lives as narrated
by the story, and what happens to them in the end,
constitutes the plot.
 Stagecraft. It refers to the technical aspects of
theatrical production, which include costume
design, lighting, scenic design, stage machinery,
sound, and makeup.
 Convention. It refers to the technique of actions
established by the director to the actors to create a
desired dramatic effect.
 Genres. It refers to the types of acts used in a
drama in showing an emotional and
relational development of realistic characters.
 Characterization. It is a writer's ability to match
the Protagonist against an Antagonist.
The protagonist is the main character in a story
while the antagonist is the opposition.
Other Dramatic Elements
 Climax. It is the highest point of dramatic tension or
conflict in a story or play. Without the climax, a story
will have lack of excitement or an overarching meaning.
 Conflict. It is a vital element of drama and script
writing. It is an essential ingredient for all dramatic
performances. It can be between two or more characters,
or just one (inner conflict). It
can be verbal (physical) or non-verbal (psychological)
 Contrast. The use of variation in a drama is a useful way to focus the
audience's attention.
Without the careful use of contrast, a performance is dull and lacks
tension. A prominent
example of contrast is a sad scene followed by a happy one.
Focus. It is used interchangeably with the terms concentration and
engagement in assisting
the performer in the portrayal of believable personae. It also suggests
memorization of word,
moves, gestures, and requires channeling (focusing) of all the
performer’s energies into
achieving the given goals of a character.
 Language. It is the written script that helps achieve any
performance. The use of words in
performance can be verbal (vocal) or non-verbal (body
language). It can also be sung or chanted
as a major means of communicating the story of the drama
to the viewers.
 Mood. It refers to the emotion or tone of a performance
through a combination of several
stagecrafts and dramatic elements that harmoniously work
with each other. The mood of production is linked with
common feelings such as anger, desire, frustration, or pity.
It can also be through lighting, sound, movement, setting,
rhythm, contrast, or conflict.
 Rhythm. It refers to the speed and timing (beat or
tempo) of the play that follows the
emotional state of one or more characters of the
performance.
Sound. It is a means of creating an atmosphere or
mood in a play. Small props sometimes produced
sound effects that can be used live during a
performance.
 Space. It refers to the practical use of available
area utilized by the actors, such as crawling,
bending over, sitting, or lying down.
 Symbol. It refers to the objects or sets and props
used in theatre performances. They are intended to
arouse some concept or emotion in the mind of the
audience.
 Tension. This can sometimes be similar to the term
conflict. The tension form when
audience anticipates specific outcomes in the plot of the
story. The development of tension
usually parallels the advancement of the plot, leading to
the climax.
 Timing. It refers to the dramatic phases or
synchronization of movements and gestures of the
various parts of production for theatrical effect.
Types of Drama
 Tragedy: It is a simulation of an action that is
serious, complete, and of absolute
magnitude in a play. It usually depicts the downfall
of the protagonist.
 Comedy: It is a type of dramatic work that is
amusing and humorous in its tone, mostly having a
cheerful ending.
 Problem Play- It is a type of drama that deals with
controversial social issues in a
realistic manner. It exposes social ills and
stimulates thought and discussion on the part of
the audience.

 Farce-It is a comedy that turns around impossible

and exaggerated events.
 Fantasy- This type of drama is often romantic and
contains the elements of the
supernatural, magic, secret societies, and revenge.
 Melodrama- It is a dramatic work in which the
plot is designed to appeal strong emotions
and takes precedence over detailed
characterization.
The drama of Historical
Interest
The drama of Historical Interest
 AncientDrama- Drama existed in religious
ceremonies for the worship of the different gods.

 Medieval Drama- It dealt with Bible stories and

allegorical mysteries.
The drama of Historical Interest
 Renaissance Drama- During this period, the Greek and
the Roman dramatist were imitated in Italy, France,
Germany, and England. Mask and costumes become
popular also during this time.
 Modern Drama- it was during the last two decades of
the 19th century and the first half of 20th century that
witnessed a great variety of trends in a stage play.
Romanic fantasy, symbolism, expressionism,
impressionism, comedy, and poetic drama reached new
heights during this period.
Benefits of Drama and the Role
of Artist
Benefits of Drama and the Role of
Artist
 It develops imagination, creativity, and flexible ways of
thinking
 It promotes concentration, focus, and the ability to pay
attention to detail.
 It helps to master body language, blending body movement
and facial expression, coupled with spoken language to
convey oneself.
 It helps to explore feelings, inner values, and thoughts.
 It develops the ability to interact and work with others.
 It helps in building self-confidence and self-esteem.
 Drama Forms
 Drama forms are composed of specific structures
that define, differentiate, and shape ways in which
it is explored. Often, its forms are the
improvisation, movement, scene work, and speech.
Movement 
 Clowning- It is the act that draws skill-based exaggerated
movements and gestures, to create humor for the viewers.
 Dance- It is the execution of a creative, free, and exploratory series
of actions performed with or without music.
 Mask Work- It is the exploration of movement using a mask to
bring the focus to the physical expression of the body.
 Mime- It is pantomime acting without words and is through facial
expression, gesture, and movement.
 Stage Fighting- It is a choreographed movement designed to
simulate fighting between actors.
 Tableau- It is a silent and motionless scene created by actors to
draw focus to the central theme of the drama.
Improvisation

 The character in Role- It is a person role-playing

character in a particular situation.
 Improvisational Drama- It is a spontaneous style of
theatre in which there is no set of script and scenes
are created without advance preparation
 Role Play- It is an activity in which individuals
assume identities other than their own
 Spontaneous Stories- It is a verbal warm-up activity
in which narratives are made.
Speech
 Choral Work- It refers to the ensemble speech or singing.
 Monologues- It is a long speech by a single character.
 Radio Drama- It is a drama that is intended to be listening instead
of viewing.
 Reader’s Theatre- It is a performance created by actors through
reading a script.
 Recitation- It is the oral presenting of a scripted piece of work that
often involves ballads, monologues, and rhymes.
 Soundscape- It is the use of various overlapping sound to create an
atmosphere
 Storytelling- It refers to relating stories to an audience.
Scene Works

 Collective Creation- It is a group process of writing an

original script
 Docudrama- It is the use of dramatic devices to illustrate
a real-life situation through performance
 Puppetry- It includes an extensive variety of props that
almost anything brought to life by human hands to create
a performance.
 Story Theatre- It refers to a theatrical production of an
existing story where the characters speak every line of the
story.