The Structures and Purpose of Drama/Theatre

The Structures and Purpose of
Drama/Theatre
1.1 What is Drama?
 Theatre is the performance of drama by live

actors
 Drama is literature intended for presentation
by actors.
Purposes for Drama
 Sharing the human  Passing on tradition and

experience – to express or culture – to express or
communicate emotion, communicate feelings,
feelings, ideas, information ideas, information
through dramatic works
Purposes
 Recreational – drama  Artistic Expression –

as recreation and for drama created with the
recreational events intent to express or
communicate emotion,
feelings, ideas,
information
1.2 The three elements of Drama
 Performance
 tools used by the director and actors to create
characters, emotions, and feelings that tell the
playwright’s story.
 Technical
 Aspects of a play outside of the dramatic elements
that aid in telling the story.
 Literary
 Essential Components needs for a Dramatic
Production
Performance Elements
 Character-characters have goals they

want to achieve; ideas, events, people
 Dialogue – A conversation between 2 or
more characters to express thoughts,
feelings, and action.
 Monologue – A long speech made by
one person, often called a soliloquy.
 Conflict – The struggle between
opposing forces, ideas, or interests.
Performance Elements
 Motivation-that which propels the character

towards his/her goal
 Voice-the voice is one of two primary tools of
the actor. Learning to use the voice
 breathing, projection, and diction.
 Sensory Recall-recalling a smell, taste or
sound will cause the actor’s reaction to it
Monologues Activity
 Everyone will pick a monologue, memorize it

and perform it next Thursday.
 This will be on your part to have it memorized
by Thursday.
 I know this is outside your comfort zone-but
this is part of appreciating the arts-and
experiencing what real actors do on a daily
basis.
1.3 Continuing Drama Elements.
Technical Elements
 Set – The painted backdrop or backgrounds on

a theatrical stage that represent where and
when a story or scene takes place.
 Props – Any article, except costume or
scenery, held and used during the action of
the play (e.g., a drinking glass, a purse, or a
weapon).
 Lighting – Illuminates the action of the play.
Lighting affects the overall atmosphere or
mood of the play.
Technical Elements
 Costumes – the clothing that characters wear

including hats, accessories, and masks.
Costumes also give information about:
Character, Setting, Time, Social
Status, and other important information
relative to the plot.
Technical Elements
 Music/Sound - music and sound helps create the

environment, establish the mood, and aide in telling
the story
 Not made by actor
 Can be by a live orchestra, taped or a soundtrack.
Technical Elements
 Make-up – helps the actor create a complete

character. Make-up is worn by characters on
areas of the body that are visible to the
audience (face, arms, legs).
Literacy Elements- Plot Structure
 Plot or Storyline – The plan of action or events of the story. A
plot has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
 Exposition-the giving of information about the plot and characters
that helps the audience with background details.
 Development-a series of events that advances(rising action) the
storyline-the building of the plot.
 Tension-created when the action of the play is compressed-usual
leads up to the climax
 Climax-the culminating event of the plot
 Reversal/turning point-an even that changes the direction of the
action, usual after a shocking discovery
 Denouement/Conclusion-the resolution of the plot, events that
happen after the climax
Literary Element-Character
 A person portrayed in a drama,

novel, or other artistic piece.
 Protagonist – the main character or
hero who advances the storyline as
he/she attempts to achieve an
important goal.
 Antagonist –the opponent or
adversary of the hero or main character
of a drama.
Literary Devices
 Tools the playwright and director employ to

further enhance the plot
 Symbolism-a symbol is something that
represents something other than itself.
 Foreshadowing- information early in the text
that is later proves to be important for the
solution to a problem or insight into a
character
1.4 Types of Drama
 Comedy – a play that treats characters

and situations in a humorous way.
 Tragedy – in Greek theater, a play
depicting man as a victim of destiny; in
modern theater, a serious play in which
man is a victim of fate, a character flaw,
moral weakness, or social pressure.
Types
 Melodrama – usually refers to plays based on

romantic plots that have little regard for
convincing motivation or detailed
characterization.
 Musical – a play in which the story is told through
a combination of spoken dialogue and musical
numbers.
 Satire – a play in which sarcasm, irony, and
ridicule are used to expose or attack the foolish
behavior of human beings.
Types
 Improvisation – Creating a character or

situation using movement and speech,
without prior rehearsal.
 Role-Playing – Improvising movement and
dialogue to put oneself in another’s place in a
particular situation. This is often used to
examine the person or situation being
improvised.
1.5 Theatre Stages
 In the earliest “theatrical” settings, the

storyteller told his story in a circle of on-lookers.
 It has evolved over time to include four types of
stages
 Proscenium
 Stadium
 Thrust
 Arena
 Black-Box
Stadium Arena
Proscenium Stage
 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.
 Like a movie theatre
 Kentucky Center for the
Arts
Stadium Stage
 Has seating on two sides

 Like a basketball court with the sides facing
each other
Thrust Stage
 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.
Black-Box Stage
 The most recent type

of stage
 The actors and the
audience are on the
same level and the sets
can be moved
anywhere in the space.
 Very intimate, makes
the audience feel part
of the action
Arena Stage
 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
 Derby Dinner Playhouse
Stage Directions
Inside the Actor’s Studio
 The cast of Modern Family (38mins)

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The Structures and Purpose of

 Theatre is the performance of drama by live

 Sharing the human  Passing on tradition and

 Recreational – drama  Artistic Expression –

 Character-characters have goals they

 Motivation-that which propels the character

 Everyone will pick a monologue, memorize it

 Set – The painted backdrop or backgrounds on

 Costumes – the clothing that characters wear

 Music/Sound - music and sound helps create the

 Make-up – helps the actor create a complete

 A person portrayed in a drama,

 Tools the playwright and director employ to

 Comedy – a play that treats characters

 Melodrama – usually refers to plays based on

 Improvisation – Creating a character or

 In the earliest “theatrical” settings, the

 Has seating on two sides

 The most recent type

 The actor is totally

 The cast of Modern Family (38mins)

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