Drama

Drama and Elements of Drama

             Drama is written to be performed by actors and watched by an audience. In drama, there are 3 major elements which are literary, technical, and performance elements.

1) Literary elements

Plot- The basic storyline of the play.

Theme- Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play.

Character- The people portrayed by the actors in the play.

Dialogue- This refers to the words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the play.

Music – Music is often featured in the drama,

Spectacle - This refers to the visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special effects, etc. The spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play.

2) Technical elements

    Scenery (set) - The artificial equipment, such as curtains, flats, backdrops, or platforms, used in a dramatic production to communicate environment.

Costumes- Clothing and accessories are worn by actors to portray the character.

Properties- Properties are any article, except costume or scenery, used as part of a dramatic production; any moveable object that appears on stage during a performance,

Lights- Light elements mean that every placement, intensity, and color of lights have to be set as needed to help communicate environment, mood, or feeling

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Sound- The effects and audience hear during the performance to communicate character, context, or environment. 

Makeup- Makeup includes costumes, wigs, and body paint used to transform an actor into a character.

3)   Performance elements

Acting- The use of face, body, and voice to portray the character

Character Motivation- The reason for a character’s behavior; an inducement for further action for a character in the drama.

Character Analysis- In responding to dramatic art, the process of examining how the elements of drama –literary, technical, and performance –are used.  

Empathy- The capacity to relate to the feelings of another

Elements of drama in the modern theatre

Plot- The basic storyline of the play

Theme- Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play.

Characters- People portrayed by the actors in the play.

Dialogue- The word written by playwright and spoken by characters in the play.

Convention - These are the techniques and methods used by the playwright and director to create the desired stylistic effect.

Genre - Genre refers to the type of play. Some examples of different genres include comedy, tragedy, mystery and historical play.

              Audience - This is the group of people who watch the play.   

    

 

Benefits of using drama in classrooms

Ø  Concentration

Ø  Organization skill

Ø  Enhance Physical expression

Ø  Voice and speech

Ø  Imagination

Ø  Social and emotional awareness

Ø  Critical thinking