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A Drama Study
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Drama Study
Drama presents the actions and words of characters on a stage. The conventional formal
arrangement into acts and scenes derives ultimately from the practice in Greek drama of
alternating scenes of dialogue with choral sections. It is helpful, in discussing plays, to have
some familiarity with some basic conventions of drama. Every play typically involves the
direct presentation of actions and words by characters on a stage. Although the structural
principles are quite fluid, dramatic form often tends to move from exposition, foreshadowing,
rising action, climax, to resolution.
Before students can begin analyzing and creating poetry, they must have a clear vision of what
a play or drama looks like. Students and teachers must spend time reading and getting to
know different plays.
Immerse student with plays of all kinds. Create criteria charts and examples for the different
plays that you study.
Draw students’ attention to the unique characteristics of drama such as scripts, scenes,
characters/narrators, set directions, and dialogue.
Drama Resources
Readers’ Theater Scripts and Plays
Readers Theater Scripts
Free Plays for Children at Drama.net
Theater Vocabulary
Drama in the TEKS
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama.
Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of
drama and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. RC2 Students are expected to:
7(A) explain the elements of plot and 5(A) describe the structural
5(A) analyze the similarities and
elements particular to dramatic
character as presented through
differences between an original text and
literature RC2.
dialogue in scripts that are read,
its dramatic adaptation
viewed, written, or performed.
SEs that were tested and/or dual coded on the Reading STAAR Release tests
Ineligible for testing in third grade.
F19 (D) Reading Comprehension
Skills - make inferences about text
and use textual evidence to support
understanding
2(B) use the context of the sentence
and surrounding text (e.g., in-sentence
example or definition) to determine
the meaning of unfamiliar words or
multiple meaning words RC1
F19 (E) summarize and paraphrase
texts in ways that maintain meaning
and logical order within a text and
across texts
8(A) evaluate the impact of sensory
details, imagery, and figurative
language in literary text RC2.
Additional SEs that may be tested and/or dual coded with drama
Ineligible for testing in third grade. Reporting Category 1:
x Reading/Vocabulary
Development –
2 A, B, E
x Reading/Comprehension of
Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction
– 7A
Reporting Category 2:
x Reading/Comprehension of
Literary Text/Theme and Genre –
3, 3A, B
x Reading/Comprehension of
Literary Text/Sensory Language
– 8, 8A
x Reading/ Media Literacy – 14
x Reading/Comprehension Skills –
19E
Reporting Category 1:
x Reading/Vocabulary
Development –
2 A, B, E
x Reading/Comprehension of
Literary Text/Theme and Genre –
3, 3A
x Reading/Comprehension Skills –
19F
Reporting Category 2:
x Reading/Comprehension of
Literary Text/Theme and Genre –
3C
x
Reading/Comprehension of
Literary Text/Sensory Language
– 8, 8A
x Reading/ Media Literacy – 14
x Reading/Comprehension Skills –
19D, 19E
Elements of Drama
Script/Text, Scenario, Plan
This is the starting point of the drama or play, the element
most often considered as the domain of the playwright in
theatre. The script, scenario, or plan is what the director
uses as a blue print to build a production from.
Thought/Theme/Ideas
What the play means as opposed to what happens (the
plot). Sometimes the theme is clearly stated in the title. It
may be stated through dialogue (words or lines spoken by a
character or narrator) by a character acting as the
playwright’s voice. Or it may be the theme is less obvious
and emerges only after some study or thought.
Action/Plot
The events of a play, the story as opposed to the theme what happens rather than what it means. The plot must
have some sort of unity and clarity by setting up a pattern
by which each action initiates the next, rather than standing
alone without connection to what came before it or what
follows. In the plot of a play, characters are involved in
conflict that has a pattern of movement. The action and
movement in the play begins from the initial entanglement,
through rising action, climax, and falling action to
resolution.
Characters/Cast
These are the people presented in the play that are involved
in the plot. Each character should have his/her own distinct
personality, age, appearance, beliefs, background, and
language.
Language
The word choices made by the playwright and the
enunciation of the actors of the language. Language and
dialogue delivered by the characters moves the plot and
action along, provides exposition and defines the distinct
characters. Each playwright can create their own specific
style in relationship to language choices they use in
establishing character and dialogue.
Adapted from: http://homepage.smc.edu/adair-lynch_terrin/ta%205/elements.htm
Structure of Drama
Dramatic structure involves the overall framework
or method by which the playwright uses to organize the
dramatic material and or action. Understanding basic
principles of dramatic structure is important for
understanding the overall message or theme in a play. Most
modern plays are structured into acts that can be further
divided into scenes and acts. The pattern most often used is
a method by where the playwright foreshadows in the
beginning scenes all of the necessary conditions and
situations from which the later events will develop.
Generally the wants and desires of one character will
conflict with another character. With this method the
playwright establishes a pattern of rising action, climax, and
resolution. Many plays also include stage directions for
scenes or acts.
Stage Directions
Instructions written as part of the script of a play, a message
describing how something is to be done;
Dialogue
The words/phrases/speeches spoken by each character in a
play.
Plot - the arrangement of ideas and/or incidents that make
up the story in a drama or play
Exposition
Exposition is important information that the audience needs
to know in order to follow the main story line of the play. It
is the aspects of the story that the audience may hear about
but that they will not witness in actual scenes. It
encompasses the past actions of the characters before the
play’s opening scenes progress.
Foreshadowing - When the writer clues the reader in to
something that will eventually occur in the story; it may be
explicit (obvious) or implied (disguised).
Rising Action
Rising action is the section of the plot beginning with the
first action and the sequence of events moving to the crisis
or climax. These scenes make up the body of the play and
usually create a sense of continuous mounting suspense in
the audience.
The Climax/Crisis
All of the earlier scenes and actions in a play will build to
the highest level of dramatic intensity. This section of the
play is generally referred to as the moment of the plays
climax. This is the moment where the major dramatic
questions rise to the highest level, the mystery hits the
unraveling point, and the culprits are revealed. This should
be the point of the highest stage of dramatic intensity in the
action of the play. The whole combined actions of the play
generally lead up to this moment.
Resolution
The resolution is the moment of the play in which the
conflicts are resolved. It is the solution to the conflict in the
play, the answer to the mystery, and the clearing up of the
final details. This is the scene that answers the questions
raised earlier in the play. In this scene the methods and
motives are revealed to the audience.
Adapted from: http://homepage.smc.edu/adair-lynch_terrin/ta%205/elements.htm
Drama Reading Strategies
Preview the drama by reading the title, characters, and
narrator. Read any background information provided.
Read drama once for overall meaning.
Visualize the characters. What does the person look like?
How do they sound? How do they deliver each line?
Contemplate the setting to have a clear understanding of the
story’s time and place. Try to imagine the sets (scenery and
props) and costumes. Consider whether or not the historical
context is important to the story.
Research the Historical Context if the time and place is an
essential component and you need to know more about the
historic details.
Clarify words and phrases about which you are unsure about
by looking for context clues.
Sit in the Directors Chair. To visualize the play, the
student should think like a director. To truly appreciate the
dramatic literature, a student must imagine the cast (crew of
actors), the set, and the movement.
Evaluate the drama’s theme by asking what message is the
play trying to send or help you understand? Does it relate to
your life in any way?
Questions for Analyzing Drama
x How does the plot (the sequence of happenings)
unfold? If there is more than one plot, are the plots
parallel, or are they related by way of contrast?
x Are certain happenings recurrent? If so, how are they
significant?
x What kinds of conflict are in the play—for instance,
between two groups, two individuals, or two aspects of
a single individual? How are the conflicts resolved? Is
the resolution satisfying to you?
x How does the author develop the characters? How
trustworthy are the characters when they describe
themselves or others? Do some characters serve as foils,
or contrasts, for other characters, thus helping to define
the other characters? Do the characters change as the
play proceeds?
x What do the author’s stage directions add to your
understanding and appreciation of the play? If there are
few stage directions, what do the speeches imply about
the characters’ manner, tone, and gestures?
x Why is the setting/location important to the play?
How is it revealed?
x How do costumes or props add to the meaning of the
play? Are any of the props symbolic? What do they
symbolize?
Examples of Drama
Questions on STAAR
Question Stems for Drama from STAAR Release tests
x In paragraph __, the word __ means…
x What is the theme of the play?
x How does Scene __ differ from Scene __?
x Which sentence best summarizes Scene __?
x Which of these events resolves __’s conflict in the play?
x What can the reader conclude from the last paragraph of Scene __?
x The author’s use of figurative language in paragraph __ emphasizes that —
x Read these lines from Scene __ of the play. What do these lines represent?
Possible Question Stems
x What do the characters in __ and __ have in common?
x What was the message in this play?
x Which line from the play has an example of a simile/metaphor?
x The picture(s) in the play show…
x What is the best summary of this play?
x The historical context of this play is important because…
x The phrase “__” is important because…
x Which line in the play told the reader that ____was afraid (or other emotion)?
x What images in your mind were created by reading this poem?
x Which line or lines created this image for you?
x Which words in this poem made you feel like you could almost (smell, hear,
see) __?
x How did you feel when you read Scene __ of the play?
Connecting Across Texts
x What do the lessons/themes in __ and __ have in common?
x A theme found in both the play and the selection is…
x What is one similarity between the events in the play and the selection?
THEATRE VOCABULARY
Actor/Actress
A male or female person who performs a role in a play, work of theatre, or
movie.
Antagonist
A person or a situation that opposes another character’s goals or desires.
Articulation
The clear and precise pronunciation of words.
Blocking
The planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage.
Catharsis
The purification or purgation of the emotions (such as pity, fear, grief, etc.)
affected in a work of tragedy.
Concentration
The ability of the actor/actress to be “in” character - that is, to be like the
character s/he is portraying – in dialog, attitude, carriage, gait, etc.
Center stage
The center of the area defined as the stage.
Character
A personality or role an actor/actress re-creates.
Characterization
The development and portrayal of a personality through thought, action,
dialogue, costuming, and makeup.
Climax
The point of greatest dramatic tension or transition in a theatrical work.
Cold reading
A reading of a script done by actors who have not previously reviewed the
play.
Collaboration
Two or more people working together in a joint intellectual effort.
Commedia dell’arte
A professional form of theatrical improvisation, developed in Italy in the
1500’s, featuring stock characters and standardized plots.
Comedy
A theatrical work that is intentionally humorous.
Conflict
Opposition of persons or forces giving rise to dramatic action.
Context
Interrelated conditions in which a play exists or occurs.
Costume
Clothing worn by an actor on stage during a performance.
Creative drama
An improvisational, process-centered form of theatre in which participants
are guided by a leader to imagine, enact, and reflect on human experiences.
A joint creation by TCAP and SPARKed – SPARK in Education
Crisis
A decisive point in the plot of a play on which the outcome of the remaining
action depends.
Critique
Opinions and comments based on predetermined criteria that may be used
for self- evaluation or the evaluation of the actors or the production itself.
Cue
A signal, either verbal or physical, that indicates something else, such as a
line of dialogue or an entrance, is to happen.
Denouement
The final resolution of the conflict in a plot.
Design
The creative process of developing and executing aesthetic or functional
designs in a production, such as costumes, lighting, sets, and makeup.
Dialogue
The conversation between actors on stage.
Diction
The pronunciation of words, the choice of words, and the manner in which a
person expresses himself or herself.
Directing
The art and technique of bringing the elements of theatre together to make
a play.
Director
The person who oversees the entire process of staging a production.
Downstage
The stage area toward the audience.
Dramatic play
Children’s creation of scenes when they play “pretend”.
Dramatic structure
The particular literary structure and style in which plays are written.
Dramaturg
A person who provides specific in-depth knowledge and literary resources to
a director, producer, theatre company, or even the audience.
Dress rehearsals
The final few rehearsals just prior to opening night in which the show is run
with full technical elements. Full costumes and makeup are worn.
Electronic media
Means of communication characterized by the use of technology (e.g.,
radio, television, and the Internet).
Elizabethan theatre
The theatre of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and often
extended to the close of the theatres in 1640.
Emotional memory
The technique of calling upon your own memories to understand a
character’s emotions.
Ensemble
A group of theatrical artists working together to create a theatrical
production.
Epic theatre
Theatrical movement of the early 1920’s and 1930 characterized by the use
of such artificial devices as cartoons, posters, and film sequences distancing
A joint creation by TCAP and SPARKed – SPARK in Education
the audience from theatrical illusion and following focus on the play’s
message.
Exposition
Detailed information revealing the facts of a plot.
Farce
A comedy with exaggerated characterizations, abundant physical or visual
humor, and, often, an improbable plot.
Form
The overall structure or shape of a work that frequently follows and
established design. Forms may refer to a literary type (e.g., narrative form,
short-story form, dramatic form) or to pattern of meter, line, and rhymes
(e.g., stanza form, verse form).
Formal theatre
Theatre that focuses on public performance in the front of an audience and
in which the final production is most important.
Genre
In literary and dramatic studies, genre refers to the main types of literary
form, principally tragedy and comedy. The term can also refer to forms that
are more specific to a given historical era, such as the revenge tragedy, or to
more specific sub-genres of tragedy and comedy, such as the comedy of
manners.
Gesture
An expressive movement of the body or limbs.
Greek theatre
Theatrical events in honor of the god Dionysus in Ancient Greece and
included play competitions and a chorus of masked actors.
Improvisation
A spontaneous style of theatre through which scenes are created without
advance rehearsal or a script.
Informal theatre
A theatrical performance that focuses on small presentations, such as one
taking place in a classroom setting. Usually, it is not intended for public
view.
Kabuki
One of the traditional forms of Japanese theatre, originating in the 1600’s
and combining stylized acting, costumes, makeup, and musical
accompaniment.
Level
The height of an actor’s head actor as determined by his or her body
position (e.g., sitting, lying, standing, or elevated by an artificial means).
Make-up
Cosmetics and sometimes hairstyles that an actor wears on stage to
emphasize facial features, historical periods, characterizations, and so forth.
Masks
Coverings worn over the face or part of the face of an actor to emphasize or
neutralize facial characteristics.
Melodrama
A dramatic form popular in the 1800s and characterized by an emphasis on
plot and physical action (versus characterization), cliff-hanging events, heart-
A joint creation by TCAP and SPARKed – SPARK in Education
tugging emotional appeals, the celebration of virtue, and a strongly
moralistic tone.
Mime
An incident art form based on pantomime in which conventionalized
gestures are used to express ideas rather than represent actions; also, a
performer of mime.
Monologue
A long speech by a single character.
Motivation
A character’s reason for doing or saying things in a play.
Musical theatre
A type of entertainment containing music, songs, and, usually, dance.
Noh
One of the traditional forms of Japanese theatre in which masked male
actors use highly stylized dance and poetry to tell stories.
Objective
A character’s goal or intention
Pacing
The tempo of an entire theatrical performance.
Pantomime
Acting without words through facial expression, gesture, and movement.
Pitch
The highness or lowness of voice
Play
The stage representation of an action or a story; a dramatic composition.
Playwright
A person who writes plays.
Position
The orientation of the actor to the audience (e.g., full front, right profile, left
profile).
Projection
The placement and delivery of volume, clarity, and distinctness of voice for
communicating to an audience.
Props (properties)
Items carried on stage by an actor; small items on the set used by the actors.
Proscenium
The view of the stage for the audience; also called a proscenium arch. The
archway is in a sense the frame for stage as defined by the boundaries of the
stage beyond which a viewer cannot see.
Protagonist
The main character of a play and the character with whom the audience
identifies most strongly.
Puppetry
Almost anything brought to life by human hands to create a performance.
Types of puppets include rod, hand, and marionette.
Rehearsal
Practice sessions in which the actors and technicians prepare for public
performance through repetition.
A joint creation by TCAP and SPARKed – SPARK in Education
Rising action
The part of a plot consisting of complications and discoveries that create
conflict.
Run-through
A rehearsal moving from start to finish without stopping for corrections or
notes.
Script
The written text of a play.
Sense memory
Memories of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. It is used to help
define a character in a certain situation.
Stage
The area where actors perform.
Stage crew
The backstage technical crew responsible for running the show. In small
theatre companies the same persons build the set and handle the load-in.
Then, during performances, they change the scenery and handle the curtain.
Stage direction
(See center stage, downstage, stage left, stage right, and upstage.)
Stage manager
The director’s liaison backstage during rehearsal and performance. The
stage manager is responsible for the running of each performance.
Stage left
The left side of the stage from the perspective of an actor facing the
audience.
Stage right
The right side of the stage from the perspective of an actor facing the
audience.
Stock characters
Established characters, such as young lovers, neighborhood busybodies,
sneaky villains, and overprotective fathers, who are immediately
recognizable by an audience.
Style
The distinctive and unique manner in which a writer arranges words to
achieve particular effects. Style essentially combines the idea to be
expressed with the individuality of the author. These arrangements include
individual word choices as well as such matters as the length and structure
of sentences, tone, and use of irony.
Subtext
Information that is implied by a character but not stated by a character in
dialogue, including actions and thoughts.
Tableau
A silent and motionless depiction of a scene created by actors, often from a
picture (plural tableaux).
Text
Printed words, including dialogue and the stage directions for a script.
Theatre
To imitate or represent life in performance for other people; the
performance of dramatic literature; drama, the milieu of actors, technicians,
and playwrights; the place where dramatic performances take place.
A joint creation by TCAP and SPARKed – SPARK in Education
Theatre of the absurd
Theatrical movement beginning in the 1950s in which playwrights created
works representing the universe as unknowable and humankind’s existence
as meaningless.
Theatrical conventions
The established techniques, practices, and devices unique to theatrical
productions.
Theatrical experiences
Events, activities, and productions associated with theatre, film/video, and
electronic media.
Theatre games
Noncompetitive games designed to develop acting skills and popularized by
Viola Spolin.
Tragedy
Used as a noun, the stage area away from the audience; used as a verb, to
steal the focus of a scene.
Vocal quality
The characteristics of a voice, such as shrill, nasal, raspy, breathy, booming,
and so forth.
Volume
The degree of loudness or intensity of a voice.
A joint creation by TCAP and SPARKed – SPARK in Education