drama

Drama,A drama is a story enacted onstage for a live audience.,What Is Drama?,What Is Drama?,Origins of DramaThe word drama comes from the Greek verb dran, which means “to do.”The earliest known plays . . .were written around the fifth century B.C. produced for festivals to honor Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility,Like the plot of a story, the plot of a play involves characters who face a problem or conflict.,Climaxpoint of highest tension;action determines how the conflict will be resolved,Resolutionconflict is resolved;play ends,Complicationstension builds,Expositioncharacters and conflict are introduced,Dramatic Structure,Dramatic Structure,Conflict is a struggle or clash between opposing characters or forces. A conflict may develop . . .between characters who want different things or the same thingbetween a character and his or her circumstanceswithin a character who is torn by competing desires,A tragedy is a play that ends unhappily.,Tragedies pit human limitations against the larger forces of destiny.,right and wrong,justice and injustice,life and death,Tragedy,Most classic Greek tragedies deal with serious, universal themes such as,The protagonist of most classical tragedies is a tragic hero. This hero,is noble and in many ways admirable,has a tragic flaw, a personal failing that leads to a tragic end,rebelliousness,jealousy,pride,Tragedy,A comedy is a play that ends happily. The plot usually centers on a romantic conflict.,boy meets girl,boy loses girl,boy wins girl,Comedy,The main characters in a comedy could be anyone:,nobility,servants,townspeople,Comedy,Comic complications always occur before the conflict is resolved.,In most cases, the play ends with a wedding.,Comedy,Modern Comedy,Modern ComediesIn modern comedies, the genders in this romantic plot pattern sometimes are reversed.,A modern play,usually is about ordinary people,may be tragedy, comedy, or a mixture of the two,usually focuses on personal issues,Modern Drama,Modern playwrights often experiment with unconventional plot structures.,Modern Drama,long flashbacks,music,visual projections of a characters private thoughts,When you read a play, remember that it is meant to be performed for an audience.,Performance of a Play,Performance of a Play,Theater artists includeActorsDirectorsLighting techniciansStage crew,Stages can have many different sizes and layouts.,“Thrust” stage,Setting the Stage,The stage extends into the viewing area.,The audience surrounds the stage on three sides.,“In the round” stage is surrounded by an audience on all sides.,Setting the Stage,Proscenium stage,Setting the Stage,The playing area extends behind an opening called a “proscenium arch.”,The audience sits on one side looking into the action.,upstage,downstage,stage left,stage right,Setting the Stage,Stages in Shakespeares time were thrust stages.,Scene design transforms a bare stage into the world of the play. Scene design consists of,props,sets,costumes,lighting,Setting the Stage,A stages set might be,realistic and detailed,Setting the Stage,abstract and minimal,A lighting director skillfully uses light to change the mood and appearance of the set.,Setting the Stage,The costume director works with the director to design the actors costumes.,Like sets, costumes can be,detailed,minimal,Setting the Stage,Props (short for properties) are items that the characters carry or handle onstage.,The person in charge of props must make sure that the right props are available to the actors at the right moments.,Setting the Stage,The characters speech may take any of the following forms.,The Characters,Finally, a play needs an audience to,experience the performance,understand the story,respond to the characters,The Audience,The End,This powerpoint was kindly donated to http:/ww