Elements of Drama

A drama is written to be performed.

• The written form is called – A script

• The author is calleda playwright

ora dramatist

acts and scenes• An act is a group of 2

or more scenes that form a MAJOR division of a play

• A scene is one part of the action and usually begins when the setting(time/place) changes

Cast of Characters

• a list that describes who’s in the play and often how they are related to one another

• Often listed in order of importance –or- the order they appear in the play

dialogue• The conversation

between two or more characters in a play.

• Through dialogue, a playwright reveals characters, plot and themes of the play

monologuea speech in which a character speaks

to a silent or absent listener in a moment of deep emotion

*An important, dramatic moment in a play*

Soliloquy and Aside

Soliloquy• Type of Monologue • A speech by a character

alone onstage• His/her words reveal

what he/she is thinking or feeling

• Example: Kevin in The Wonder Years

Aside• A character makes a

brief remark, either to the audience or another character, that others on stage do not hear

• Zack Morris on Saved By the Bell

the plot• The action or main events in a drama

– showcases conflict• Character vs character(problem with another

character)• Character vs society (problem with laws or beliefs)• Character vs nature (problem with force of nature)• Character vs self (problem deciding what to do or

think• Character vs. fate (problem that seems

uncontrollable)

Setting• Where and when the

play takes place. In a play, the setting is usually described in a note or stage directions at the opening of the play and each scene.

stage directions• Describe details of the

setting and sound effects as well as direct characters how to speak their lines, move, act, think.

• Generally printed in italics and enclosed in parentheses.