I gave this in two days. The second day I showed my students a lot of different examples of play formating and how to use stage directions.

2. Quote of the Day

3. Definition:
• A drama is a written story enacted
onstage for a live audience.
• A written work intended for
performance by actors on a stage.

4. Origin of Drama
• The word drama derives 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

5. Types of stages
Thrust Stage
• The stage extends into the viewing
area.
• The audience surrounds the stage on
three sides.

6. Types of Stages
“In the round” Stage
• Is surrounded by an audience on all
sides

7. Types of Stages
Proscenium stage
• The playing area extends behind and
opening called a “Proscenium arch.”
• The audience sits on one side looking
into the action.

8. Purpose of Drama
• To present in front of an audience.
• To entertain.
• To present a visual and aural
experience for the audience.

9. Types of Drama
Tragedy
• involves the ruin of
the leading
character.
• Unhappy play has a
sad ending.
• Tragic Hero.

10. Types of Drama
Comedy-
• Is a play that ends happily. The
plot usually centers on a romantic
conflict.
Boy meets girl Boy loses girl Boy wins girl

11. Types of Drama
Problem Play
• Drama of social
criticism discusses
social, economic,
or political
problems by
means of a play.

12. Types of Drama
Musical-
• the story is told not
only through
dialogue and acting
but through music
and dance. Musicals
are often comedic,
although many do
involve serious
subject matter.

13. Theater
• A
building, room, or
outdoor structure
for the
presentation of
plays, films, or
other dramatic
performances.

14. Dramatic Structure
• Conflict-
Is a struggle or clash between
opposing characters or forces.
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Self

15. Actor
• A theatrical performer.

16. Character’s Speech
• The character’s speech may take
any of the following forms:
Diologue: Conversation of characters on stage.
Monologue: Long speech given by one character to
others.
Solilquy: Speech by a character alone onstage to himself
or herself or to the audience.
Asides: Remarks made by the audience or to one
character; the other characters onstage do not hear an
aside

17. Performance of a Play
When you read a play, remember
that it is meant to be performed for
an audience.
Stage Directions Performance
Playwrite describes setting and •Theater artists bring
characters’ action and manner the playwrite’s vision to
life on the stage.
[Wyona is sitting on the couch.
•The audience responds
She sees Paul and jumps to her
to the play and shares
feet.]
the experience
Wyona. [Angrily.] What do you
want?

18. Riddle of the day
What comes down but never
goes up?
RAIN

19. With out Stage Direction
JOHN: Hey what's up!
SAMANTHA: I feel terrible.

20. With Stage Direction
Samantha is sitting by herself in the
cafeteria. John comes in from the
left
JOHN: Hey what's up! (John sits across
the table from Samantha)
SAMANTHA: (Exhausted) I feel terrible.

21. How to read Drama
Script
• a written version of a play or other
dramatic composition; used in preparing
for a performance
• See examples

22. Acts & Scenes
• An act is a division of a drama.
• The number of acts in a
production can range from one to
five or more
• A scene is a part of an act defined
with the changing of characters.

23. Practice
• Choose one of the
stories discussed in
class. Write a
scene from one of
the story to a
script.
• Draw a picture of
how you would
want the stage to
look like.