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Elements of Drama

Parts of the Script

Monologue

Aside

Soliloquy

Stage Directions

Stage Directions

List of Cast Members or Characters

Some Definitions...

A remark or passage in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play.

An actor speaks their thoughts aloud when by themselves.

Generally a character will be on stage alone (or the other characters "can't hear").

Think of it like an inner monologue.

Similar to a soliloquy in that one character is speaking (mono = one, dia = two).

A monologue is different from a soliloquy in that the character is speaking to the audience, not just speaking their thoughts out loud.

  • Usually at the beginning of the script.
  • This may or may not include a brief description of the characters.
  • Usually printed in italics.
  • Often enclosed in (parentheses).
  • Tell actors how to move and speak.
  • Describe the scenery or props.
  • Can include suggestions for lighting, costumes, or sound.

Stage directions are the main way that playwrights communicate what a character is doing.

A play would be very boring without any stage directions!

These are the instructions that indicate to the actors (or the reader) what the movement, position, tone of voice, sound effects, or lighting should be.

Archetype

Drama: A form of literature meant to be performed either on stage or on camera.

Playwright: The author of a play.

Script: The written text of a play, movie, or broadcast.

Allusion

Acts and Scenes

Dialogue

A common or typical example of a certain person or thing.

For example, most stories have one or more of the following:

  • The lover/romantic lead character
  • The hero of the story
  • The evil ruler or villian
  • The sage guide who helps the main character.

An implied or indirect reference to something in a piece of literature or writing.

The idea is to call something to mind without specifically mentioning it.

Example: The "Tarzan Jumping Tree" in The House on Mango Street.

Scene: A unit of the play's action separated by setting. Scenes change whenever the setting (time or place) changes.

Acts: A group of scenes. Most modern plays have two acts with an intermission in between.

  • The majority of a play is dialogue.

  • Reveals the plot and characterization.

  • Appears next to characters' names.

Plot and Theme

Characters

A drama follows the same plot structure as a piece of fiction.

All dramas will also contain at least one theme or life lesson.

It's basically a book that is performed.

  • Like fiction, dramas have one or more characters.

  • Because dramas are written in the form of scripts, the author can't explain what a character is like in the usual way.

  • Characterization is instead achieved through speech, actions, other character's reactions, and appearance.
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