Collection 11: Drama
Forms and Stagecraft
A
Play
play is a story
that is acted out
live and on
stage.
Tragedy
A
presentation of
serious and
important actions
that end unhappily.
Tragic Hero
A
noble character who
has a personal flaw
that leads to his or her
downfall or
destruction.
Tragic Flaw
Imperfections
that lead
an otherwise honest and
good character to make
poor decisions that
ultimately doom him or
her.
Comedy
A
play that has a happy
ending that forces the
audience to consider and
question an important
aspect of society.
Satire
A
type of comedy that
insults someone or
something with the
intent to change it for
the good.
Slapstick Comedy
Comedy
that involves
absurd physical violence
that does not truly harm
the characters
(ex: The Three Stooges)
Stage
The
location
where a play
takes place.
Proscenium Arch Stage
The
traditional stage.
The stage is a semi-circle with
a large rectangular arch in the
background that holds portions
of the set and the curtain.
Three-Quarter Thrust Stage
The
stage is “thrust” out into
the audience.
The audience sits on three of
the four sides of a rectangular
stage, thus giving some
audience members a profile
view of the play.
The Round Stage
The
stage is a circle or
rectangle where the
audience sits completely
around it.
There is no “off-stage”
Set
The
physical details added
to a stage to communicate
to the audience the place
and time where the play
takes place.
Costumes
The
clothing actors wear
to portray a character.
Costumes communicate
status, gender, and role
to the audience.
Props
Short
for “Properties”
They are portable items
that actors can move or
carry as they perform.
Dialogue
Characters
speaking
out loud to one
another.
Monologue
One
character
speaking out loud to
other characters on
stage.
Soliloquy
One
character
speaking out loud
to him/herself.
Aside
One
character
speaking out loud
directly to the
audience.
Tension
Suspense
and
anxiety built up in
the audience as the
conflict escalates.
Climax
The
turning point in a play.
The point at which a
character’s fate is ultimately
decided.
The Climax is not necessarily
at or near the end of a play.
Resolution
The
portion of the play
where the audience finds
out what ultimately happens
to the characters.
Exposition
 Often,
the beginning of a play
where a character or a chorus
introduces the basic situation.
 When not at the beginning, a
portion where a character or
chorus fills in the audience on
information not performed by the
actors.
Stage Directions
Commands
by the
playwright describing where
the actors should stand or
move, how they should
speak, or what props to use.