DRAMA 1 UNIT 1 NOTES
Name________________________________
Why Study Drama in School?
Our world needs more creative leaders, more empathetic
citizens, more confident communicators, and more
understanding learners. In Drama, students are:
 Exploring through a safe atmosphere for creative
problem solving and a safe outlet for emotions
 Relating to others through increasing communication
skills and collaboration skills
 Understanding other points of view through an
increased sense of empathy.
 Enhancing and reinforcing their education through
more active learning
What are the 4 C’s?
• Collaboration: working with others to create or
produce something
• Communication: verbal (speaking), nonverbal (using
gestures/movement), and written
• Creativity: developing ideas based on your
imagination, knowledge and life experience
• Concentration: focus, attention
What are the Narrative Essentials?
 Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, realized
there were four main components of a good and
complete story. He called them the Narrative
Essentials. They are plot, characters, setting, and
theme.
 Plot: Series of events
o What happens in the story
o Needs a complete beginning, middle, and end
 Characters: Carry out the plot
o Protagonist: the main character;
the story revolves around him/her; not necessarily
the “good” guy
o Antagonist(s): Person and/or force who gets in the
way
 Theme: The message or point of the story
 Setting
o Location
o Time period (historical context)
o Time of day/time of year
o Mood/Atmosphere
Why are the Narrative Essentials Important?
 Drama is the art of writing and producing plays, and
plays, just like books or movies, are a form of
storytelling
 In order for us to write and perform stories well,
we have to know what makes up a good and complete
story, i.e. the Narrative Essentials
Using Rehearsal Time Wisely
• Make sure you understand all instructions given.
• Stay focused on the task at hand.
– Keep conversation on topic.
– Stay with your group—even if your group is
“done.”
• Practice the words & the movement. Don’t just talk
about what you’ll do, actually practice doing it
that way.
• Run through it multiple times to make sure everyone
remembers what they’re doing/saying.
• If you think you’re done, run through it one more
time.
Overcoming Stage Fright
• Be Prepared: Rehearse!
• Get Focused: Breathe, have good posture, and find a
focal point.
• Stay Focused: Listen to your scene partners, not the
audience. Anticipate your lines.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself: The more you perform,
the easier it becomes.
Good Audience Etiquette
• Focus your attention on the performance.
• Don’t talk or make any other unnecessary noise.
• Don’t get up and/or move around.
• Don’t text or use other electronic devices.
• Above all else, don’t take attention away from the
performance onstage.
Giving Peer Critiques
• Ask yourself, “Is my comment going to be helpful for
the performers?” Be respectful!!
• Don’t just focus on negative things. Make sure to
tell people what they’re doing well, too.
• Be specific about what they did well or what they
could work on.
• Offer suggestions to help when you think there’s
something to be fixed.
• If being critiqued: Don’t get offended if someone
tells you something to work on. We all have room to
grow!
1.
Greek theatre began in the 5th century BC in
Athens, Greece (hold on! The other website says 6th
century! Whaaaat? It was a process…some people date
it earlier. Just know that it was 600-400 BC)
2.
Dionysus, Greek god of wine, harvest, and
fertility
3.
Sophocles was a famous Greek playwright.
4. There were 3 main types of plays:
– Tragedies: character suffers disastrous end
– Comedies: always had a happy ending
– Satires: made fun of mortal legends and real
people
5.
Thespis was the first actor; in his honor actors
are called thespians. (He was the first actor
because he was the first person to step out of the
chorus and speak by himself.)
6.
VIP seating area; chorus is group singing and
dancing; masks make the characters more obvious and
help project the voice; crane was used to lift an
actor up—usually a god coming in to solve the
problem in the play; three types of costumes for
each type of play; acting started as chorus leader
speaking to chorus, then they added a 2nd and 3rd
character, etc.
Orchestra: the performance
(singing, dancing, acting) area;
altar at the center
Skene: building behind stage;
decorated according to setting of
play; could be used for
entrances/exits
Theatron: where the audience sat;
usually part of a hillside
Parados: used for actor
exit/entrance as well as audience
entrances/exits
Greek Theatre Notes (Will be taken in class)
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The Origins
Plays were performed in Ancient Greece to honour Dionysus the
god of theatre and wine.
A goat was sacrificed and the chorus danced around the altar &
chanted.
These chants evolved into dramatic contests.
Thespis is said to have won the first contest.
The Theaters
Greek theatres were large and semi-circular with rows of
tiered seating.
The centre was circular with an altar dedicated to Dionysus.
The stage was raised within the circle – this shape made sure
all the audience could see and helped amplify the sound.
The Acting
Chorus: group of actors chanting in unison.
Thespis: the first known actor to step out of the chorus
(“thespian,” i.e. actor, comes from his name)
Wore big shoes and masks to help with the problem of distance
from the acting space to the audience.
The Masks
Masks exaggerated to fit the character; bright colors for
comedies and dark colors for tragedies.
 Megaphone-type devices in some of the masks
 You could see if someone was happy or sad by the shape of
their mask.
The Plays
 Women could attend the plays, but all the actors were men
(even playing the parts of women).
 The audience would throw food and stones if they thought the
acting wasn’t good enough!
 Three types: tragedies, comedies, & satyr plays.
Sophocles
 Wrote tragedies
 Famous for the Theban Plays: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at
Colonus, & Antigone
 About fate & human law vs. divine law