Elements of Drama: Plot, Character and Staging
What is drama?
Drama is a story told through action and dialogue by actors in front of an audience. In Kenya, drama appears in the national Drama and Film Festivals, school plays, radio and TV series like Inspekta Mwala and community theatre. The CBC Theatre and Film pathway teaches you to read, write, act and stage plays.
Elements of drama
- Plot: the sequence of events.
- Character: the people in the story.
- Theme: the central message.
- Dialogue: what characters say.
- Setting: time and place.
- Conflict: struggle between opposing forces.
- Spectacle: costumes, set, lights, sound.
Plot structure
- Exposition: introduces characters and setting.
- Rising action: conflict builds.
- Climax: the most intense moment.
- Falling action: consequences unfold.
- Resolution (denouement): conflict is resolved.
Types of conflict
- Person versus person
- Person versus self (inner conflict)
- Person versus society
- Person versus nature
Characterisation
Characters are revealed by:
- What they say and how
- What they do
- Appearance and costume
- What others say about them
- Relationships
Types: protagonist (hero), antagonist (opponent), foil (contrast), flat (simple) and round (complex).
Dialogue and speech forms
- Monologue: one character speaks at length.
- Soliloquy: a character speaks thoughts aloud, alone.
- Aside: a quick remark to the audience.
- Dialogue: conversation, which should sound natural and advance the plot.
Stage areas
On a proscenium stage, the actor faces the audience. Upstage is away from the audience; downstage is close. Left and right are from the actor's point of view.
| Upstage right | Upstage centre | Upstage left |
|---|---|---|
| Centre right | Centre | Centre left |
| Downstage right | Downstage centre | Downstage left |
Other forms: arena (audience on all sides), thrust (audience on three sides) and open-air or street theatre.
Production elements
- Costume and make-up show age, status and mood.
- Props: items handled by actors. Set: scenery.
- Lighting: shows time of day, focus, and mood.
- Sound: music and effects.
- Roles: director, stage manager, actors, designers, technicians.
Worked example 1: analysing a scene
In a scene where a mother silently counts the last coins in a tin, the action shows poverty without dialogue. The prop (tin) and lighting (dim) strengthen the mood.
Worked example 2: blocking
Blocking is the planned movement of actors. The director places the villain upstage centre to show power and moves the hero downstage to gain audience sympathy.
Acting skills
Voice (projection, pace, pitch, tone), body language, facial expression, focus and teamwork. Rehearse, learn lines and respect others.
Try it
- Draw the plot mountain for a folktale you know.
- Write a six-line dialogue that shows a character is brave without saying so.
- Draw a stage plan and mark where you would place a table, a door and two actors.
- Perform a one-minute monologue about a market day.