Elements of Drama and Theatre

Introduction

Drama is a story performed by actors before an audience. Theatre is the art, place and process of staging it. In the Kenyan Senior School CBC (KICD) Theatre and Film curriculum, you study how plays are made, building on traditions like community storytelling, school drama festivals and the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival.

Elements of drama

• Plot - the sequence of events: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.
• Characters - protagonist (main), antagonist (opponent) and supporting characters.
• Setting - time and place.
• Theme - the central message, e.g. corruption, love, freedom.
• Conflict - struggle between characters or ideas that drives the plot.
• Dialogue - words spoken between characters.
• Spectacle - costumes, set, lighting and sound.

Types of drama

Tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, melodrama, satire and farce. Traditional African drama also includes ritual performances, storytelling and dance.

Parts of the stage

Seen by an actor facing the audience:

• Upstage - far from the audience.
• Downstage - near the audience.
• Stage left / stage right - the actor's left and right.
• Centre stage - middle.
• Wings - sides off-stage.
• Backstage - behind the scenes. Stages may be proscenium (picture-frame), thrust, arena (theatre in the round) or open-air.

Acting skills

• Voice: projection, pitch, pace, pauses and clarity.
• Body: posture, gestures, facial expression and movement.
• Concentration and staying in character.
• Blocking: planned positions and movement.
• Improvisation: creating dialogue and action without a script.

People in a production

• Playwright - writes the script.
• Director - interprets the script and guides actors.
• Actors - perform the roles.
• Stage manager - runs the show backstage.
• Prompter - helps actors with forgotten lines.
• Costume, set, lighting and sound designers - create the look and feel.
• Front of house staff (ushers) - assist the audience.

Theatre etiquette

Be on time, switch off phones, avoid talking, and applaud respectfully.

Worked example 1

Identify the conflict in a play where a village divides over a river dam. Answer: Conflict between those who want to protect their land and those wanting development; it drives the plot toward a climax.

Worked example 2

Describe how an actor shows fear. Answer: Trembling voice, wide eyes, shallow breathing, hunched posture and backing away from the threat.

Try it

• Draw a stage plan labelling the nine areas.
• Improvise a two-minute scene about a market dispute.
• Write four lines of dialogue with stage directions.
• Choose a role in a class production and describe its duties.