drama terms

Act

one of the principal divisions of a play; it indicates a passage of time or shows a change in setting or character 

Aside

when a character speaks directly to the audience while other characters on stage pretend they do not hear him/her 

Comedy

a type of drama usually having a happy ending and emphasizing human limitation rather than human greatness

Complications

unexpected problems, changes, or difficulties that usually come up to temporarily impede the protagonist’s progress toward a goal 

Elizabethan play

a five-act play having several sets of characters involved in various situations and complicated actions 

Farce

a type of drama related to comedy, but it emphasizes improbable situations 

Foil

a minor character who parallels a major character and by contrast sets off or illuminates the major character 

Modern play

a play that fits no formula; the plot may be simple or complex 

Narrator

a character, found in some plays, who speaks directly to the audience, introducing the action and providing commentary between the scenes 

Playwright

A maker of plays

Scene

A division of an act

Soliloquy

A speech from a character who is on stage alone and acts as though he is talking to himself and allows the audience to know his thoughts 

Stage

main acting area; may be round, oval, rectangular, etc. 

Tragedy

a type of drama in which the protagonist suffers a fall in fortune because of some error in judgment, excessive virtue, or flaw in his/her nature