Common Terms Used in Drama and Theater

commencing

beggining

hasty

acted too quickly

snubbed

to be neglected

gnowing

to be anxious

non de script

simple, not to be noticed

allegory

abstract concepts

burlesque

satirizes a well known play or dramatic style

farce

exaggerate

unlikely to happen in real life

melodrama

filled with pathetic situations

naturalistic play

presents the dark sides of life

problem play

presents current social problems

provides a situation

realistic play

presents an image of what is really happeningto society

romantic play

magnifies and embellishes reality

travesty

pokes fun of manenrs

aside

words directed to the house

chorus

group of characters in greek tragedy

comic relief

humerous sense to interupt dramatic moments

deus ex machina

god from the machine

to resolve conflict

dramatic resonance

character persons on a play

monologue

speech by a single character

pathos

moves the audience

recognition

character fully understands the consquences of their actions

reversal

surprising turning point

Soliloquy

speech directed to the audience