key elements of a play: the building blocks

Plot

This is simply the storyline or the sequence of events that happen on the play. What happens from the start of the play to the end of the play

Characters

These are the people, animals or even beings who carry the story forward. You’ll often encounter different types the protagonist, antagonist and supporting characters

Protagonist

The main character of the play. The story often revolves around them

Antagonist

The character (or force) that opposes the protagonist. They create conflict

Supporting characters

Other characters who are important to the story but are not the main focus

Setting

This tells us where and when the story takes place. It includes: time period- Is it mordern day, historic, or futuristic. Location- is it in a house, a school, a forest or a city? Social context: what is the general atmosphere or societal rules at that time?

Dialogue

This is simply what the characters say to each other

Why is dialogue important

• reveals a characters personality

• Shows the relationships between characters

• Helps to advance the plot (move the story forward)

Stage directions

These are instructions written by the playwright (the person who wrote the play) within the script. They guide actors and directors on how to perform the play . Look out for them in italics or brackets. They tell you about: movements, tone of voice, lighting, sound effects.

Conflict

The struggle between opposing forces and its what drives the drama

Conflict can be internal conflict or external conflict

Internal conflict

A struggle happening within a characters mind (e.g a character struggling with a difficult decision)

External conflict

A struggle between a characters or between a character and society or even nature (a fight between two characters or a character against unfair rules, or a character battling a storm)

Theme

This is the main message or idea that the play explores. Its the deeper meaning. Examples of common themes include love, revenge, justice, power, friendship or loss