Chapter 7 Dramatic Structure and Dramatic Characters

Climatic plot

The plot begins late in the story

Episodic plot

Plot begins relatively early in the story and does not compress the action but expands it. Episodic plays do not necessarily follow a close cause-and-effect development

Exposition

Information necessary for an understanding of the story but not covered by an action onstage; events or knowledge from the past , or occurring outside the play, which must be introduced so that the audience can understand the characters or plot

Subplot or parallel plot

Sometimes referred to as parallel plot, a secondary plot that reinforced or runs parallel to the major plot in an episodic play

Chorus

A large organized group of singers, especially one that performs together with an orchestra or opera company

Ritual

Ceremonial event, often religious, which takes place in a prescribed sequence

Serial structure

Series of acts or episodes- individual theatre events offered as single presentations

Revue

A light theatrical entertainment consisting of a series of short sketches, songs, and dances, typically dealing satirically with topical issues

Nonverbal theatre

Involving little or no use of words onstage

Avant-garde

New and unusual or experimental ideas especially in the arts, or the people introducing them

Tableau, tableaux

Is a scene onstage featuring performers in costume

Extraordinary characters

Heroes and heroines from most important dramatic works of the past

Representative or quinessential characters

Replace extraordinary characters, typical or ordinary embody an entire group

Stock characters

Two dimensional, stereotypical characters

Comedia dell'arte

Form of comic theatre, originating in Italy in the sixteenth century, in which dialogue was improvised around a scenario involving a set of stock characters, each with a traditional costume, name , and often mask

Minor characters

Unlike stock characters, appear only briefly, purpose is to further story or support important characters

Major characters

Defined as a character that is central to the development and resolution of the story's conflict

Narrator

Speaks directly to the audience. He or she may or may not assume a frantic persona as the other characters do

Nonhuman characters, protagonist

When performers portray animals , protagonist are main characters in play

Antagonist

Main characters chief opponent