Drama I+II (copy)

drama as text

produced by individuals, individual reception, reception not bound to particular space, monomedial

drama as performance

collective production, collective reception, reception takes place in performance space, multimedia

features of primary dramatic texts

verbal communication amongst characters, dialogues and monologues that actors speak

features of secondary dramatic texts

the dramatis personae, stage directions etc, usually distinguished from the primary text my CAPITALISATION AND italcisation

discrepant awareness

characters and audience have a varying amount of information (in most cases: audience knows more than characters)

dramatic irony

audience has information about the consequences or implications of a character's actions that the character lacks, some of the character's actions and statement have an additional meaning that is lost on the character

dialogue

conversation between two or more characters

Aside: option 1

character takes moment to talk to himself/audience during conversation wit other character(s)

Aside: option 2

character takes a moment to make a comment that is addressed to only one other character while other characters are also on stage

Line-by-line exchange

two characters are exchanging short (one-line) comments in quick succession, called "repartee" if its witty or contains banter

monologue

character speaks their mind for an extended while, other characters are also on stage, monologuing character can address an audience on or off the stage

soliloquy

a character who is alone on the stage, talks for an extended period of time and reflects on their thoughts

dramatis personae

entire cast of characters in a play

authorial characterization

information given in secondary text and telling names ("colonel manly")

figural characterization

explicit: character assesses their own or another's personality in a direct statement, implicit: acoustic signs (voice quality, pitch, pronunciation), visual signs (body language, expressions, costume, makeup)

point of attack

the point in the story at which the playwright chooses to start dramatizing the action

in medias res

in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things

ab ovo

from the beginning

in ultimas res

The story begins with its actual outcome or ending and then relates events in reverse order, thus drawing the audience's attention on the 'how' rather than the 'what' of the story. (used in analytic plays).

word scenery

technique used to create setting rhetorically, characters describe the scenery which is then imagined by the audience

two ideal types of drama: Aristotelian closed form

• three unities (action, place, time)

Aristotelian drama

tightly knit plot, resolution at the end

More trad. Forms of drama

Closed form

Three unities action time and place

Open form drama

loosely connected scenes, no resolution or closure

Modern

Rejection of 3 unities

theatrical genres: Aristotelian tragedy

noble protagonist brings about own downfall because of error in judgement ("hamartia"), protagonist realizes this towards end of play, audience identifies with the protagonist

theatrical genres: comedy

focus on middle- or lower-class characters, often uses stock characters and formulaic plot elements such as disguises, mistaken identities, sudden revelations etc, POETIC JUSTICE demands a happy ending

theatrical genres: epic drama

open form of drama, anti-illusionist elements (epic narrator, chorus, slide projection, music etc), distant and objective view of characters, no poetic justice, appeal to reason (aim is to move audience to reflect rationally on events)

theatrical genres: theatre of the absurd

pessimistic exploration of society after WW2, emphasis of hopelessness and bewilderment, black humor, minimalist language