Drama vs. Short StoriesDrama vs. Short Stories

DramaDrama

When we were young, we all loved to dress up in When we were young, we all loved to dress up in

costumes and outfits, say as cowboys or as Dorothy costumes and outfits, say as cowboys or as Dorothy from from The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz. We sang and danced or . We sang and danced or defeated the bad guys. We were the characters, the defeated the bad guys. We were the characters, the heroes and villains. heroes and villains.

Drama—acting or simply reading characters’ wordsDrama—acting or simply reading characters’ words—allows us to step into characters’ shoes and act —allows us to step into characters’ shoes and act like them.like them.

As we read, we can visualize what they’re doing, As we read, we can visualize what they’re doing, thinking, and feeling because we can hear their thinking, and feeling because we can hear their words as we interpret their emotions. words as we interpret their emotions.

Essential QuestionEssential QuestionHow does drama provide the reader How does drama provide the reader a different experience than prose a different experience than prose (short stories, novels) or poetry?(short stories, novels) or poetry?

How is drama different from How is drama different from television?television?

Note TakingNote TakingCreate a double Create a double

bubble map to bubble map to compare and compare and contrast short contrast short stories and stories and dramas.dramas.

DramaDrama

Comes from the Greek Word, Comes from the Greek Word, “Dran” “Dran”

Means “To do” or “To Act”Means “To do” or “To Act”The Doing/Acting Makes The Doing/Acting Makes

Drama Drama

Purpose and DefinitionPurpose and Definition

A A dramadrama is a story written to be is a story written to be performed by actors, using speech and performed by actors, using speech and movements in front of an audience. movements in front of an audience.

Purpose of other genresPurpose of other genres

Short story?Short story?Speech?Speech? Informational text?Informational text?

Elements of DramaElements of Drama

PlaywrightPlaywright-the -the author of a playauthor of a play

ActorsActors-the people -the people who performwho perform

ActsActs-the units of -the units of action action

ScenesScenes-parts of -parts of the actsthe acts

GenresGenres

Short storiesShort stories Fiction or nonfictionFiction or nonfiction Realistic FictionRealistic Fiction Historical FictionHistorical Fiction Science FictionScience Fiction Etc.Etc.

DramasDramas for the stage (play)for the stage (play) For the movies For the movies

(screenplay)(screenplay) For television For television

(teleplay)(teleplay)

Elements of DramaElements of Drama

Plot Plot CharactersCharacters SettingSetting ActsActs ScenesScenes

The related events that The related events that take place in a drama take place in a drama are separated into are separated into actsacts.. Most plays have two or Most plays have two or three acts.three acts.

Within an act, there are Within an act, there are shorter sections called shorter sections called scenesscenes.. A play can have A play can have any number of scenes.any number of scenes.

Structure of a Drama – Structure of a Drama – Chronological OrderChronological Order

All the parts of All the parts of plotplot ExpositionExposition Rising ActionRising Action ClimaxClimax Falling ActionFalling Action ResolutionResolution

CharacterizationCharacterization

CharacterizatiCharacterizationon--playwright’s playwright’s technique for technique for making making believable believable characterscharacters

DialogueDialogue

An author tells a story mainly through a narrator, An author tells a story mainly through a narrator, some description, and dialogue between characters.some description, and dialogue between characters.

A playwright tells a story primarily through dialogue A playwright tells a story primarily through dialogue of the characters.of the characters.

DialogueDialogue is conversation between two or more is conversation between two or more characters. characters.

Dialogue in a short story= partly responsible for Dialogue in a short story= partly responsible for revealing a character’s personalityrevealing a character’s personality

Dialogue in a drama = totally responsible for Dialogue in a drama = totally responsible for revealing the characters s and also carry the story revealing the characters s and also carry the story forward. forward.

MonologueMonologue

Playwrights may also use a Playwrights may also use a monologuemonologue, which occurs when only , which occurs when only one character speaks for a while. The one character speaks for a while. The character may be with others character may be with others onstage or may be alone.onstage or may be alone.

Christine from Phantom of the Opera

In the written form of a play, dialogue appears In the written form of a play, dialogue appears without quotation marks.without quotation marks. Practice reading this dialogue from Practice reading this dialogue from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street:The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street:

Mrs. BrandMrs. Brand ( (from her porchfrom her porch). ). Steve? What Steve? What was that?was that?

SteveSteve ( (raising his voice and raising his voice and looking toward porchlooking toward porch). Guess ). Guess it was a meteor, honey. it was a meteor, honey. Came awful close, didn’t it?Came awful close, didn’t it?

Mrs. BrandMrs. Brand. Too close for my . Too close for my money! money! Much too close. Much too close.

from from The Monsters Are Due The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street on Maple Street by Rod Serlingby Rod Serling

There are 2 characters in There are 2 characters in the conversation—Who the conversation—Who are they?are they?

The name at the The name at the beginningbeginningof each line tells who is of each line tells who is talking. talking.

When you read dialogue, When you read dialogue, keep track of individual keep track of individual characters.characters.

Their words are Their words are important clues to a important clues to a character’s character’s personality.personality.

Stage DirectionsStage Directions

Stage directions Stage directions areare italicized italicized words and words and phrases contained phrases contained within parentheses or within parentheses or brackets. brackets.

They are not meant to They are not meant to be spoken aloud. be spoken aloud.

For the actors—and For the actors—and for a reader of the for a reader of the play—they offer play—they offer guidance on what is guidance on what is happening and how to happening and how to understand the understand the meaningmeaning of certain of certain lines. lines.

Mrs. BrandMrs. Brand ((from her porchfrom her porch).). Steve? What was that?Steve? What was that?

SteveSteve ((raising his voice and raising his voice and looking toward porchlooking toward porch).). Guess it Guess it was a meteor, honey. Came was a meteor, honey. Came awful close, didn’t it?awful close, didn’t it?

Mrs. BrandMrs. Brand. Too close for my . Too close for my money! money! Much too close. Much too close.

from from The Monsters Are Due on The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street Maple Street by Rod Serlingby Rod Serling

Stage DirectionsStage Directions Mary.Mary. Yes, I agree with Yes, I agree with

you.you.(She really doesn’t.)(She really doesn’t.)

As a reader, the stage direction “(As a reader, the stage direction “(She really She really doesn’tdoesn’t.)” helps you understand feelings as well .)” helps you understand feelings as well as events that may occur later in the play. as events that may occur later in the play.

An actor delivering this line would An actor delivering this line would show show that that Mary doesn’t mean what she says by pausing Mary doesn’t mean what she says by pausing before speaking or moving in a way that shows before speaking or moving in a way that shows she is not sincere. she is not sincere.

Stage directions are important elements of Stage directions are important elements of drama that convey meaning.drama that convey meaning.

Group Review DialogueGroup Review Dialogue

Describe what dialogue looks like in a Describe what dialogue looks like in a short storyshort story

What does the dialogue reveal in a short What does the dialogue reveal in a short story? (hint: look back at notes)story? (hint: look back at notes)

What does dialogue look like in a drama?What does dialogue look like in a drama?What does dialogue reveal in a drama?What does dialogue reveal in a drama?

(look back at notes)(look back at notes)