D RAMA R EVIEW
A Visit to a Small Planet by Gore Vidal

W HAT IS A P LAY

A play is a prose
(conversational) or verse
(poetic) piece of writing that is meant to be represented by actors pretending to be the characters and
performing the dialogue and action of the story

P EOPLE N EEDED TO P UT ON A P LAY


Director—in charge of all
actors in a play and their movements on stage
Prop Master—in charge of setting up the set with
props (objects that help set up the setting) and building particular
structures that are needed for the play



Costume and Makeup/Hair
Designer—in charge of creating all costumes and designing the makeup and hair styles of the characters/actors
Lighting Technician—in charge of creating the
mood with different lighting and shadow effects
Sound Technician—in charge of creating and making certain sounds that are needed in a play

P EOPLE N EEDED TO P UT ON A P LAY

Major Characters/Actors— these are all the primary or most important characters/actors in a play—these are the starring roles


Protagonist—the main character in a play around whom the action centers
Antagonist—the main character who opposes or competes with the protagonist

Minor Characters/Actors— these are all the secondary characters/actors in a play

O RGANIZATION OF A P LAY (D RAMA )—
S TRUCTURE OF A P LAY

Plays are broken up into Acts and scenes

Each scene is made up of lines

make up an Act

There might be more than one Act in a play—often there are anywhere from three to five Acts.


O RGANIZATION OF A P LAY —
H OW IS THE P LOT S ET U P

Act 1—the introduction and the
 rising action of the plot is found here—the first Act introduces the characters, setting, and the basic
conflict (the main problem of the story)
Middle Acts—this is where the conflict and the characters are developed; there may be added
complications that makes the story more exciting

Last Act—the climax, the falling action, and the resolution of the plot is found here—this is where the conflict is solved (climax—highest point of excitement in the story) and all loose ends of the story are tied up

E LEMENTS OF D RAMA —
T ERMS U SED W HEN D ISCUSSING D RAMA



Dialogue—
conversation between characters
Script—The written part of the play which can be read by the actors or readers
Footnotes—notes to the reader that are found at the bottom of the script in a play which tells the reader the definition of a vocabulary word to help them understand

E LEMENTS OF D RAMA
S TAGE D IRECTIONS




Stage directions are set off in either (parenthesis) or
italics or by (both)—stage directions are notes that are included in the script to guide actors and help readers picture the action and setting
Stage directions are parts of the play that are not said by the actors—instead stage directions are used to describe costumes, the set, and character’s
movements on stage
Stage directions provide suggestions for props, lighting, music, and sound effects
Examples that would be described in the stage directions—the sound of a knock, what a character looks like, when a character enters or exits, who is
accompanied by a character

D RAMATIC D EVICES
S TRATEGIES THAT W RITERS OF D RAMA U SE
Ways of Speaking



Aside—a short speech that allows a character on stage to share his thoughts or feelings with the audience
without being heard by the other characters on stage
Soliloquy—a long speech made by a character alone on stage where the character acts in an exaggerated manner about a problem
Monologue—a long speech made by a character that is
overheard by other characters

D RAMATIC D EVICES
S TRATEGIES THAT W RITERS OF D RAMA U SE
Irony—The Opposite of
What is Expected



Verbal Irony—when a character says something about another character, yet means the opposite
Dramatic Irony—when the reader or audience learns information that certain characters do not know
Situational Irony—when a reader or character expects one thing to happen, but something entirely differently occurs

D RAMATIC D EVICES
S TRATEGIES THAT W RITERS OF D RAMA U SE
Characterization—
How the Audience/Reader
Learns about a Character



Readers learn about a character through the character’s own words
Readers learn about a character through the character’s own actions
Readers learn about a character through the words of another character

D RAMA A SSESSMENT R EVIEW …

All of the following elements are part of scene or
set design in plays except…
A.
B.
C.
D.
Costumes
Lighting
Props
Stage directions

D RAMA A SSESSMENT R EVIEW …

In a soliloquy a character…
A.
B.
Behaves in an exaggerated manner
Provides a contrast to another character
C.
D.
Is based on a stereotype
Plays a subordinate role in a dramatic work

D RAMA A SSESSMENT R EVIEW …

A foil is a character who…
A.
B.
Behaves in an exaggerated manner
Provides a contrast to another character
C.
D.
Is based on a stereotype
Plays a subordinate role in a dramatic work