Conflict on stage can be verbal, physical, or non-verbal. Many Elizabethan soliloquies contain inner conflict (‘To be or not to be…’ is an excellent example). As a rule, conflict should always be considered an essential ingredient for all dramatic performances.Ĭonflict can be between two or more characters, or simply one (inner conflict). How right he was! A drama that lacks conflict is normally dull and uninspiring. Playwright George Bernard Shaw once said ‘No conflict, no drama’. An anti-climax is also possible.Ĭonflict is one of the key elements of drama. There can also be more than one climax in a drama, although this is uncommon. The ultimate crisis, or highest peak, is usually called the climax and often (but not always) occurs toward the end of a play. A crisis is a key moment of dramatic tension and conflict in the play, usually occurring between two or more characters and having serious implications for the outcome of the plot. Most dramas will have one or more crises in the development of the plot. Manipulating exactly how a performer relates and engages with the audience in a performance can be both an academic exercise and fun at the same time. The exact nature of this relationship can vary depending on the style of the performance.įor example, a performer in a purely naturalistic drama may ignore the audience altogether (they may even have their back facing the audience), while a performer in a realistic drama may be aware of the presence of an audience but not perform directly to them, whereas a performer in an epic theatre play by Bertolt Brecht may regularly break the fourth wall and interact directly with sections of the audience. Of all the essential elements of drama, the audience must exist for it to be considered a performance – a play without an audience should be considered a rehearsal.Īn audience can specifically refer to the engagement actors have with their audience through performance, known as the actor-audience relationship. See the “Structure” entry further down this list for more information on how plays are formed. This will naturally relate to the structure of the play, as the action moves forward from the early stages (exposition) to the inciting incident, rising action, one or more crises, the climax, falling action, and then the conclusion. Enjoy! – Justin Cash 30 Elements of DramaĪction, or dramatic action, refers to the propelling of the plot from one moment to the next in the drama. I trust this post may prove useful for both drama/theatre teachers and their students, alike. Where similar terms mean the same (such as focus and emphasis), I have included both terms. Below is a list of 30 of the most common elements of drama with my own descriptors, gained from over 30 years of teaching practice in drama education. In contemporary drama education, there is no prescribed or definitive list of the elements of drama. This is history’s first surviving example of dramatic theory. The elements of drama began with Greek philosopher Aristotle who stated in The Poetics (c.335 BC) each dramatic performance (tragedy) must contain the six key elements of plot, character, thought (theme), diction (language), melody (music-dance, song, rhythm) and spectacle. When you purchase a product from an affiliate link, I may receive compensation at no cost to you. This post may contain a small selection of relevant affiliate links.
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