Drama

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From Poetry to Drama

Watch the difference between poetry and drama:


To turn the recital of a poem into drama one must add

  • put emotion in by varying the level of your voice
  • vary your speed, speak in a shivering voice
  • use gestures and facial expressions
  • introduce music to support the mood e.g. slow instrumental
  • several actors, representing the victims and the police. The victims are taken away one after the other. One person recites the poem.
  • interaction between characters e.g. others passivly watch
  • costumes e.g. for the soldiers, police
  • images as background
  • use a chorus, which speaks certain passanges together
  • don't do any of these to keep it minimalistic
  • use lighting e.g. spot on one actor

Drama

Drama - a Definition

Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek: δρᾶμα, drama), which is derived from "to do" (Classical Greek: δράω, drao). The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts is directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective reception. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama


Look at the following webpages and try to sum up/note down the main aspects of drama. Do not use the video examples yet!

Write your answers into your groups section

  • Do not just copy and paste!
  • Try to shorten and condense!
  • If there are no examples e.g. for the effect of a certain element - find simple ones!
  • Try to clearly work out what possibilities/effects a certain element/aspect of drama has!


Elements of Drama- as a literary Genre-(1,3,4)

(Do not use page 2 of this set)


Elements of Drama- as a literary Genre-(5-7)

Characterisation

=the way an actor plays a role depending on his skills

  • the actor is playing in many ways: -by his body language e.g. moves, dances, walks -by his vocal qualities e.g. the way he speaks - and by his reactions
  • techniques: -hot-seating -other aspects to make the character "come alive"

Dramatic conventions

=techniques to create dramatic effects

  • slow motion
  • freeze-frame
  • audience aside
  • soliloquy
  • establishing one part of the space as one location, and a different part of the space as another location


Symbols

stand for 'real things'

  • props
  • gestures
  • expressions
  • costume (e.g. white robes symbolize purity, or death, or lack of emotion)
  • lighting
  • setting (e.g. on a mointain top ==> loneliness)

can be read as symbols

Aspects of Drama as medium-(1-3)


Aspects of Drama as a medium-(4-6)

1. Space and levels

  • different stages have different effects
  • different levels (or parts of the stage) might represent different locations

2. Set and props

  • background of the stage
  • better to keep them simple
  • props are items used on the stage, e.g a chair, a suitcase ....

3. Movement, mime and gesture

  • different movements, e.g. upstage, downstage, slowly, fearfully
  • movement has to fit to the character
  • mime is acting without sounds and words
  • gesture is using your body language
  • facial expresiin (dt.: Mimik!)

Aspects of Drama as a medium-(7-8)

Drama

Voice:

  • Tone : adapt the sound of your voice according to the role you play - you may sound sad, desperate, tired
  • Volume : speak louder or in a low voice, and vary the volume
  • Pitch : describes how high or low your voice sounds
  • Pace : speak in the right speed and vary the speed ....
  • Clarity : speak clearly - or mumble, if izt helps to characterize the person you play

Spoken language:

  • Language registers : formal and informal language, medical legal register ....
  • Verse : special kind of construction of language in lines and stanzas ==> poetry
  • Slang : use of informal language spoken by a certain social group