THE ART OF D R A M A O P HIC AL &

PRAC TIC E : T HE P HIL OS

CAEDR – PRINCIPLES AND
A T IO N S O F C R EA T IVE D R AMA
EDUCATIONAL FOUND
THE ART OF DRAMA
THE PERFORMING ARTS OF DRAMA, DANCE, AND MUSIC CREATE NOT OBJECTS BUT
EVENTS, A PLAY, A FOLK DANCE, AND A CONCERTO EXIST AS EVENTS THAT OCCUR
THROUGH TIME, TRANSITORY AND EVANESCENT ONCE THE PERFORMANCE IS DONE. A
CUMULATIVE SERIES OF SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND IMPRESSIONS CREATES THE EVENT
WHICH THE AUDIENCE MUST VIEW AND HEAR AT THE MOMENT OF ITS PERFORMANCE. IT
IS A MAGICAL MOMENT THAT MUST BE SAVORED IN THE INSTANT OF PERFORMANCE.
IT IS THIS TRANSITORY NATURE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS THAT SETS THEM APART IN A
SIGNIFICANT WAY FROM THE VISUAL ARTS AND FROM LITERATURE.
THE BEGINNINGS OF DRAMA
 PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS CELEBRATED EVENTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN THEIR LIVES
 THESE CELEBRATIONS TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE AND THEY OFTEN INCLUDED MUSIC, DANCING, AND THE ACTING OUT OF A STORY
 SMALL GROUPS WOULD PERFORM A CELEBRATORY DANCE, IMITATING THROUGH STYLIZED MOVEMENTS ACCOMPANIED BY
CHANTING, THE ACTIONS OF THE EVENT BEING RE-TOLD.

 RITUALS FORM THE BEGINNINGS OF MODERN THEATRE

 THE STORY MAY BE ABOUT TRIBAL ACTIVITIES, MYTHS, OR HEROES OF THE PAST
 THE NARRATOR IMPERSONATES THE CHARACTERS IN THE STORY, SOMETIMES CHANGING HIS OR HER VOICE TO IMITATE THE
CHARACTERS

 ANIMALS, GODS, OR HUMANS ARE IMPERSONATED BY THE STORY TELLERS WHO WEAR CLOTHING, OR COSTUMES THAT SETS
THEM APART FROM THE AUDIENCE
DRAMA AS A PERFORMING ART
 DRAMA HAS CERTAIN ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: AN ACTION OR STORY (THE PLAY) PRESENTED BY ONE GROUP (THE
PERFORMERS) TO ANOTHER GROUP (THE AUDIENCE)

 DRAMA IS AN EXPERIENCE, AN EVENT, SHARED BY THOSE WHO PERFORM AND THOSE WHO OBSERVE
 LIKE OTHER EXPERIENCES – RIDING IN A JEEPNEY, ATTENDING A CLASS, FALLING IN LOVE – DRAMA REQUIRES A
PERSONAL PRESENCE; IN THIS CASE, THE PRESENCE OF THE AUDIENCE

 THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN READING A NOVEL AND ATTENDING A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE REMINDS US THAT
DRAMA IS SOMETIMES LOOKED ON AS A BRANCH OF LITERATURE.

 THE DIFFERENCE OF A NOVEL AND A PLAY: A PLAY IS WRITTEN TO BE PERFORMED

 IN SOME RESPECTS, A SCRIPT IS TO A STAGE PRODUCTION AS A MUSICAL IS TO A CONCERT, OR AN ARCHITECTURAL
BLUEPRINT TOO A BUILDING: IT IS AN OUTLINE FOR A PERFORMANCE
 DRAMA CAN BE STUDIED IN A CLASSROOM FOR PLOT, CHARACTER, MOOD AND THEME, JUST AS WE STUDY A NOVEL,
BUT STUDY OF THIS SORT IS A FORM OF EXPERIENCE

 THE EXPERIENCE IS THE PERFORMANCE

 OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO READ PLAYS IN BOOK FORMS THAN TO SEE THEM PRODUCED; BUT
WHEN WE READ A PLAY, WE SHOULD ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO VISUALIZE THE OTHER ASPECTS OF A PRODUCTION IN OUR
MIND’S EYE.

 THE EXPERIENCE OF WATCHING A PLAY PERFORMANCE WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM MERELY READING THE SCRIPT.
 THE PHYSICAL PRODUCTION – THE ENVIRONMENT, SCENERY AND COSTUMES – WILL AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE; SO
WILL THE PERFORMERS

 THE WAYS ACTORS AND ACTRESSES INTERPRET THEIR ROLES – SUCH THINGS AS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, GESTURES,
AND VOCAL INFLECTIONS – HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH A PLAY’S ULTIMATE EFFECT ON THE AUDIENCE
 MA AN D IT S EL EM EN T S
DRA C IPLE S A ND P R A C TICE : THE P H ILO SO PH IC A L & E D UC ATIONAL
CAEDR – P RIN
D ATIO NS O F C R EA T IV E D RAMA
FOUN
WHAT IS DRAMA?

A DRAMA (ALSO CALLED PLAY) IS A STORY TOLD BY MEANS OF SPEECH AND

ACTION ON A STAGE BEFORE AN AUDIENCE
THE ELEMENTS OF DRAMA ARE: (1) A STORY, (2) ACTORS WHO CAN SPEAK
AND MOVE, (3) A PLAYING AREA OR STAGE, AND (4) AN AUDIENCE
THE ELEMENT OF STORY
 THE STORY TO BE PERFORMED IS USUALLY WRITTEN DOWN (SCRIPTED), BUT THERE
ARE INSTANCES WHEN THE ACTORS IMPROVISE THEIR DIALOGUE AS THEY PERFORM.

 BEING A NARRATIVE WHICH IS ACTED OUT, DRAMA MUST UNFOLD BEFORE OUR EYES A
CLOSELY RELATED SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, REACHING A DRAMATIC CLIMAX, LEADING TO
A LOGICAL CONCLUSION, AND DEVELOPING A DEFINITE IDEA

DRAMA AS A NARRATIVE MUST HAVE (1) SETTING, (2) CHARACTERS, (3) PLOT, (4)
MOOD, AND (5) THEME
INGR ED I E N T S O F A S T OR Y
H ILO SO P HIC A L & ED UC A TIONAL
R IN C IP L ES A ND P RA C TIC E : THE P
CAEDR – P
AT IO N S O F C R EA T IV E D R AMA
FOUND
SETTING

 IS THE PLACE AND TIME WHERE AND WHEN THE ACTION OF THE STORY
HAPPENS. THE SETTING IS OFTEN ESTABLISHED BY THE LIGHTING AND
SCENERY OF THE STAGE, BUT THE DIALOGUE AND ACTION CREATED BY THE
PLAYWRIGHT IN THE SCRIPT, OR WRITTEN DRAMA, CAN ALSO MAKE CLEAR
THIS INFORMATION
“RAK OF AEGIS” SETTING
CHARACTERS
 THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE STORY WHO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, OR TO WHOM THINGS HAPPEN.
 THE CHARACTER WHOM WE WANT TO WIN THE CONFLICT OR SOLVE THE PROBLEM IS CALLED THE
PROTAGONIST (BIDA) AND THE ONE OPPOSING HIM IS THE ANTAGONIST (CONTRABIDA)
PLAYWRIGHTS SOMETIMES RESORT TO STEREOTYPES (EXAMPLES: THE AUTHORITARIAN
FATHER, THE MARTYR MOTHER, THE SPINSTER AUNT, THE SNOOPY NEIGHBOR, ETC.) BUT IN
THE PLAYS THEY BECOME CREDIBLE INDIVIDUALS

 THE PLAYWRIGHT MAY REVEAL HIS CHARACTERS THROUGH WHAT THEY SAY AND DO, AS
WELL AS THROUGH WHAT OTHER CHARACTER SAY ABOUT THEM
 ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CHARACTERIZATION IS THE MOTIVATION OF
ACTION. THIS MEANS THAT EVERY ACTION MUST BE BASED ON THE INNER NATURE OF THE
CHARACTER.

 AS YOU READ OR SEE A PLAY, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ASK, “WHY DID HE DO THIS THING?”
 IF YOU CAN FIND THE MOTIVE FOR THE ACTION IN THE NATURE OF THE CHARACTER, THEN YOU
CAN SAY THAT THE PLAYWRIGHT HAS CREATED A CREDIBLE AND BELIEVABLE CHARACTER
PLOT

 THIS THE CLOSELY RELATED SEQUENCE OF EVENTS REACHING A

DRAMATIC CLIMAX, AND LEADING TO A LOGICAL CONCLUSION
 ARISTOTLE REFERRED TO THE FLOW OF THESE EVENTS AS THE
BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END OF THE ACTION.
 BEGINNING – GIVES THE EXPOSITION OF THE SETTING, THE MAIN CHARACTERS, AND THE SITUATION WHEREIN THEY
ARE PLACED. HERE THE AUDIENCE IS FIRST MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, OR CONFLICT, WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE
SUSPENSE IN THE STORY

 INITIAL INCIDENT – STARTS THE ACTION OF THE PLAY AND MAKES THE AUDIENCE ASK, “WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?”
 RISING ACTION – THE MIDDLE PART OF THE PLOT. THE SERIES OF EVENTS WHICH BUILDS EXCITEMENT TOWARD THE
MOST DRAMATIC SCENE OF THE PLAY – THE MAJOR CLIMAX.

 CRISIS OR THE “TURNING POINT” – THIS SITUATION SURROUNDS THE CLIMAX. THIS IS WHEN WE KNOW WHETHER
THE LEADING CHARACTER IS TO WIN SUCCESS OR FAIL TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM FACING HIM. THE AUDIENCE
SHOULD REACT EMOTIONALLY WITH HIM IN HIS JOY OR SORROW; IT SHOULD CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE
PROTAGONIST (HERO)

 FALLING ACTION – IS THE SERIES OF EVENTS FOLLOWING THE CLIMAX. WHETHER IT IS DRAWN OUT OR CONDENSED,
THE FALLING ACTION MUST ALWAYS RETAIN SUSPENSE AND INTEREST UNTIL THE CURTAIN FALLS. THE DENOUEMENT
OR CONCLUSION AT THE FINAL CURTAIN MUST BE THE LOGICAL OUTCOME OF ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED
 C
D

A B

THE PARTS OF THE PLOT, THEN, CONSIST OF THE BEGINNING (OR EXPOSITION), THE MIDDLE
(RISING ACTION), AND THE END (FALLING ACTION).

 LINE AB REPRESENTS THE BEGINNING (EXPOSITION) OF THE PLOT, WITH POINT B AS THE
INITIAL INCIDENT THAT STARTS THE ACTION. LINE BC SHOWS THE RISING ACTION, WITH C
AS THE CLIMAX OF THE STORY. LINE CD DEPICTS THE FALLING ACTION OR CONCLUSION
 IN EVERY PLOT THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE LEADING CHARACTER
OR A CONFLICT TO BE FOUGHT OUT BETWEEN TWO FORCES

 THE PROBLEM, OR CONFLICT, NEED NOT ALWAYS BE PHYSICAL; IN FACT, PLAYS OF MERE
PHYSICAL ACTION OFTEN HAVE LITTLE VALUE

 THE CONFLICT MAY BE PSYCHOLOGICAL (MAN VERSUS HIMSELF), SOCIAL (MAN

VERSUS OTHER MEN) OR NATURAL/METAPHYSICAL (MAN VERSUS BEYOND HIS
CONTROL SUCH AS FATE, NATURE, OR GOD)

 THE CLASH OF WILLS AND WITS, THE IMPACT OF IDEAS, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OR
DESTRUCTION OF INNER FORCES, ARE THE STUFF WHICH GREAT PLAYS ARE MADE
MOOD OF THE PLAY
 IS THE EMOTIONAL RESPONSE EVOKED IN THE AUDIENCE BY THE PLAY, BE IT
EXCITING, TRAGIC, COMIC, FANTASTIC, ETC.
 THE AUDIENCE RESPONSE TO THE PLAY SERVES AS A WAY TO CLASSIFY THE
DRAMA. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE MOOD OF THE PLAY IS HEAVY BECAUSE OF THE
HERO’S DEATH OR RUIN, THE PLAY MAY BE CONSIDERED A TRAGEDY;
HOWEVER, IF THE MOOD IS LIGHT AND HAPPY BECAUSE OF THE HERO’S
TRIUMPH OVER HIS PROBLEM, THE PLAY MAY BE CONSIDERED A COMEDY
THEME
IS THE BASIC IDEA WHICH THE DRAMATIST DEVELOPS THROUGH THE CONFLICT OF
CHARACTERS WITH ONE ANOTHER OR WITH LIFE EVENTS
SOMETIMES THE PLAYWRIGHT STATES HIS THEME IN A SENTENCE SPOKEN BY ONE
OF THE CHARACTERS, BUT OFTEN HE LEAVES IT TO THE INTERPRETATION OF THE
AUDIENCE
THE DISCUSSION OF HIS PURPOSE IN WRITING THE PLAY (“WHAT DOES THE
AUTHOR WANT TO SAY?”) FURNISHES ONE OF THE CHIEF POINTS OF INTEREST IN A
WORTHWHILE PRODUCTION
LET’S PLAY CHARADES!!!

EQUIPMENT

• A STOPWATCH OR OTHER TIMING DEVICE

• A NOTEPAD AND PENCIL FOR SCOREKEEPING
• BLANK SLIPS OF PAPER
• TWO BASKETS OR OTHER CONTAINERS FOR THE SLIPS
PREPARATION

• DIVIDE THE PLAYERS INTO TWO TEAMS, PREFERABLY OF EQUAL SIZE. DIVIDE THE SLIPS OF PAPER BETWEEN THE TWO
TEAMS. SELECT A NEUTRAL TIMEKEEPER/SCOREKEEPER, OR PICK MEMBERS FROM EACH TEAM TO TAKE TURNS.
AGREE ON HOW MANY ROUNDS TO PLAY. REVIEW THE GESTURES AND HAND SIGNALS AND INVENT ANY OTHERS YOU
DEEM APPROPRIATE.

• THE TEAMS TEMPORARILY ADJOURN TO SEPARATE ROOMS, TO COME UP WITH PHRASES TO PUT ON THEIR PIECES OF
PAPER. THESE PHRASES MAY EITHER BE QUOTATIONS OR TITLES OF BOOKS, MOVIES, PLAYS, TELEVISION SHOWS,
AND SONGS. HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED RULES TO PREVENT THE PHRASES FROM BEING TOO HARD TO GUESS:

• NO TEAM SHOULD WRITE DOWN ANY PHRASE UNLESS AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE ON THE TEAM HAVE HEARD OF IT;
• NO PHRASE SHOULD BE LONGER THAN SEVEN WORDS;
• NO PHRASE SHOULD CONSIST SOLELY OF A PROPER NAME (I.E., IT SHOULD ALSO CONTAIN OTHER WORDS);
• NO FOREIGN PHRASES ARE ALLOWED.
• ONCE THEY HAVE FINISHED WRITING THEIR PHRASES, THE TEAMS COME BACK TO THE SAME ROOM.
TO PLAY

• EACH ROUND OF THE GAME PROCEEDS AS FOLLOWS:

• A PLAYER FROM TEAM A DRAWS A PHRASE SLIP FROM TEAM B'S BASKET. AFTER HE/SHE HAS HAD A
SHORT TIME TO REVIEW THE SLIP, THE TIMEKEEPER FOR TEAM B NOTES THE TIME AND TELLS THE PLAYER
TO START. TEAM A THEN HAS THREE MINUTES TO GUESS THE PHRASE. IF THEY FIGURE IT OUT, THE
TIMEKEEPER RECORDS HOW LONG IT TOOK. IF THEY DO NOT FIGURE IT OUT IN THREE MINUTES, THE
TIMEKEEPER ANNOUNCES THAT THE TIME IS UP, AND RECORDS A TIME OF THREE MINUTES.

• A PLAYER FROM TEAM B DRAWS A PHRASE SLIP FROM TEAM A'S BASKET, AND PLAY PROCEEDS AS ABOVE.
• NORMALLY THE GAME CONTINUES UNTIL EVERY PLAYER HAS HAD A CHANCE TO "ACT OUT" A PHRASE. THE
SCORE FOR EACH TEAM IS THE TOTAL TIME THAT THE TEAM NEEDED FOR ALL OF THE ROUNDS. THE TEAM
WITH THE SMALLEST SCORE WINS THE GAME.
GESTURES
TO ACT OUT A PHRASE, ONE USUALLY STARTS BY INDICATING WHAT CATEGORY THE PHRASE IS IN, AND
HOW MANY WORDS ARE IN THE PHRASE. FROM THEN ON, THE USUAL PROCEDURE IS TO ACT OUT THE
WORDS ONE AT A TIME (ALTHOUGH NOT NECESSARILY IN THE ORDER THAT THEY APPEAR IN THE PHRASE).
IN SOME CASES, HOWEVER, IT MAY MAKE MORE SENSE TO TRY TO ACT OUT THE "ENTIRE CONCEPT" OF THE
PHRASE AT ONCE.
TO INDICATE CATEGORIES:

• BOOK TITLE: UNFOLD YOUR HANDS AS IF THEY WERE A BOOK.

• MOVIE TITLE: PRETEND TO CRANK AN OLD-FASHIONED MOVIE CAMERA.
• PLAY TITLE: PRETEND TO PULL THE ROPE THAT OPENS A THEATER CURTAIN.
• SONG TITLE: PRETEND TO SING.
• TV SHOW: DRAW A RECTANGLE TO OUTLINE THE TV SCREEN.
• QUOTE OR PHRASE: MAKE QUOTATION MARKS IN THE AIR WITH YOUR FINGERS.
• TO INDICATE OTHER THINGS:

• NUMBER OF WORDS IN THE TITLE: HOLD UP THE NUMBER OF FINGERS.

• WHICH WORD YOU'RE WORKING ON: HOLD UP THE NUMBER OF FINGERS AGAIN.

• NUMBER OF SYLLABLES IN THE WORD: LAY THE NUMBER OF FINGERS ON YOUR ARM.

• WHICH SYLLABLE YOU'RE WORKING ON: LAY THE NUMBER OF FINGERS ON YOUR ARM AGAIN.

• LENGTH OF WORD: MAKE A "LITTLE" OR "BIG" SIGN AS IF YOU WERE MEASURING A FISH.

• "THE ENTIRE CONCEPT:" SWEEP YOUR ARMS THROUGH THE AIR.

• "ON THE NOSE" (I.E., SOMEONE HAS MADE A CORRECT GUESS): POINT AT YOUR NOSE WITH ONE HAND, WHILE POINTING AT THE PERSON WITH YOUR
OTHER HAND.

• "SOUNDS LIKE": CUP ONE HAND BEHIND AN EAR.

• "LONGER VERSION OF :" PRETEND TO STRETCH A PIECE OF ELASTIC.

• "SHORTER VERSION OF:" DO A "KARATE CHOP" WITH YOUR HAND

• "PLURAL": LINK YOUR LITTLE FINGERS.

• "PAST TENSE": WAVE YOUR HAND OVER YOUR SHOULDER TOWARD YOUR BACK.

• A LETTER OF THE ALPHABET: MOVE YOUR HAND IN A CHOPPING MOTION TOWARD YOUR ARM (NEAR THE TOP OF YOUR FOREARM IF THE LETTER IS NEAR
THE BEGINNING OF THE ALPHABET, AND NEAR THE BOTTOM OF YOUR ARM IF THE LETTER IS NEAR THE END OF THE ALPHABET).
ASSIGNMENT:
 GROUP YOURSELVES INTO 3
 YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE YOUR OWN PLAY, CONTAINING THE DIFFERENT
ELEMENTS OF DRAMA.
 PROVIDE A TITLE FOR YOUR PLAY
 IDENTIFY THE CONFLICT OF YOUR STORY
 PRESENT IT IN THE CLASS USING POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
CONTAINING PICTURES OF YOUR “WOULD BE” SETTING, CHARACTERS,
SITUATIONS, ETC.
THAN K Y O U !