Elements of

DRAMA
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WHAT IS DRAMA?

A drama is a story
enacted on a stage for a
live audience.
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ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

LITERARY
The elements of
ELEMENTS
drama, by which
dramatic works PERFORMANCE
can be ELEMENTS
categorized in
TECHNICAL
three major
ELEMENTS
areas:
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Literary
elements
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Aristotle”s six elements of

drama
➜ Plot
➜ Theme
➜ Characters
➜ Dialogue
➜ Music
➜ Spectacle
 1.
PLOT
It refers to the storyline
of the play/drama.
 2.
THEME
It refers to the meaning of
the play. Theme is the
main idea or the lesson to
be learned from the play.
 3.
CHARACTERS
It refers to the people
portrayed by the actor /
actresses in a play.
 4.
DIALOGUE
It refers to the words
written by the playwright
and spoken by the
characters in a play.
 5.
MUSIC
Aristotle was referring to
the rhythm of the actors’
voices as they speak.
 6.
SPECTACLE
This refers to the visual elements
of a play; sets, costumes and
special effects. Spectacles is
everything that the audience sees
as they watch the play.
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elements of drama in the

modern theater
➜ Plot
➜ Theme
➜ Characters
➜ Dialogue
➜ Convention
➜ Genre
➜ Audience
 CONVENTION
These are the techniques and
methods used by the
playwright and director to
create the desired stylistic
effect.
 GENRE
It refers to the type of play.
Some examples of different
genres include comedy,
tragedy, mystery and historical
play.
 AUDIENCE
This is the group of people
who watch the play.
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performance
elements
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ACTING
The use of face, body,
and voice to portray
character.
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CHARACTER
MOTIVATION
The reasons for a
character’s behavior, an
incentive for further action
for a character in drama.
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CHARACTER ANALYSIS
In responding to dramatic art, the
process of examining how the
elements of drama – literary,
technical and performance are
used.
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EMPHATY
The capacity to relate to
the feelings of another.
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“
DRAMATIC
ELEMENTS
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Elements of drama can be

used individually or at the same
time depending on the
performer’s decision for
dramatic effect.

Focus, tension, timing, and

rhythm comprise these elements.
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FOCUS
You can give attention to
focus when you:
- Memorize lines
- Emphasize the goals or
objectives of a character
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TENSION
You are thinking of tension as you
view drama with focus on its
conflict.
• Tension builds as the audience
predicts the result in the plot.
• Its obvious example is a mystery
story.
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TIMING
You are concerned with timing when you
think of the timing of movements and
gestures and the right timing of their
execution.
• Check if the actions and behaviors are
influenced by timing.
• Rhythm and speed or pace are
influenced by timing.
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RHYTHM
Rhythm pertains to the period of timing
and speed of drama.

Other important details include:

• It means the speed of the performance.
• Rhythm has a rule that it should never
be repeated throughout the drama, no
matter its length.
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technical
elements
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SCENERY
The theatrical equipment, such
as curtains, flats, backdrops, or
platforms, used in a dramatic
production to communicate
environment.
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COSTUMES
The clothing and
accessories worn by actors to
portray character and period.
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PROPS
Short for properties; any article,
except costume or scenery, used as part
of a dramatic production; any moveable
object that appears on stage during a
performance, from a telephone to a
train.
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SOUND
The effects an audience hears
during performance to
communicate character, context,
or environment
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MAKE-UP
The costumes, wigs, and
body paint used to transform
an actor into a character.
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terminologies
used in drama
 DIAPHRAGM
The lower part of the lungs,
filling the abdominal space,
that supports the voice when
actors and singers breathe
correctly on stage
 DICTION
Clear, sharp pronunciation of
words, especially consonants.
 DIRECTOR
The person charged with
staging a play or musical.
Who coordinates all onstage
aspects of the production,
including the performances of
the actors
 DOWNSTAGE
An area of the stage closest to
the audience
 FINDING YOUR
LIGHT
Actor’s ability to sense when
he or she is properly placed in
respect to stage lighting
 HAM
An actor who gives a very
broad or exaggerated
performance
 BLOCKING
Stage movements by actors,
including entrances, exits, and
any steps taken in any
direction across the stage
 BODY
LANGUAGE
Bodily movements, large or
small, which indicate what a
person is thinking or feeling
 BREAKING UP
Out-of-place laughter by an
actor
 BUS-AND-
TRUCK TOUR
A low budget tour of a play or
musical often presented in
smaller cities for only a few
nights
 CALLBACK
A request that an actor return
for additional audition
 CHEMISTRY
A mysterious element that
creates excitement when two
actors appear together
 COLD
READING
Delivering a speech or acting
a scene at an audition without
read it beforehand
 CUE
A line of dialogue, action or
sound, onstage or off, that tells
an actor it is time to enter,
exit, move across stage, or
most– commonly – begin
speaking
 CURTAIN UP
The start of a performance,
whether or not an actual
curtain exists in front of the
stage
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THANK
YOU!