CCA JSS ONE

WEEK 1

ORIGIN OF DRAMA;
ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
Ms. Stella ifejika
DRAMA AND THEATRE
1. Trace the origin of drama

2. Outline three (3) sources of the origin

of drama

3. Discuss the dramatic elements of

festivals and storytelling
 ORIGIN OF DRAMA

Drama is said to have originated from

ancient Greece. The word ‘Drama’ comes
from a Greek word that means ‘Action’.
Drama has been said to have also originated
from three sources which includes:
Mimesis, Ritual and Storytelling.
 MIMESIS:
Mimesis is a Greek word which means
“to imitate”. Mimesis involves putting
up a disguise of reality, but it is not real.
It is the act of resembling, imitating, or
mimicking a particular character or
expression.
 RITUALS:
Rituals are series of actions used in religious
and traditional ceremonies. Rituals in
Greece such as marriages, sports, funerals,
premonition etc. were laid down by the
traditions and religion of ancient Greece,
thus making it a source of drama in Greece.
 STORYTELLING:
Storytelling simply means
communicating an event in words,
sounds and images. It is mostly
done to instil moral values.
DRAMATIC ELEMENTS OF FESTIVALS
AND STORYTELLING:

1. Dialogue
2. Action
3. Audience
4. Stage – the platform where
series of actions are performed.
 ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
Elements of drama are those components or
necessary parts that make up a drama. They
are the basic components that are brought
together in a meaningful and creative way to
produce a good drama. (Informative,
Interesting, Educative). The elements of
drama include:
 ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
1. Script (Improvisation, Plot,
Theme, Diction)
2. Characters
3. Stage
4. Audience
5. Sound
6. Light
 SCRIPT:
This element involves writing down the roles of
the characters as texts. A good script should
contain the Plot of the play (i.e. the events of the
play; what happens in the play); the Theme of the
play (i.e. what the play means); and the Diction
(i.e. the choice of words and accent of the
characters).
Improvisation is simply the element that allows
directors to create what is to be performed at the
moment of the performance.
CHARACTERS:
These are the actors and actresses that participate in
the drama presentation.
STAGE:
This is the platform on which the characters perform
or present a drama. It could be a raised platform or
constructed lower than the seats of the audience.
AUDIENCE:
These are the people who gather together to watch a
drama.
SOUND:
This includes songs, music and any
other artificially reproduced sound
effect.
LIGHTS:
Lights serve to illuminate the stage. It
is also used to create emphasis as
well as the effects of night and day.
 Class work
1. In which country did drama
originate from?
2. Outline three (3) sources of
the origin of drama.
3. Mention 6 elements of
drama.
 NEXT TOPIC

Forms of Drama