Getting Into the

World of Laughter
and Tears
“All the world’s a stage and all men and women are
merely players: They have their exits and entrances;
and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts
being seven ages.”
- William Shakespeare
 MEANING
MENACE
A. Arrange the jumbled words that will
lead you to arrive at the definition of a
one-act play.
 MEANING
MENACE
B. Guess the words hidden in the
constellation of letters. Use the
description as a clue.
Place where Click icon to add picture

the story
happened

SETTING
 Click icon to add picture

Platform on
which the
actors perform
STAGE
People Click icon to add picture

involved in the
story
CHARACTERS
 Click icon to add picture

Words/Lines the
characters say in a
story, movie, play,
etc.
DIALOGUE
Analyzing a
One Act Play
 One Act Play
Is a form of drama that is written in one act, as opposed
to plays that are divided into several acts.
It usually has a running time of between 15 minutes to
an hour, and focuses on single event or problem, taking
place in a single setting.
 One Act Play
Unlike full-length plays, one act plays don’t
have intervals. They present a concise, focused
narrative, making them a popular choice for
drama festivals and competition.
 One Act Play
A distinctfeature of one-act plays is that they
are performed without disruptions or intervals.
It may only have one character.
 One Act Play
According to its theme the One-Act Play can be divided
into different types as – realistic plays, problem plays,
phantasies, costume plays, satire, romance, etc.
In short, the playwright has a large and varied choice of
subjects which can be discussed equally well in the
One-Act Play.
Elements of One-Act
Play
 The Theme
Is what the play is all about.
It can be about love, power, family, or even about the reality of
life.
The one-act needs to have a theme or thought just as a full-length
does.
What is the play about? Revenge? Self-discovery? Whatever your
choice, it needs to be clear in your mind what your theme is.
 The Theme
Example: love, marriage, divorce, justice, crime,
punishment, law
 The Plot
In a one-act play are the events that have happened in the story.
The plot of the drama, although limited in its physical actions
and changes of location or scene, is similar to that of the novel
or short story.
It must have the same characteristics of development and
structuring, and depend on conflict, suspense and mood to carry
the action forward.
Example: Romeo and Juliet
 An age-old vendetta between two powerful families erupts into
bloodshed. A group of masked Montagues risk further conflict by
gatecrashing a Capulet party. A young lovesick Romeo Montague falls
instantly in love with Juliet Capulet, who is due to marry her father’s
choice, the County Paris. With the help of Juliet’s nurse, the women
arrange for the couple to marry the next day, but Romeo’s attempt to halt a
street fight leads to the death of Juliet’s own cousin, Tybalt, for which
Romeo is banished. In a desperate attempt to be reunited with Romeo,
Juliet follows the Friar’s plot and fakes her own death. The message fails
to reach Romeo, and believing Juliet dead, he takes his life in her tomb.
Juliet wakes to find Romeo’s corpse beside her and kills herself. The
grieving family agree to end their feud.
 Characters
Are the people acting for the play. In a one-act
play, the main character is also called the hero.
A character is a person, animal, being, creature, or
thing in a story.
Writers use characters to perform the actions and
speak dialogue, moving the story along a plot line.
 Characters
A storycan have only one character (protagonist) and still be
a complete story.
This character’s conflict may be an inner one (within
him/herself), or a conflict with something natural, such as
climbing a mountain.
Most stories have multiple characters interacting, with one of
them as the antagonist, causing a conflict for the protagonist.
 Characters
Example: Romeo And Juliet
 The Dialogues
are the lines that the characters spit out in front
of the audience.
A dialogue is a conversation between two people
in a book, film, or play.
 The Dialogues
[ROMEO is walking down a hallway when he hears loud scuffling noises]
ROMEO: Oh no! Are my dad and the principal fighting again? Those two
just hate each other.
[ROMEO’s dad, the janitor, and the staff throw tests at the principal and
the students. Then, BENVOLIO comes and taps ROMEO on the back.]
ROMEO: Hey buddy Ben! (they fist pump) Look at this. (ROMEO
indicates the fight). Should I help them?
BENVOLIO: Nah. Actually bro, I found you a girl.
ROMEO: Really
 The Dialogues
[ROMEO is walking down a hallway when he hears loud scuffling noises]
ROMEO: Oh no! Are my dad and the principal fighting again? Those two
just hate each other.
[ROMEO’s dad, the janitor, and the staff throw tests at the principal and
the students. Then, BENVOLIO comes and taps ROMEO on the back.]
ROMEO: Hey buddy Ben! (they fist pump) Look at this. (ROMEO
indicates the fight). Should I help them?
BENVOLIO: Nah. Actually bro, I found you a girl.
ROMEO: Really
 Guided Practice
Identify what is being described in each
item.
 Guided Practice
1. It deals with a single dominant situation,
and aims at producing a single effect,
though the methods used may vary greatly
from tragedy to face, according to the
nature of the effect desired.
 Guided Practice
2. These are the people acting in the play.
3. It is what the play is all about.
4. It is the conversation between two people in a
book, film, or play.
5. These are the events that have happened in the
story or play.