The Conventions of Drama

The Rise of American Drama

Have you ever acted in a school play or been spellbound by an award-winning film? If so, then
youve already experienced the thrill of dramatic performances. Drama is a form of literature
that is written to be performed for an audience, whether on stage or in front of cameras. The
two main types of drama are tragedy and comedy a tragedy unveils the downfall of a main
character, and a comedy is light and often humorous in tone. !any dramas combine elements of
both tragedy and comedy.
"rama was one of the last of the literary genres to develop in the #nited $tates. The
%uritans in &ew 'ngland regarded theatrical performances as frivolous, so few plays were staged
in the ()**s. "uring the (+
th
and (,
th
centuries, drama gradually became an accepted form of
entertainment. However, most of the plays performed in the #nited $tates were imported from
'urope or were adapted from novels.
In (,-* the .roadway production of 'ugene /&eills Beyond the Horizon mar0ed a turning point.
This important play used a realistic setting to present true-to-life characters who were
struggling to understand their lives. .uilding on /&eills achievement, 1merican playwrights
Thornton 2ilder, 3illian Hellman, Tennessee 2illiams, and 1rthur !iller created dramas in the
(,4*s and (,5*s that met with critical and popular success. 6ollowing 2orld 2ar II, 1merican
dramatists 'dward 1lbee and 3orraine Hansberry made significant contributions to the theater.
Today, hit plays by contemporary playwrights, including $am $hepard, "avid !amet, 1ugust
2ilson, 2endy 2asserstein, and Tony 7ushner, are performed in theaters across the country.
"rama has become a thriving art form in the #nited $tates.
Conventions of Drama
!ost dramas follow similar conventions, or rules, in how they are presented. 1n understanding of
basic dramatic conventions can help you imagine the staging of the performance as you read. 8ou
may recogni9e that drama and fiction share a common set of elements: plot, setting, character,
and theme.
Acts and Scenes
"ramatic plots are divided into acts and scenes, with each scene establishing a different time or
place. 1s in fiction, the plot in a drama introduces interactions that produce a conflict, or
struggle, between opposing forces. The action intensifies, reaches a pea0, and is eventually
resolved. The elements of plot in drama;exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and
resolution;parallel those in fiction.
The Cast of Characters
1 play lists the cast of characters in the beginning, before the action starts. !any of the same
types of characters that populate fiction are also found in drama. The protagonist is the central
character of the play. This character is at the center of the conflict and often undergoes
radical changes during the course of the play. The antagonist is the character who opposes the
main character. $ome plays also include a foil, a minor character whose traits contrast sharply
with those of the main character. The interplay among these characters heightens the dramatic
tension as the play develops.
Stage Directions
The italici9ed instructions in a play are written by the playwright, or author, and are called stage
directions. $tage directions describe the setting of the play and suggest the use of props,
lighting, scenery, sound effects, and costumes. $tage directions also describe the entrances and
the exits of characters, and how the characters loo0, spea0, and react to events or to others.
Speech Devices
In drama, the playwright develops the story line through the characters actions and dialogue.
Dialogue, or conversation between characters, is the lifeblood of drama. <irtually everything of
conse=uence;from the plot details to the character revelations;flows from dialogue. /ther
speech devices used by playwrights, in addition to dialogue, include
the monologue: a long speech spo0en by a single character to himself or
herself, or to the audience
the soliloquy: a monologue in which a character spea0s his or her private
thoughts aloud and appears to be unaware of the audience
the aside: a short speech or comment that is delivered by a character to the
audience, but that is beyond the hearing of other characters who are present
Strategies for Reading Drama
(. >eview the cast of characters and read the opening stage directions
carefully. >emember that the opening scene usually introduces the
main conflict.
-. Try to picture the characters and the action as if you were watching the play
being performed. #se stage directions to help you ?see@ the setting and
characters, and use dialogue to help you ?hear@ how characters spea0.
4. 6ollow the dialogue to 0eep trac0 of the plot and to learn more about the
characters.
5. 1naly9e how the characters interact. 2hat motivates their actions and
speech?
A. 6irst read the play silently then read parts of it aloud to yourself or with
others.
). onitor your reading strategies and modify them when your understanding
brea0s down. >emember to use your $trategies for 1ctive >eading: predict,
visuali!e, connect, question, clarify, and evaluate.