All About Drama

What students need to know about Drama...


Drama is also referred to as a Play.

When a Drama is written out it is called a SCRIPT.

The SETTING, CHARACTER'S ACTIONS and how the actors should SAY and DO things when they are acting are all included in the drama's STAGE DIRECTIONS.  STAGE DIRECTIONS are always written inside parentheses ( )  and are written in italics.

Dramas include a CAST of CHARACTERS at the beginning of the script which indicates how many actors are needed for the play.

Dramas are written in lines as follows:

CARL: (with excitement) Let's go to the zoo!

The character's name is in bold print.  It is followed by a colon (:) and then any stage directions the playwright wishes the actor to know.  The last thing in the line are the character's exact words.  No quotation marks are necessary in a drama because of this special form.

The author of a drama is called the PLAYWRIGHT.

Drama is divided into sections.  The larger sections of a drama are called ACTS.  Inside ACTS are smaller sections that require a change in set called SCENES.

Sets are the background of the play that gives the audience the idea of another place such as a park or school.  This is also called SCENERY.

PROPS are the items the actors use in the play to help act out their scenes.

DIALOUGE is the conversations of the play.

The NARRATOR of the play is not an acting character but someone who fills in the gaps for things the actors cannot act out, such as a passage of time or background information.