Drama Terminology
Essential Terms in Drama
Elements in Drama
Drama Techniques
Drama Conventions
Practical Exercises - Test your terminology knowledge using Quizlet!
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Elements in Drama
- Role – involves stepping into the place of another person, sustaining belief in that position and representing that person’s relationships and point of view.
- Space – where the dramatic action takes place. It refers both to the imagined place of the dramatic action and the physical space the students have to work in.
- Time – when the drama is set.
- Action – is what each person in role and thinking, alone and with others.
- Tension – the force that drives the drama. It’s created by obstacles that those in the drama have to overcome. The element of tension heightens the dramatic intensity and creates suspense or unease.
- Focus – the point that demands the audience’s attention. It is the central event, character, theme, issue or problem or a drama or part of a drama.
Drama Techniques
- Movement – Timing: when you move / Direction: where you are going / Energy: how you move / Posture: stance / Ensemble awareness: moving as part of a group.
- Voice – Pitch: the highness or lowness of a sound / Pace: the rate at which words are spoken / Pause: where sound stops, how often and for how long / Projection: enables audience to hear the voice / Volume: how softly or loudly the words are spoken /Tone: the feeling or emotion in the voice.
- Facial expression – Variety / Intensity / Appropriateness to role / Showing emotions clearly / Communicating the message or intention clearly / Indicating clearly the relationship with others.
- Gesture – Demonstrating intention to warn, beckon, disapprove or greet / Conveying the mood and role / Showing a relationship to others / Controlled (uncluttered, precise, clear) / Movement of any part of the body.
Drama Conventions
- Freeze frame/still image – Members of a group use their bodies to make an image or tableau capturing an idea, theme or moment in time.
- Flashback/flash forward – Involves shifting backwards or forwards in time so that participants of the audience can experience or investigate or context from another perspective.
- Mime – Action and character are suggested using gesture, movement and facial expression without words or sounds.
- Spoken thoughts aloud – The action freezes and a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud in order to add tension, provide information and so on.
- Hot seating – Class members question or interview who is in role to bring out additional information / ideas and attitudes.
- Role on the wall - A role presented in picture form to put on the wall – information can be added as the drama progresses.
- Narration – A person narrates the action that occurs within a drama.
- Slow-motion – The process of slowing down and exaggerating movement, facial expression and gesture often to isolate an important moment.
- Chorus of voice – A group using their voices together to make patterns of sound.
- Chorus of movement – A groups moving together with a sense of purpose. The movement may be repetitive or stylised.
Practical Exercises - Test your terminology knowledge using Quizlet!
Click on the links below