CLASS: SENIOR ONE
COURSE CONTENTS
UNIT I: INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY GENRES: FICTION AND NON-FICTION
UNIT II: INTRODUCTION TO PROSE: PLOT, SETTING & CHARACTERS
UNIT III: INTRODUCTION TO POETRY
UNIT IV: THEMES AND MESSAGES IN POETRY
UNIT V: LANGUAGE USE IN POETRY
UNIT VI: INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA
UNIT VII: KEY ASPECTS OF DRAMA
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UNIT VI. INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA
VI.1 DEFINITION OF DRAMA
Drama comes from a Greek word “dran” which means “to do” or “to act”/perform. It is understandable because in a play, on stage, we are always presented with dialogue and actions. A play is a story that is written for actors to perform on stage. A play usually has a dialogue that is spoken by characters.
Drama is a genre of literature which uses dialogue and actions to tell a story. It is the visual representation of literary works. It is performed for audience in theatres, on radio or television.
Therefore, drama is a performance in which actors represent characters and act out a story.
In order to understand and appreciate drama you must know the following terms and their meanings:
Theatre: – It is a building or outdoor area in which plays and other dramatic performances take place.
-It is a building/room/area where dramas are performed. It has a raised platform (stage) for performance and a seating arranged for the audience to sit.
Audience: It refers to the people who watch a play when it is being acted or performed.
Audience refers to assembled spectators or listeners who watch the performance.
Playwright/dramatist is a person who writes or composes plays.
Actors: –They are the ones who perform the written play. He/she is a person who portrays a character in performance.
– An actor is also a person who represents one of the characters in a play and performs the actions of that character on stage.
Script: It is the written text of a play. The script is used by actors to prepare for performance.
VI.2. KEY ELEMENTS OF DRAMA
A drama has the following key elements:
Act: It is a major division of a play. Most plays usually have between three and five acts. While performing on stage, the change from one act to another may be indicated by the drawing of the curtains or by the switching off of the lights.
Moving from one act to another in a play may mean that the location of the action has changed or the time has shifted.
Scene: It is a sub-division of an act. The place and time stay fixed in a scene. A play can move from one scene to another without any change of place or time.
A scene refers to the activities of a group of actors at a particular time. If one actor joins or leaves the group; a new scene is introduced.
Stage directions: They are descriptions written by a playwright to indicate the actions of the characters or to describe the setting. Stage directions are usually written in brackets. They help us to realize the right mood for each scene and enables the actor to use non-verbal expressions (gestures, smile, frown…) and movement on the stage.
Ex: BOSS: Boss will support you. Keep in touch
NASIRUMBI: (Puts the money into her handbag) Our treasurer will send you a receipt for this donation.
Dialogue: It is a conversation between two or more characters in a play. Dialogue brings characters to life by revealing their personalities and showing their thoughts and feelings.
Ex: GATARE: When will you be back?
KABATESI: I will not come back ever.
GATARE: But why?
KABATESI: Because you have hurt me deeply.
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