WHAT IS A PLAY?

7/7/16 homework

Dear Students,

Please answer the following question in complete sentences:

Level 1: Define at least 5 terms
Level 2: Define at least 7 terms
Level 3: Define all of the terms

**All homework must be signed by a parent.**

What is Drama?

You have read non-fiction articles and novels, but now you will read a play.  A play is different from other forms of literature in that it is written to be performed on a stage in a theater.  The author of a play is called a playwright and the person responsible for making the play come alive on stage is called the director.  The director's main job is to guide the actors in playing the roles of the characters in the play.  He often adds to the playwright's stage directions, the descriptions of the actions of the characters, and advises actors on how to speak the dialogue, the words written for the characters by the playwright.   

Plays, unlike novels, usually do not have narrators so it is up to the members of the audience to carefully follow the action as it unfolds in front of them.  The audience is responsible for figuring out the personalities and motivations of the characters by how they act and what they say to each other.  Unlike the author of a novel or short story, the playwright must show action, instead of  simply describing it.  The playwright cannot directly tell the audience what a character is thinking or feeling so the audience must "read between the lines." 


A play is usually divided into three acts.  Act I is the exposition, where the characters and their conflicts are introduced to the audience.  In Act II the conflicts intensify, until either at the end of Act II or at the beginning of Act III they reach a critical point, or climax.  At the point of climax the conflict is settled in one way or another, and the final outcome, or resolution, is shown in Act III.  Acts are often broken down into smaller units called scenes, each of which has different setting.


Define the following dramatic terms:

1. playwright - 
             
2. director –
                
3. actor-
                  
4. stage direction-
        
5. dialogue-
                
6. exposition-

7. resolution-

8. climax-

9. act-

10. scene-