Terms for Drama

Act - subdivision of a play

Scene - further subdivision of an act (acts are made up of scenes)

Comedy - a play that ends happily

Dialogue - conversation of the characters in the play

Tragedy - a play that ends unhappily

Melodrama - a play designed to arouse intense emotion by exaggeration and fast movingaction

Protagonist - the hero or leading character with whom the audience sympathizes

Antagonist - the character who opposes or competes with the protagonist

Properties - all of the stage furnishings, objects etc. (often shortened to props)

Pantomime - actions without words or props

Atmosphere - mood or feeling

Theme- important central idea presented by the play

Plot - the chain of events that make up the play

Farce - highly exaggerated humorous play or skit

Motivation - reasons for character's beliefs or actions

Stage Left - left of the stage from the actor's point of view

Stage Right - right of the stage from the actor's point of view

Upstage - area of the stage away from the footlights

Downstage - area of the stage close to the footlights

Actor - person whose function it is to communicate words and emotions to an audience; he or she assumes the personality of the character

Audience - those who view the play and should be responsive to the action and the feeling or mood portrayed as the actors lead them into the play