GE6115| ART APPRECIATION

OBJECTIVES:
 discuss theatre and drama as performing arts;
 explain the elements of drama; and
 appreciate the benefits derived from theatre and drama

Drama means to act or to do from the Greek dran. It means action literally. It is a
composition in prose for enactment intended to portray life or character or
to tell a story by action and dialogue. It is a process geared to the participant
and does not require a formal audience.

Theatre a building specifically designed for the purpose of presenting dramatic

performances before an audience (Collier, 1995). It includes drama
activities which may lead to formal presentation of a scripted play
involving acting directing designing and other technical aspects.

The Basic Elements of Theatre (Terrin Adair-Lynch)

Script/Text / Scenario / Plan
Script is a written version of a play or other dramatic composition. It is used in preparing for a
theatrical performance. It can be simplistic, as in the 16th century, with the scenarios used by
the acting troupes of the Commedia dell' arte, or it can be elaborate, such as the works of
William Shakespeare. The script, scenario, or plan is used as a blue print to build a production
from.

The Process
This is the element that refers to the work in progress stage. It is where the work of the
playwright is realized by the director, actors, designers, technicians, dancers, musicians, and
any other collaborators that come together on the script, scenario, or plan.

The Product
This is the finished work. This is what the viewers witness as they sit in the theatre and watch
the work.

The Audience
The audience is indispensable in the theatre. The physical presence of an audience is very essential
as it can change a performance, inspire actors, and create expectations. The presence of live actors
on the stage in front of live audiences differentiates it from modern day films and television. The
playwright writes and produces plays for the theatre. He writes the literary composition
specifically for the stage in play format.

Elements of Drama
The elements of drama below are outlined from the work of Aristotle “Poetics”, which he used
for his critical analysis of the classical Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex written by the Greek
playwright, Sophocles, in the fifth century BC.

The six elements as they are outlined involve: Thought or Theme or Ideas, Action or Plot,
Characters, Language, Music, and Spectacle.
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Thought/Theme/Ideas
The theme contains the meaning of the play. This is mostly the abstract issues and feelings that
grow out of the dramatic action of the characters. Sometimes, this is straightforwardly stated in
the title or it may be inserted into the dialogue of a character. The theme may also be less obvious
and would only emerge after some study or thought.

Action/Plot
Plot/action is the arrangement of action and movement in the play. The action and movement
in the play begin from the initial complication, through rising action, climax, and falling action
to resolution.

Characters
These are the people presented in the play that are involved in developing the plot. Each character
should have his own distinct personality, age, appearance, beliefs, socio-economic background,
and language.

Language
Language and dialogue delivered by the characters move the plot and action along. They provide
exposition and define the distinct characters. Each playwright can create their own specific style
in relationship to language choices that they use in establishing character and dialogue.

Music
Music is not a part of every play, but music can be included to mean all sounds in a production.
Music can expand to all sound effects, the actor’s voices, songs, and instrumental music played as
underscore in a play. There is a need for the composers and lyricists to work hand in hand with the
playwright to strengthen the themes and ideas of the play. This element enables the characters
to relate with the audience through lyrics and music.

Spectacle
The spectacle in the theatre involves all the visual elements of the play - all of the aspects of
scenery, costumes, and special effects in a production. These include the qualities determined by
the playwright that create the world and atmosphere of the play for the audience’s eye.

Genre/Forms of Drama
Drama is divided into the categories of tragedy, comedy, melodrama, and tragicomedy. Each of
these genre/forms can be further subdivided by style and content.

Tragedy
Tragedy is a serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude action and deals with intense
problems. It arouses pity and fear in the audience as it witnesses the action. In classical tragedy,
we find a protagonist at the center of the drama that is a great person, usually of upper-class birth.
Tragedy involves the audience in the action and creates tension and expectation.

Comedy
This genre should have the view of a “comic spirit” and is physical and energetic. It is tied up in
rebirth and renewal. This is the reason most comedy and in weddings, which suggest a union of
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a couple and the expected birth of children. Comedy creates light feelings. The playwright uses
comic devices such as exaggeration, incongruity, surprise, repetition, wisecracks, and
sarcasm.

Melodrama
Melodrama is drama of disaster and differs from tragedy significantly. The protagonist is
usually a victim of circumstance. He is acted upon by the antagonist or anti-hero and suffers
without having to accept responsibility and inevitability of fate. Melodrama has a sense of strict
moral judgment. All issues presented in the plays are resolved in a well-defined way. The good
characters are rewarded and the bad characters are punished in a means that fits the crime.

Tragicomedy
Tragicomedy is the most lifelike of all of the genres. It focuses on character relationships and
shows society in a state of continuous change. There is a mix of comedy and tragedy side by
side in these types of plays.

Purpose of Drama
Drama captures the essence of a culture or a group within that culture. It reveals the attitudes
and opinions of their time.

Purposes of Drama
Improvisation
the ability to do something spontaneously to new and unexpected situations. Drama gives us the
opportunity to hone our improvisation skills. Life is improvisation. We respond in new ways
when spontaneous and unexpected things occur to us.

Play Making
In drama, you will be expected to create plays. Play making is the process of experimenting with
new roles. Through plays you can re-examine old roles and challenge society’s values and
interpretations.

Drama as a cooperative process

In drama, you are asked to participate in group work. This helps you explore relationships on
and off stage. It helps your communication skills and helps you make friends on campus.

Philippine Drama and Theatre

Dramatic forms during the Spanish Period were the:
Carillo or Shadow Play
 Held before a lamp, are shadows of cardboard figures projected on screen.
 A prompter provides the dialogue with the story line taken from legends, fables, or metrical
romances

Comedia or Komedya or Moro-Moro

The most popular theater during Spain’s 100 years reign. Stories revolve around battles between
Muslims and Christians presented with colorful costumes and choreography.
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Loa
 A short performance presented before a long drama to introduce the main drama and praise
its performers
 Panunuluyan. It is a street play dramatizing the rooming-in of Mary and Joseph for shelter
in Bethlehem during Christmas Eve

Cenakulo or Senakulo
the passion of Christ dramatized

Tibag (tear down)

reenactment of Emperor Constantine or Empress Helena’s search for the true cross. A procession
during the Santa Cruzan is the climax of the performance

Salubong
an Easter presentation re-enacting the meeting of Mary and the resurrected Christ

Zarswela or sarswela
 three-in one act play with songs and dances
 depicts political conditions of our country, feelings of love, fear, grief, sorrow or any
sublime emotion

Drama simbolika or symbolic drama

 indigenous revolutionary drama
 has patriotic contents written by playwrights who cherished the ideals of the Philippine
Revolution

20th century
 the most dramatic period in Philippine theatre marked the radical changes from Moro-moro
to modern cinema.

Noted Filipino dramatists and their works

 Aurelio Tolentino – Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas (1903)
 Tomas Remigio – Malaya (1902)
 Juan Abad – Tanikalang Ginto (1902)
 Juan Matapang Cruz – Hindi ako Patay (1902)
 Severino Reyes – R.I.P.; Kalupi; Walang sugat
 Hermogenes Ilagan – Dalagang Bukid; Ang Kiri
 Juan F. Bartolome – Kailan Man ay Buhay

Personal Benefits
As students, studying drama benefits you a lot. It helps you build your self-confidence to speak
in public and to develop your interpersonal skills. Drama helps you to be more aware of how
your physical presentation can affect the way people see you. Ethically, it provides you
motivation to start to evaluate your own values and beliefs.
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Drama Influences Lives

Drama plays a major role in your lives. You all experience 'real life’ drama in the form of your
own personal experiences as well as ’real life’ drama in the news and current affairs. You are also
exposed to fictional drama in film, on television, and in the theatre. By studying drama, you gather
values that are good or bad. The decision to be influenced by the morals delivered by the drama
lies in you.

Some important terms to remember in theatre and drama:

actor a person who performs in a play.
backdrop a large cloth (or paper) that is painted and hung as scenery.
blackout when all lights are simultaneously turned off to indicate the end of a scene.
blocking a plan that indicates where an actor stands and moves.
Break a leg! a theatre expression meaning "Good luck!".
cast the actors in a play.
center stage the middle portion of the stage floor.
character a person in a story that an actor play.
choreographer a person who plans and teaches movements - like dances and fight sequence
- to actors.
costume director a person who designs and makes the costumes actors wear.
cue a signal that tells an actor when to speak or move
curtain call actors gather on stage at the end of a performance to receive applause.
director the person who interprets the play and provides direction to the actors and
designers.
downstage the area of the stage that is closest to the audience.
dress rehearsal the last rehearsal before a play opens with actors in full costume.
foley artist a person who creates sounds for film or theatre using a variety of objects to
enhance the sound effects.
giving focus an actor on stage does not move or talk so that audience attention is drawn to
another actor who is moving or talking.
improvisation a drama that is not scripted, but is made up as you go.
lighting designer a person who plans what lights are used and when they are used to help
create a setting.
makeup designer a person who makes actors’ faces resemble the characters they are playing.
mime an actor who performs without words.
monologue a scene when only one actor speaks.
offstage the area of the stage that is not seen by an audience.
onstage the area of a stage where actors perform.
pantomime a story performed without words.
producer the person who arranges the financing of a play.
prop short for properties. Any object used by an actor.
proscenium a decorative frame that arches around the stages acting area.
script a play in written form.
set the acting area including props and scenery.
set designer the person who designs the scenery for a play.
sound designer the person who selects the music and sounds used in a play.
stage crew people who set up scenery and change it between scenes of a play.
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stage directions instructions given to actors to tell them when and where to move on stage.
stage left the area of stage that is on the actors’ left.
stage manager the person who makes sure a performance runs as planned.
stage right the area of stage that is on the actor’s right.
taking focus the actor speaks confidently and makes intentional movements in a way
that gets the audience’s attention
upstage the back of the stage or the area that is the farthest away from the audience.