What is a Play?

1. What is a Play? Introduction to The Crucible/ Drama/ How to read a play properly

2. What is a drama? • Drama is a genre, or type of literature. • Drama is different from other genres because it is meant to be performed. • Dramas tell stories through the speech and actions of the characters. • The written texts of these stories are called plays.

3. Literary Elements in a Play • Literary elements are what the playwright (author) uses to create a play. • Script • Plot • Dialogue • Setting

4. Literary Elements Definitions • Script: the written words and directions for a play. • Plot: tells what happens and why. It is organized into Acts and sometimes Scenes. • An Act is a large part of the play. • Scene are smaller parts within the different Acts.

5. Plot Diagram

6. Literary Elements Definitions Continued… • Dialogue: the spoken conversation between characters. • Tells the reader what the characters are thinking or feeling • Reveals characters’ personalities • When reading dialogue it is important to pay to be aware of the character’s role and who they are speaking with • Read the dialogue with emphasis (especially when it is indicated ex. Rev Parris says excitedly the line should be read with excitement) • Setting: where and when the play takes place

7. Performance Elements in a Play • Performance elements are what the actors do on stage to make the characters and story believable. • Acting • Speaking • Nonverbal Gestures.

8. Performance Elements Definitions • Acting: shows what the character is feeling, thinking, planning or doing. • Speaking: vocal expression, projection, style of speech, and diction • Remember emphasis and expressions are important when reading the dialogue ! • Nonverbal Expression: gestures, facial expressions and movement • These expressions will often be indicated in the stage directions

9. Stage Directions • Stage direction describe the sets and tell the actors what to do during their performance. • Stage directions should be read silently • Stage directions Allow the actor to accurately portray the scene as it was intended to be seen and allows the reader to visualize how the scene was intended to be presented • Usually in brackets or italics or bold • The reader or actor should be able to differentiate between the stage directions and dialogue because the stage directions will physically look different on the page

10. Don’t forget to …. (other things to remember when properly reading a play) • Read to the punctuation not the end of the line • If there are words or concepts you don’t understand it is ok to stop and look them up before moving on • Have fun when reading and acting out a drama it is ok to get into character!