One Act Play
Write a 750 play that incorporates a clear beginning, middle, and ending. Your play must have at least two characters. Grammar and punctuation variations are acceptable if they serve the needs of the piece.
REFLECTION about 350 words\\\:
Use a question and answer format in which you answer questions in 350 words regarding what you learned from writing your play.
Create questions and provide your responses that discuss the following:
How you, as the writer, used common elements, structures, form, and terminology used in dramatic plays and screenplays; for instance, how does the format change the way characters are introduced or the impact of dialogue and setting?
30 Powerful Elements of Drama
The elements of drama began with Greek philosopher Aristotle who stated in The Poetics (c.335 BC) each dramatic performance (tragedy) must contain the six key elements of plot, character, thought (theme), diction (language), melody (music-dance, song, rhythm) and spectacle. This is history’s first surviving example of dramatic theory.
In contemporary drama education, there is no prescribed or definitive list of the elements of drama. Below is a list of 30 of the most common elements of drama with my own descriptors, gained from over 30 years of teaching practice in drama education. Where similar terms mean the same (such as focus and emphasis), I have included both terms. I trust this post may prove useful for both drama/theatre teachers and their students, alike. Enjoy! – Justin Cash
Action
Action, or dramatic action, refers to the propelling of the plot from one moment to the next in the drama. This will naturally relate to the structure of the play, as the action moves forward from the early stages (exposition) to the inciting incident, rising action, one or more crises, the climax, falling action and then the conclusion. See the “Structure” entry further down this list for more information on how plays are formed.
