Back to: Jss1 Cultural and Creative Art (C.C.A)

 Elements Of Drama

The six key elements of drama form the foundation of a successful play and they include:

Improvisation/script

A script is a written play. The performers study, practise, and perform the play exactly as it is written. Therefore, the script will act as a reference. On the other side, improvisation occurs when the performers are simply told how to speak or behave without the need for a script.

Characters

These are played by the actors. They dramatise or perform the play exactly as the writer intended. The play comes to life via the characters.

Stage

This is the platform on which performing occurs. The players utilise it as a staging area for plays. The audience must be able to view it in order to see what is happening there.

Audience

The viewers of the performance. They are the intended audience for the performance. Therefore, if there is no audience, the play is incomplete.

Sound/Songs/Music/Sound Effects

These are intended to provide beauty and enrichment to the performance. They aid in highlighting the play’s elegance and beauty.

Lighting

This highlights the play, particularly when it is performed at night or throughout the evening. It also aids in the development of special effects.

Forms Of Drama

Comedy

This kind of drama is filled with exciting moments. Usually, a happy outcome results. Comedy usually deals with depressing or creepy topics. However, when there is such a drama, it must inevitably come to a happy ending. Most of the time, comedy is intended to be entertaining. Wizard of Law by Zulu Sofola. is a good examplea

Tragedy 

Unpleasant incidents and circumstances distinguish this genre of play. There are hints of tension and grief in it. Most often, there are incidents involving death and violence. It concludes with loss and regret, but with a powerful message for the audience to take away.” The public may be effectively educated via tragedy. The Gods Are Not to Blame by Ola Rotimi is one such.

Origins Of Drama

Mimesis, ritual, and storytelling are said to be the three basic origins from which drama developed.

Mimesis 

This is the imitation or portrayal of human behaviour. Drama is said to have begun when man started to copy or mimic the behaviour of another man.

Ritual

According to another school of thought, drama is thought to have its roots in the ritualistic worship of deities and other spiritual practises.

Storytelling

According to this school of thinking, theatre originated as a result of the craft of storytelling. Drama is thought to have started with the retelling or acting out of tales.

Action, movement, conversation, costumes, make-up, stage props, spectacle audiences at festivals, and narrative all have dramatic components. In a festival, the priest, who wears a costume and the appropriate make-up, is like an actor who delivers a speech while using props (stage properties) on a stage that is specifically for that purpose and in front of an audience (audience). In storytelling, the narrator converses with the characters who act as his audience throughout the tale. While telling the narrative, the narrator does exaggerate and acts out various events.