/
What is a Play? 	 	Using single words only, write down terminology of what makes up a What is a Play? 	 	Using single words only, write down terminology of what makes up a

What is a Play? Using single words only, write down terminology of what makes up a - PowerPoint Presentation

acenum
acenum . @acenum
Follow
345 views
Uploaded On 2020-06-23

What is a Play? Using single words only, write down terminology of what makes up a - PPT Presentation

Example Actors Stage What is a Play It is not a thing but an event taking place in real time and occupying real space It is a drama original from the Greek word dran something done ID: 784979

audience play tragedy characters play audience characters tragedy action conflict order time plot stage character theatre perfect aristotle act

Share:

Link:

Embed:

Download Presentation from below link

Download The PPT/PDF document "What is a Play? Using single words on..." is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.


Presentation Transcript

Slide1

What is a Play?

Using single words only, write down terminology of what makes up a play.

Example: Actors, Stage

Slide2

What is a Play?

It is not a thing, but

an event

, taking place in real time and occupying real space.

It is a

drama

(original from the Greek word

dran

, “something done.”)

It is

action

, not just the words printed in a book.

A play is

“playing”

and those who create plays are

“players.”

Slide3

What is a Play?

There are different

genres

: tragedy, comedy, satyr, melodrama, farce, musical

There are different

durations

: full-length, five act, three-act, two-act one-act.

There are different

periods

: Greek, Shakespearean, Modern, Contemporary

Slide4

What is a Play?

Plays can be analyzed in two ways:

By their order of organization

By their components

Slide5

The Order of a Play

A theatrical experience involves an orderly sequence that can be divided into three groupings:

Preplay

Play proper

Postplay

Slide6

The Gathering of the Audience

The chief concerns and processes to get the crowd to come see the show.

Greek

: the playwrights and actors held public meetings days before the play began.

Elizabethan (Shakespeare’s Time)

: flags flew atop the playhouses on performance days.

Slide7

The Gathering of the Audience

Modern Theatre

: Posters, newspaper ads, press releases, mailings to patrons announce performances.

Once gathered, the patrons are seated and ready to see the show.

Slide8

The Transition

The theatre must “shift” the audience’s awareness from real life to stage life.

Written program (playbill) gives locale, time of the

action, characters, actors

- The lobby displays pictures or docs relevant to the play

Music sets a mood

Scenery is on stage (no curtain)

Lights dim

Slide9

The Exposition

The background information the audience must have in order to understand what’s going on in the action of the play.

Most plays begin with dialogue or action calculated to ease us into the concerns of the characters.

Greeks and Shakespeare used a prologue (usually a simple speech delivered to the audience.)

Modern plays mostly use minor characters that discuss something that is about to happen.

Slide10

The Conflict

The struggle a character(s) faces against opposing forces; this conflict creates the “drama” of the play.

- Conflict may be set up between characters as well as within them; it maybe reducible to one central situation, or evolve out of many.

Conflict will make up the bulk of the play by building tension, step-by-step.

Slide11

The Climax

The point in the plot where the conflict reaches its most extreme; it is the moment of maximum tension.

The character has reached a point of

recognition

and

reversal

.

Audience reaches

catharsis

(a cleansing or purification of

the pity felt for the character’s conflict.)

Slide12

The Denouement

(

dey-noo-mah

)

The

resolution

in which a final action or speech gives a new harmony or understanding.

- Must provide clarity concerning the problems raised by the play, and give some vision or deeper and more permanent understanding.

Slide13

The Curtain Call

The last stage element in which the actors break out of their characters and bow as the audience “hopefully” applauds.

- Liberates the audience from the world of the play and take them back to real life.

Slide14

Criticism

The play enjoys an extended afterlife through published reviews, conversations, scholarly articles, and sometimes formal classroom discussions.

Slide15

The Poetics

The first philosophical theatre critic was the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.)

He wrote an essay on the definition of tragedy called

The Poetics

.

Much of his thought process was derived from the tragedy play

Oedipus,

by Sophocles.

Slide16

Aristotle

Student of

Plato

Teacher of Alexander the

Great

One of the most influential thinkers of all time

Slide17

Why Do We Care?

The

reason that we study Aristotle’s perfect tragedy

and

The Poetics

is

because all literary tragedies are

still compared

to and talked about using Aristotle’s

ideas.

Thus, you

will need to know this for any future

literary

class in both high school and

college.

Plus

Oedipus

is pretty cool to study.

Slide18

Aristotle’s Six Ingredients

of Theatre

Plot (most important)

Character

Theme

Diction

Music

Spectacle

Slide19

Plot

The

order of actions

that take place on

stage (this happens, and then this happens, and then this happens next…)

Includes the comings and goings of the characters, the timetable of the events, and the order of revelations, reversals, and discoveries.

Think of a murder mystery or an episode of “CSI.” The story pulls you along, step-by-step

.

Slide20

Characters

The human figures --- or impersonated presences---who undertake the actions of the plot.

Character depth is what gives a play its psychological complexity, it sensuality and its warmth. Without it, we cannot experience love, hate, fear, hope, joy, despair.

In other words, we live through the characters.

Slide21

Theme

A play’s abstracted intellectual content.

It may be described as the play’s overall

statement: its topic, central idea, or message.

What is the play about?

Slide22

Diction

The pronunciation of spoken dialogue by the characters.

Includes tone, imagery, cadence, articulation

Also includes use of literary forms: verse, rhyme, metaphor, apostrophe, jest.

Slide23

Music

Rhythmic or melodic sounds in a play.

Singing used as a type of diction (dialogue).

Musical instruments to enhance tone.

Offstage music (band playing outside a window.)

Vocal tones, footsteps, sighs, shouts, gunshots, animal cries, and amplified special effects.

Slide24

Spectacle

The visual aspects of a play’s production.

Scenery

Costumes

Lighting

Makeup

Props.

Slide25

The Perfect Tragedy

According to Aristotle, the best example of the perfect tragedy was

Oedipus Rex.

As we continue, think of how

Oedipus Rex

meets each of the following requirements.

Slide26

The Three Unities

According to Aristotle the perfect tragedy should hold to three unities:

Time

:

ideally

, the

action should take place

in 24

hours

Place

one location

– no set changes

Action

one plot

– no sub plots

(the mysterious fourth – mood – the entire play should be serious – no comic relief)

Slide27

The Tragic Hero

Five Parts

Must be a

noble King or Ruler

(but the audience should be able to identify with the hero)

Must

have a

tragic flaw

:

(Hubris

:

Pride)

Downfall must be caused by his

own actions

as a result of his tragic flaw

Must have

recognition of his own demise

He should

die with honor and courage

Slide28

Oh, the Insanity!

If the tragedy is done properly, the audience should be moved to

a

catharsis

: purging of emotions, especially pity and

fear

A catharsis should lead to a reinvigorated love of life