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Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter An epic is a lengthy Narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation As a Literary genre of High culture, romance or chivalric romance refers to a style of heroic Prose and verse Narrative A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human A performance, in Performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers behave in a particular way for another group of people A Book is a set or collection of written printed illustrated or blank sheets made of Paper, Parchment, or other material usually fastened together For the Wikipedia guideline regarding editing articles see WikipediaManual of Style. The following is a list of literary terms; that is those words used in discussion classification criticism and analysis of Literature. The history of literature is the historical development of Writings in Prose or Poetry which attempt to provide Entertainment, enlightenment The History of literature in the Modern period in Europe begins with the Age of Enlightenment and the conclusion of the Baroque period in the 18th century This is a list of lists of Books in Wikipedia General lists List of anonymously published works List of books The following are lists of Writers: By name A &ndash B &ndash Y &ndash Z By type of writing This is a list of literary awards from around the world Worldwide in scope Nobel Prize in Literature Neustadt International Prize This is a list of awards that are or have been given out to writers of Poetry, either for a specific poem collection of poems or body of work Literary criticism is the study discussion evaluation and interpretation of Literature. Literary theory in a strict sense is the systematic study of the nature of Literature and of the methods for analyzing literature A literary magazine is a Periodical devoted to Literature in a broad sense In Literature, a mode is an employed methods or approach identifiable within a written work Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real More specifically fiction is an imaginative form of Narrative, one of the four basic Rhetorical modes. Mimesis ( μίμησις from μιμεîσθαι) is a critical and Philosophical term that carries a wide range of meanings including A performance, in Performing arts, generally comprises an event in which one group of people (the performer or performers behave in a particular way for another group of people ^[1] It is derived from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek δράμα / dráma), derived from "to do" (Classical Greek δράω / dráō). Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly In Philosophy, action has developed into a sub-field called Philosophy of action. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c

Dramas are performed in various media: theatre, radio, film, and television. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Drama is often combined with music and dance: the drama in opera is sung throughout; musicals include spoken dialogue and songs; and some forms of drama have regular musical accompaniment (melodrama and Japanese Nō, for example). Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto A dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog) is a reciprocal Conversation between two or more entities. Melodrama refers to theatre in which music is used to increase the spectator's emotional response or to suggest character types or is a major form of classic Japanese musical Drama that has been performed since the 14th century ^[2] In improvisation, the drama does not pre-exist the moment of performance; performers devise a dramatic script spontaneously before an audience. Improvisational theatre (also known as improv or impro) is a form of Theatre in which the Actors use Improvisational acting techniques See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television ^[3]

Contents 1 History of drama 1.1 Greek 1.2 Medieval 1.3 Elizabethan and Jacobean 1.4 Opera 1.5 Korean 1.6 Japanese 1.7 Indian 2 Today 3 Tool for education 3.1 Pantomime 3.2 Drama in education 4 Workshops 5 Legal status 5.1 UK 6 See also 7 Works cited 8 References 9 External links

History of drama

Greek

The three types of drama composed in the city of Athens were tragedy, comedy, and satire. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human The origins of Athenian tragedy and comedy are far from clear, but they began (and continued to be) as a part of the celebrations of the god Dionysus, which were held once a year. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Every year three authors were chosen to write three dramas, and one satire play each. Similarly, five authors were also chosen to write three comedies and a satire play each. Each tragedy tetralogy was then performed in 3 successive days, and on the last day the 5 comedies competed. All the plays were played in the Dionysos theatre in Athens, and the best author for both tragedy and comedy was chosen.

The chorus seems to have originated during 534 BC with a chorus singing a song about some legendary hero. The Greek chorus ( choros) is believed to have grown out of the Greek Dithyrambs and Tragikon drama in tragic plays of the ancient A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Later the leader Thespis, rather than singing about the hero, began to think about the hero while impersonating him. Spoken dialogue between several actors was added, and the result was "tragedy" in the Greek form. The very first prize for tragedy went to Thespis in 534 BC. Thespis of Icaria (present-day Icaria) (6th century BC is claimed to be the first person ever to appear on stage as an Actor in a play, although

In fact, the two masks associated with drama with the smiling and frowning faces are both symbols of the Muses Thalia and Melpomene. In Greek mythology, the Muses ( Ancient Greek, hai moũsai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root * men- "think" are Thalia can refer to four distinct entities in Greek mythology, two of whom were daughters of Zeus, and a third of whom bore him sons Melpomène (Greek Μελπομένη mɛlˌpɒmɪˈni ("to sing" or "the one that is melodious", initially the Muse of Singing she then became the Muse Thalia is the Muse of comedy (the smiling face), and Melpomene is the Muse of tragedy (the frowning face). Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and

Medieval

In the Middle Ages, drama in the vernacular languages of Europe emerged from religious enactments of the liturgy. Mystery plays were presented on the porch of the cathedrals or by strolling players on feast days. Mystery plays and Miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in Medieval Europe. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints These again evolved into tragic and comic forms, depending on the theme. The first truly secular plays in Europe were historical plays, celebrating the lives of historical or legendary kings, these combined the functions of entertainment and propaganda. Some scholars today believe that Shakespeare's Richard III, for instance, served to propagate the Tudor myth. William Shakespeare ( baptised Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591 The " Tudor myth " is the tradition in English history, Historiography and literature that presents the period of the 15th century, including

Miracle and mystery plays (such as Everyman) later evolved into more elaborate forms of drama, such as was seen on the Elizabethan stages. Everyman (German Jedermann) is a late 15th century English Morality play, There is a similar

Elizabethan and Jacobean

One of the great flowerings of drama in England occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries. Many of these plays were written in verse, particularly iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is a type of meter that is used in Poetry and Drama. In addition to Shakespeare, such authors as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Middleton, and Ben Jonson were prominent playwrights during this period. William Shakespeare ( baptised Thomas Middleton (1580 &ndash 1627 was an English Jacobean playwright and Poet. Benjamin Jonson ( c 11 June 1572 &ndash 6 August 1637) was an English Renaissance Dramatist As in the medieval period, historical plays celebrated the lives of past kings, enhancing the image of the Tudor monarchy. The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was an English royal Dynasty that lasted 118 years from 1485 to 1603 a period known as the Tudor period Authors of this period drew some of their storylines from Greek mythology and Roman mythology or from the plays of eminent Roman playwrights such as Plautus and Terence. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Roman mythology, or more appropriately Latin mythology, refers to the mythological beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its Titus Maccius Plautus (c 254–184 BCE commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman Playwright. Publius Terentius Afer (195/185&ndash159 BC better known as Terence, was a Playwright of the Roman Republic.

Opera

Western opera is a dramatic art form, which arose during the Renaissance in an attempt to revive the classical Greek drama tradition in which both music and theatre were combined. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Being strongly intertwined with western classical music, the opera has undergone enormous changes in the past four centuries and it is an important form of theatre until this day. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Noteworthy is the huge influence of the German 19th century composer Richard Wagner on the opera tradition. In his view, there was no proper balance between music and theatre in the operas of his time, because the music seemed to be more important than the dramatic aspects in these works. To restore the connection with the traditional Greek drama, he entirely renewed the operatic format, and to emphasize the equally importance of music and drama in these new works, he called them "music dramas". The theatre of ancient Greece, or ancient Greek drama, is a theatrical Culture that flourished in ancient Greece between c

Korean

Korean dramas are famous all over Asia. The dramas are being sold to China, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and they are to be aired on TV for those countries. Korean dramas follow the Hallyu wave from Korea. Many people feel that Korean dramas are very sad. Some famous Korean dramas are: Stairway to Heaven, Winter Sonata, Something Happened in Bali, Autumn Fairy Tale, Summer Scent, Goong (aka Palace), Coffee Prince, and many more.

Japanese

Japanese Nō drama is a serious dramatic form that combines drama, music, and dance into a complete aesthetic performance experience. or is a major form of classic Japanese musical Drama that has been performed since the 14th century It developed in the 14th and 15th centuries and has its own musical instruments and performance techniques, which were often handed down from father to son. The performers were generally male (for both male and female roles), although female amateurs also perform Nō dramas. Nō drama was supported by the government, and particularly the military, with many military commanders having their own troupes and sometimes performing themselves. It is still performed in Japan today. ^[4]

Kyogen is the comic counterpart to Nō drama. It concentrates more on dialogue and less on music, although Nō instrumentalists sometimes appear also in Kyogen.

Indian

Main article: Theatre in India

Indian drama is traced back to certain dramatic episodes described in the Rigveda. India was invaded a number of times This played a major role in shaping of Indian Culture and heritage. The Rigveda ( Sanskrit sa ऋग्वेद ṛgveda, a compound of ṛc "praise verse" and veda "knowledge" The dramas dealt with human concerns as well as the gods. The earliest theoretical account of Indian drama is the Natya Shastra of Bharata that may be as old as the 3rd century BC. The Nātya Shastra ( Sanskrit: Nātyaśāstra नाट्य शास्त्र is an ancient Indian treatise on the Performing arts Drama was patronized by the kings as well as village assemblies. Famous early playwrights include Bhasa and Kalidasa. Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit "Kalidasa" redirects here For the true bug Genus, see Kalidasa (insect.

The Ramayana and the Mahabharata stories have often been used for plots in Indian drama and this practice continues today. The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki

Today

Except the sacred classical Indian musical theatre, the usual purpose of drama is as entertainment. Classical Indian musical theatre is a sacred art of the Hindu temple culture However drama can also be used as an educational activity or for therapeutic purposes. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency It is even used for religious ministry. In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs

It has a unique ability to allow us to play, allowing us to be another person or in a situation that we would not normally encounter such as, being a general in a war. This is what makes drama a useful way of teaching, learning, and growing as a person. Teacher in role is a method of teaching that utilizes techniques of Drama to facilitate Education.

Drama has a holistic way of teaching people. Whether it be in a play or by partaking in a role-play situation, participants learn through interactions with others -- this allows participants to not only learn facts as they would from a book or in a classroom, but to enter the world of another person, to be allowed to explore how they feel about this situation or person, whether it be a war-torn town or the wolf in the Three Little Pigs. In roleplaying, participants adopt and act out the Role of characters, or parts that may have personalities motivations and backgrounds different from Three Little Pigs is a Fairy tale featuring Talking animals Published versions of the story date back to the late 18th century but the story is thought Every interaction with another character or situation gives a greater understanding of what is happening around us.

If you look at a small child when they are playing, they are enthralled with their own world, and through their actions, thoughts and the way they play they learn about themselves, others, and the world around them. Play allows them to act out new situations, try out new ways of doing things and by doing so learn. (see Nativity Play)

When people grow up, the idea of play becomes less important and entering into the imagination becomes more difficult. However this is where drama has the unique and undeniable ability to help others learn and grow as individuals, as it allows them to play. Through playing we can once again try out situations, whether it be for a job interview by live action role-playing (aka. LARP), or just to think about new ideas, we can also gain confidence in ourselves and learn to trust others.

Role-play can also play an important part in therapy, again entering the imagination and allowing ourselves to pretend and to think of things in other ways. Drama therapy is often considered an effective treatment for people who have had severe emotional and psychological problems, although it is important to note that the evidence to support therapeutic efficacy of Drama therapy is anecdotal rather than scientific. Dramatherapy (often written drama therapy in the United States is the use of theatre techniques to facilitate personal growth and promote health Dramatherapy (often written drama therapy in the United States is the use of theatre techniques to facilitate personal growth and promote health

In the theater, drama is a living, breathing art form. Actors are placed on stage, so that they can breathe life into the characters that have been created by the playwrights. In theater, the two main things to consider are: a) drama is driven by conflict and b) that drama is action. Action can be loosely defined as anything a character does with an objective behind it, whereas conflict can be briefly summarized as a clash between the motives of one or more characters.

Tool for education

See also: Applied Drama

There are many forms of educational drama these all share one common goal, to create awareness or an understanding of an idea or issue. Applied Drama is an Umbrella term for the wider use of Drama practice in a specific social context and environment The following is a few examples of the main forms in which drama is used as a tool for education.

Theatre in education (TIE) is the typical image of drama, seen since the 1960s. Usually performed for youth groups, or schools by a drama group this form of theatre was usually a devised piece which used abstract ideas to communicate a message, it follows in the tradition of plays seen throughout history such as morality plays like Everyman. Morality Play is a detective story by Barry Unsworth, a Man Booker Prize -winning author for his book Sacred Hunger Published in 1996 by Everyman (German Jedermann) is a late 15th century English Morality play, There is a similar This form of theatre could also be compared to commedia del arte, and other such travelling forms of theatre.

Pantomime

These stories follow in the tradition of fables and folk tales, usually there is a lesson learned, and with some help from the audience the hero/heroine saves the day. This kind of play uses stock characters seen in masque and again commedia del arte, these characters include the villain (doctore), the clown/servant(Arlechino/Harlequin/buttons), the lovers etc. A stock character is one which relies heavily on cultural types or names for his or her personality manner of speech and other characteristics These plays usually have an emphasis on moral dilemmas, and good always triumphs over evil, this kind of play is also very entertaining making it a very effective way of reaching many people.

Drama in education

Unlike theatre in education, Drama in Education (DIE) is workshop-based, with groups creating their own scenarios, ideas and even subject matter through the use of drama and drama workshops. Sometimes this kind of work may lead to the creation of a play, or a piece of TIE or some other kind of means to show a result from the work. Drama in Education utilises skills used across the spectrum of dramatic activity, everything from teacher in role to normal theatrical conventions of audience and spectator. DIE is usually run in youth clubs, schools, community centres etc. DIE involves a high amount of participation by the group, and is therefore aimed for smaller groups of individuals.

Workshops

A workshop is a situation where a group is allowed to explore and think about an issue, a book, a thought, a play, anything. Within drama terms it is an active situation with a lot of learning and experiencing. Drama workshops have many different styles and approaches much like any group activity, this style and approach is determined by the group's willingness to participate, the frame and distance that they are from the drama is usually the holding form for the session, in the example shown through teacher in role we see the group are "framed" as social workers and because of their role in the drama they are at a very close distance, if the group were older at age 14-17 say then they would be less likely to enter into the drama and a more suitable frame would have to be chosen. In Drama, a frame is a situation or position of importance given to a person and distance relates to how engaged the frame makes the group Teacher in role is a method of teaching that utilizes techniques of Drama to facilitate Education. For example, instead of social workers they could become reporters, which would allow them to remain at the spectator end of the drama and give them a chance to reflect on the conditions surrounding events. However, this does not mean that the group always has to have a frame. they can remain themselves and still participate in the drama, allowing them to think about how they feel about the situation. In this case, the group may enter the drama as themselves and how they would act in a situation, or explore being characters in a situation and what is making them act the way they are.

Legal status

UK

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 does not define a dramatic work except to state that it includes a work of dance or mime. The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c 48 also known as the CDPA, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received However, it is clear that dramatic work includes the scenario or script for films, plays (written for theatre, cinema, television or radio),^[5] and choreographic works. ^[6]

See also

• History of theatre

Works cited

• Banham, Martin, ed. Asian Theatre Indian Theatre See also Theatre in India, Sanskrit drama Folk theatre and dramatics can be traced to the religious ritualism 1998. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521434378.
• Duchartre, Pierre Louis. 1929. The Italian Comedy. Unabridged republication. New York: Dover, 1966. ISBN 0486216799.
• Durant, Will & Ariel Durant. 1963 The Story of Civilization, Volume II: The Life of Greece. 11 vols. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• Elam, Keir. 1980. The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama. Semiotics, semiotic studies, or semiology is the study of sign processes (semiosis or signification and communication signs and Symbols both New Accents Ser. London and New York: Methuen. ISBN 0416720609.
• Gordon, Mel. 1983. Lazzi: The Comic Routines of the Commedia dell'Arte. Lazzi (from the Italian lazzo, a joke or witticism is a piece of well-rehearsed comic action commonly used in the Commedia dell'arte. Commedia dell'Arte ( Italian: "the comedy of artists" is a form of Improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 16th century New York: Performing Arts Journal Publications. ISBN 0933826699.
• Johnstone, Keith. Keith Johnstone is a drama instructor whose teachings and books have focused on Improvisational theatre and have had a major influence on the art of improvisation 1981. Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre Rev. ed. London: Methuen, 2007. ISBN 0713687010.
• Spolin, Viola. Viola Spolin ( November 7, 1906 - November 22, 1994) was an American drama teacher and author 1967. Improvisation for the Theater. Third rev. ed Evanston, Il. : Northwestern University Press, 1999. ISBN 081014008X.

References

External links

• Greek & Roman Drama Timeline
• Greek & Roman Mask Timeline

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