FUNCTIONS AND TERMINOLOGIES IN DRAMA

INTRODUCTION

Drama has been at the forefront since time immemorial. Ancient dramas in Greece and Rome till date are still performed in the Theatres to entertain the audience both young and old. Drama has become a means of entertainment in the world at large.The functions of drama are highlighted below.

Drama preserves and promotes our rich cultural heritage.
Drama forestalls or promotes teamwork or co-operation among the cast ,crew and audience.
Drama inculcates or teaches values. A vital or significant aspect of drama is that it teaches or inculcates lessons.
Drama informs the public about activities that happened in the societyboth past and contemporary time.
Drama rectifies certain ailments.
Drama entertains people who seek pleasure.
Drama promotes tolerance among people in the society.
Drama educates the public in diverse ways.

TERMINOLOGIES USED IN DRAMA

DRY UP: This is a situation that occurs when a member of the cast suddenly forgets a line during the course of a drama presentation.
CLIMAX: This is the highest point of tension in a drama piece where the play becomes interesting.
REHEARSAL: Rehearsalrefers to the time spent practicing a playor any other event in preparation for the main performance.
STAGE FRIGHT: This occurs among a member of the cast who at a point gets scared to face the audience before or during the dramatic performance.
PLAYWRITING-: This is the process of writing plays creatively from imagination or real life situation which is further divided into acts and scenes. Playwright and script writer are actively involved in playwriting.
FLASHBACK:This is a sudden recap of a previous event that happened far back in time.
SUSPENSE:It is a dramatic technique that is meant to arouse the viewer’s interest and eagerness to know the outcome of an action that is yet to be actualized in the next scene of a drama piece.

GENERAL EVALUATION/ REVISION QUESTIONS

What is pattern?
Define motif.
Mention any three types of repeat pattern.
What is colour?
Mention any three classes of colour and explain.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

…………………….is a situation whereby the player forgets a line as the play unfolds. (a) Dry up (b) synchronization (c) suspense (d) flashback
Which one of the following is NOT a function of drama? (a) It kills ideas. (b) It informs. (c) It educates. (d) It rectifies certain ailments.
The drama cues in drama rehearsal include the following except …………..….(a) action (b) standing by LQ38 (c) Cut (d) prompting
…….is the time spent practicing a play before a later public performance. (a) Rehearsal (b) Acting (c) Prompting (d) None of the above.
………..…refers to the special garments and accessories worn by the players for a dramatic performance. (a) Costume (b) Makeup (c) All of the above. (d) None of the above.