Introduction to Drama Concepts

Plays based on biblical stories, performed in churches and later during secular festivals.

Plays that developed from mystery plays, focusing on moral themes and allegorical characters.

Plays written in universities, attempting to recreate Greek tragedies.

A style of Italian comedy that features stock characters, masks, physical humor, and improvisation.

Elaborate theatrical performances presented at royal courts, often featuring music, dance, and spectacular scenery.

A period of flourishing drama in England, from the 16th to 17th centuries, known for its use of verse, particularly iambic pentameter.

The pinnacle of English drama, known for its profound characters, rich language, and timeless themes.

Playwrights writing during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, known for their innovative works.

A type of dramatic performance that explores serious themes, often involving human struggles and dilemmas, and typically ends in tragedy.

A type of dramatic performance that aims to amuse audiences through humor, satire, and often exaggerated or ridiculous situations.

A type of ancient Greek drama that included comedic elements along with a chorus of satyrs, half-man, half-goat figures, and typically dealt with mythical themes.

A theatrical performance that includes dialogue and actions (as opposed to just singing).

A group of performers who sing and dance together, commenting on the action of the play and often representing the voice of the community.

The ancient Greek god of wine, festivity, and theatre.

A theatrical competition held in ancient Athens to honor Dionysus, where playwrights competed for prizes.

A group of four plays presented together in a dramatic festival, typically consisting of three tragedies and one satyr play.

A period of war between Athens and Sparta in ancient Greece.

A set of values and principles associated with classic literature, emphasizing order, clarity, moral purpose, and good taste.

Plays that typically involve humor, witty dialogue, and often end happily with a resolution of conflict.

Plays that focus on historical events or figures, often with themes of power, politics, and morality.

Plays that deal with serious themes like death, love, and loss, often ending in tragedy and exploring profound human emotions.

The collection of works attributed to a particular author or artist, considered their most important and influential works.

A philosophical and cultural movement emphasizing human reason and potential, and valuing human experience and individuality.

A period in French literature and theatre that emphasized reason, order, and classical forms, often drawing inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman literature.

A group of English Protestant reformers who sought religious and social reform in the 1600s, influencing English culture.

Plays characterized by their depth and exploration of complex human characters, themes, and emotions, often considered the peak of Shakespeare's dramatic skill.

A theatrical approach that emphasizes presenting ideas and provoking audience judgment, rather than simply entertaining or imitating reality.

A technique in epic theatre used to distance the audience from the action, preventing them from becoming emotionally involved in the story.

Characters in epic theatre embody different viewpoints or archetypes, rather than being realistic representations of people.

Epic theatre uses non-realistic elements, such as simple sets, announcements, and captions, to disrupt the illusion of reality and keep the audience aware that they are watching a play.

Epic theatre often incorporates comedic elements to create emotional distance and encourage critical thinking.

Epic theatre uses music and songs to enhance the play's message and create a more engaging experience.

Actors in epic theatre aim to portray characters convincingly but avoid fully embodying them, ensuring that both the audience and the actors remain conscious of the theatrical nature of the performance.

Epic theatre emerged as a reaction against the realism and naturalism of other forms of theatre, particularly those influenced by Stanislavski's system.

A style of theatre that emerged in the mid-20th century, characterized by its rejection of traditional dramatic conventions and embrace of absurdity, often using nonsensical dialogue, cyclical plots, and a focus on the human condition's meaninglessness.

A noted playwright of the Theatre of the Absurd, known for his works such as 'Waiting for Godot' and 'Endgame', which explore themes of existentialism and the human condition.

A playwright known for his plays that often feature illogical plots, unrealistic characters, and a sense of alienation, highlighting the absurdity of human existence.

One of the key playwrights of the Theatre of the Absurd, known for his plays that often focus on themes of violence, sexuality, and social injustice, often exploring the dark side of human nature.

Another prominent playwright of the Theatre of the Absurd, known for his plays that often feature ambiguous dialogue, unsettling situations, and a focus on power dynamics, exploring the underlying anxieties and tensions of human relationships.

A playwright who often incorporates elements of Theatre of the Absurd in his work, known for his clever wordplay, witty dialogue, and exploration of philosophical and political themes, often reflecting on the complexities of human existence.

A playwright associated with the Theatre of the Absurd, known for his absurdist comedies which often satirize political and social issues, highlighting the contradictions and flaws of human behavior.

A playwright known for his contributions to the Theatre of the Absurd, particularly for his plays 'The Zoo Story' and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', which explore themes of loneliness, isolation, and the fragility of human relationships.