Drama Glossary Syllabus PDF
Drama Glossary Syllabus PDF
Drama Glossary Syllabus PDF
2 Drama: Glossary
GLOSSARY
For the purposes of the Drama syllabus, the following definitions will apply. Terms indicated
with a hash (#) do not directly appear in the syllabus but are in common drama use.
Term Definition
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Term Definition
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Term Definition
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Term Definition
Directing The process of deciding how to create and realise (bring to life) the dramatic
action is undertaken by the director. This will include the identification of an
approach to directing as well as the development of a vision of how the
drama performance will be approached.
Director’s The creation of a clear image (visual or otherwise) of how a drama event will
Vision be presented to a particular audience. This includes approaches to acting,
aesthetics, design and dominant themes. It may also include an attempt to
find a new approach that emphasises different aspects of a text or reflect a
particular critical framework.
See Aesthetics, Critical Frameworks.
Documentary Documentary drama tries to present the facts about an event or phenomenon
drama by presenting the points of view of a range of people. In this way it tries to
educate and inform audience about some issue or event. This may be in an
attempt to promote change through awareness.
See Verbatim Theatre.
Drama The creation of imaginative worlds and human experiences using the
Elements of Drama.
See Elements of Drama.
Drama event Drama events include but are not limited to the performance of a play. Other
types of drama events could include ritual celebration, a drama festival,
improvisation competition, or an improvised performance.
Drama text All of the information pertaining to the Section 1 script or script excerpt in the
written component of the WACE Drama examination. This may include
director notes, images, program notes and additional information about the
script excerpt in performance.
Dramatic action Dramatic action occurs when a situation is presented, explored and resolved
or brought to a conclusion.
Dramatic Includes the broad categories of representational and presentational or non-
structure realistic drama and their relationship to linear and non-linear narrative
structures. Structure, techniques and conventions are relevant to chosen
drama form or style’s approach. This includes approaches to structure as
follows:
Episodic structure: the action of a drama is broken into smaller scenes
often with the rapid development of narrative elements. These scenes
move between settings, groups of characters
Well-made Play: expanding on the work of Aristotle’s poetics, this
structure featured a careful construction of an exposition, a rising conflict
that increases in complexity and dramatic tension, a climax close to the
end of the play, a denouement in which key events are ‘explained’ or
unpacked for the audience and conclusion that may include a life ethic or
moral for the audience.
See Narratives
Dramaturge/ Involves researching, critically analysing and interpreting the historical,
Dramaturgy political, social, and cultural aspects of a play. A dramaturge works with the
director and as a member of the production team to support the construction
of a performance based on a new, published or devised text.
Dynamic This term is often used to describe the nature of the relationship between the
relationship performance and the audience where both react to each other so that no two
performances are alike in live theatre.
Economic Refers to the assets of a society (including human capital) that can be
capital # bought, sold or used to generate wealth.
6 Drama: Glossary
Term Definition
Elements of Drama is created and shaped by the elements of drama which for the WACE
drama Drama course are listed as: role, character and relationships, situation, voice,
movement, space and time, language and texts, symbol and metaphor, mood
and atmosphere, audience and dramatic tension.
Atmosphere: The interaction between the audience and the mood of a
drama performance.
Audience: the body of people invited or otherwise to view a drama activity,
rehearsal or event. Audience includes the patterns in the composition of
the audience (for example, age, gender, cultural background, drama
experiences) as well as the relationship created between the drama and
the placement of the audience. (See Spaces of Performance)
Character: A person or role in the drama that may have defined personal
qualities and/or histories. Flat characters (or two dimensional characters)
demonstrate a lack of depth or change in the course of a drama event.
Rounded characters (or three dimensional characters) feature more
elaborate and complex traits and histories and are changed by dramatic
action in the drama event.
Dramatic tension: drives the drama and keeps an audience interested.
The tension comes when opposing characters, dramatic action, ideas,
attitudes, values, emotions and desires are in conflict creating a problem
that needs to be resolved (or unresolved) through drama.
Language and texts: referring to the use of spoken or written words that
observe particular conventions and registers that communicate ideas,
feelings and other associations. Texts refers to the use of published texts,
online materials and other compositions the reference of which adds
meaning to the drama.
Metaphor: A metaphor is creating an image or idea of one thing by saying
it is something else. For example: ‘He is a lion of a man.’ In drama the use
of metaphor can be more subtle such as a metaphor of a mouse created
through a character having a squeaky voice and small darting
movements. Design and stylistic elements can also be metaphors for
characterisation or provide meaning in terms of theme.
Mood: describes the feelings and attitudes (often combined) of the roles
or characters involved in dramatic action often supported by other
Elements of Drama as well as design elements. The mood is the
emotional impact intended by the playwright, director and/or other
members of the creative team.
Relationships: refers to the qualities of the connection between two or
more characters or roles. That relationship may be fixed (largely
unchanged by the dramatic action) or variable (challenged or changed by
the dramatic action). The relationship may be cooperative (as in a
friendship), adversarial (as in enemies), neutral (neither positive nor
negative) or non-existent (as in total strangers). Those relationships will
be defined by shared interests, common objectives, cultural values and/or
human need.
Role: a performer can present in performance a role that represents an
abstract concept, stereotyped figure or person reduced to a particular
dominant trait (occupation, human condition or social vocation) that lacks
depth or a backstory normally present in a ‘Character’.
Situation: the condition or circumstances in which a character or
characters are presented often at the opening of a performance.
Space: the place where dramatic action is situated and the qualities of
that place including temperature, features, light levels, population levels
and other environmental factors that may be presented to or imagined by
the characters/audience.
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Term Definition
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Term Definition
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Term Definition
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Term Definition
Posture and body alignment: the position of the body and sense of shape
of the spine when standing or sitting to create role and character. Posture
and body alignment affect the ability to move freely and use voice
affectively.
Proxemics: the manipulation of the physical and emotional spaces
between actors and between stage and audience adds meaning to the
dramatic action. For example, heightening the tension between
characters, showing relationships and adding to the design of the blocking
in terms of placing actors in relation to one another to focus audience
attention, so that the audience can see and hear them.
Space: the use of the region immediately around the performer’s body in
all directions (kinesphere) and through the performance area
(dynamosphere).
Time: the variation and adjustment of the tempo and rhythm of movement.
Weight: the adjustment of movement to create a sense of force or (as in
mime) the heaviness of an object either seen or unseen by the audience.
Narrative The story of the play which includes an introduction, a conflict or
complication, dramatic action, climax, falling action, denouement and
conclusion. A play may feature several narrative threads (events that connect
to one another) and some narratives may overlap and interact with one
another in the course of a play.
Fragmented time: Breaking up the narrative into parts that shift between
pasts, presents and futures in non-chronological order but still enable the
audience to piece together an understanding of what has happened.
Leaps of time: shifts in the dramatic action ignore the logical sequence
challenging the audience to create the sequence in their own mind.
Linear narratives: Narrative where the events take place continuously and
sequentially from beginning to end.
Non-linear narratives: Disrupted or discontinuous sequence of events in a
story including flashback, flash-forward and circular narrative structures.
Notes Before or after a rehearsal or performance, the director and the stage
manager provide feedback to the actors about their individual performance,
their characterisation and their interaction with the production elements such
as sound and lighting. Notes are also given to the backstage crew.
Notions of This refers to the ways that people come to an understanding of who they are
identity related to and their role in society based on their context. For example, their
politics, background, gender, class/status, age or interests.
nationalism,
gender or class #
Off stage space The space that is not part of the performance but may be inferred from the
drama through dialogue or non-verbal communication. For example,
characters talking about what is happening in another room of the house that
is presented on stage in a realistic drama.
Patching Prepared by the lighting designer according to design and performance
lighting requirements. Once lights are rigged onto the lighting bars, they are
plugged into or patched into a lighting desk and dimmer racks in a complex
arrangement according to the requirements of the drama.
Performance Actor voice and movement warm ups, focus time, and notes from the director
preparation and production team may be included as performance preparation processes
processes immediately prior to the performance. Actors also prepare their costume and
make up in the dressing room. Production team members have preparation
processes according to their particular roles.
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Term Definition
Physical An actor can develop their characterisation through exploring how a character
approaches to moves, looks and sounds. Through creating the external aspects, the inner or
rehearsing emotional, feeling character is revealed.
Physical theatre Movement based drama such as mime, slapstick, Commedia dell’arte, circus,
and movement clowning and drama that uses movement, gesture and physical interaction to
advance and create meaning in dramatic action.
Plot The events that make up the story of the play create the plot.
Position When audiences are manipulated or seduced into a particular point of view
audiences # about a situation or character they have been positioned.
Posture and The position of the body when standing or sitting creates role and character.
body alignment Posture and body alignment affect the ability to move freely and use voice
affectively.
Presentational Non-realistic drama where the performers ‘present’ to the audience or overtly
drama perform with no pretence of reality. This includes a wide range of historical
drama styles and contemporary drama styles.
Principles of In creating the sensory environment a scenographer or designer will select
design and control the follow aesthetic principles that add to the quality of the
experience:
Balance: objects, colours and other stage elements can be symmetrical
providing an impression of evenness or asymmetrical providing an
impression of imbalance or discomfort.
Contrast: occurs when there is a marked difference between two aspects
of drama. This can be used to focus audience attention or used as a
symbol or metaphor, for example, use of contrasting light and dark
colours in design or contrasting use of comedy and tragedy in a play.
Emphasis: bringing the audience’s attention to something by making it
bigger, stronger, louder, brighter or clearer. Emphasis can be part of
writing, direction, acting or design.
Harmony: the arrangement of elements (for example, the use of particular
combinations of colours) that create a sense of congruity, order or calm.
Movement: the sense of energy and motion created by patterns in design
elements.
Pattern: the creation of sequences that encourages the audience to
anticipate and expect that sequence to continue or change.
Repetition: the selection of elements to be featured in a performance to
emphasise as well as surprise especially when creating new associations
Rhythm: both musical rhythms (for example, variation in tempo and beat)
and the patterns form in approaches to design (simple, gentle – complex,
aggressive)
Scale/proportion: the relationship between the size of objects presented
on stage as their relationship with observed reality
Unity: the sense of connection and belonging created by the sharing of
common qualities in the elements on stage.
Variety: the offering a new patterns to the approach to design and
performance.
Processes Scenography: his work was focused on the fusion of the human sensory
developed by experiences with the text in performance. His work with the actors and the
Brecht # non-actors was determined to increase the impact of the drama event
emotionally as well as intellectually.
Textual approaches:
o Naturalism/realism: scenes in which the dramatic action and
characters reflect many of the principles of naturalism and realism
o Direct address: break in the action to speak in character or out of
character about events and issues central to the text
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Term Definition
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Term Definition
Production The non-acting tasks undertaken by the designers and managers and
roles backstage staff in a theatre.
See Roles in the Drama syllabus.
Programming Managers of theatre companies select performances sometimes years ahead
to create an engaging program for their audiences. Programming may be
undertaken by the directors or the Boards of Directors.
Prompt book The stage manager coordinates and operates a performance using a digital
or physical prompt book. The script is pasted into the prompt book so that the
script is on the right hand side and the stage directions, blocking cues for
lighting, sound, special effects and stage properties are annotated on the left
hand page.
Props This term is short for properties and refers to the objects that a character
uses. Hard props such as chairs and tables and soft props such as table
cloths, cushions are placed on the stage as part of the set or scenography
while others such as a sword or a book are carried on by a character.
Protagonist The character that drives the action is the protagonist. Often they are the
‘hero’ of the drama.
See Antagonist.
Protocols The rules or commonly accepted ways that things are done.
Psychological Psychology is the study of human behaviour and drama involves the
approaches to performance of human behaviour. Psychological approaches to rehearsing
rehearsing could involve getting the actors to explore emotional memory, focus and
concentration exercises and/or collaborative workshopping using emotional
stimuli. In this approach, the feelings of the character inform the movement
and vocal choices the actor makes which in turn reflects a psychological
understanding of human behaviour.
Realise/ The staging and performance of a drama brings it to ‘life’ and makes it ‘real’.
realisation
Relationships In drama this refers to the emotional connection between characters and the
dynamics that affect the depth and quality of that connection.
Representational Representational drama reflects a psychological view of human behaviour,
drama familiar dialogue and situations in terms of observed life experiences, often a
linear narrative with a causal view of events and limited interactions with the
live audience.
Rigging (lights) Stage lanterns are attached to lighting bars above the performance space
and in the auditorium area according to the lighting design plan.
Ritual Historically, most societies have examples of using drama as part of a ritual
celebration or celebration.
Scene A section of a play that occurs in a particular place and time.
Scenography The design of the whole performance environment to create a sense of
time/place/context/emotion is referred to as the scenography. It is a more
recent term that incorporates the possibilities offered by contemporary
technologies which can use filmic elements, special effects sound and light
and even smell as part of the design. It involves the consideration of all
performance elements working together to engage the audience’s human
senses.
Set The environment of the stage space constructed to show the place and time
of the dramatic action. Settings, scenery and the environment of the play
(scenography) are created to look effective from the point of view of the
audience. Natural features, walls, doors and windows for example, can be
made of material, canvas or other light and easy to move materials.
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Term Definition
Set strike lists The Stage manager is in charge of the order for setting, striking and storing
sets and props before, during and after a performance.
Setting The place where the dramatic action is situated either through design
elements, dialogue or non-verbal communication. This includes qualities
about that place including temperature, features, light levels, population levels
and other environmental factors.
Setting sets and Sets and/or props are set in place on stage before a performance or during a
props scene change by the backstage crew.
Settings See Space in Elements of Drama.
Signing in This protocol involves a list or book where performers and/or those involved
in a production sign in as they enter the theatre each day for work. By the
hour or half hour call, the stage manager can see at a glance who has not
arrived and then problem solve a potential absence that has consequences
for a production.
Social capital # Social capital is wealth and assets that are not monetary but reflect the value
of human interaction and connections.
See Cultural values, Cultural Capital and Economic Capital.
Social cultural An audience that has in common, particular backgrounds, social status, age,
and economic wealth and/or politics, may respond to drama in a similar particular way based
particulars of on their beliefs, attitudes, values, points of view and expectations.
the audience
members
Soundscapes A collection of sound effects (SFX) are sourced or recorded, and then edited
to create the ambience or impression of a particular setting such as a factory,
train station or beach.
Soundscapes can also be used by actors using their voices and bodies (e.g.
clapping), available props or improvised instruments such as tin cans, sticks
etc.
Spaces of Spectators and actors interact and relate in spaces of performance: the
performance dynamic relational space between the performance and the audience; the
physical space of the ‘theatre’ including the auditorium and the stage in
particular but also the front of house spaces. Spaces of performance also
includes the fictional, imaginary spaces created by the world of the drama. It
also includes the physical space of the stage with its organisation and
scenography of particular stage spaces (See the list below)
Promenade stage: a performance in which the action takes place in
multiple spaces. The audience may be guided from one performance
space to the next (especially if the performance has a particular structure
in terms of narrative and time) or be free to explore the various spaces
independently (where narrative and time are less important to the
performance experience). Medieval theatre often used this structure as
well as performances that make use of different qualities of the
performance space (for example, garden, building, landscape, water
feature).
Proscenium Arch stage: the proscenium arch frames the stage in
traditional theatre spaces such as His Majesty’s in Perth. Also called
‘picture frame’ stage before of its ability to control sightlines and
opportunity for presenting elaborate sets.
Theatre in the round (arena): involves a central performance space with
the audience surrounding it. This staging allows for the most intimate
connection with the audience with limited use of stage elements to avoid
obstructing the audience’s view.
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Term Definition
16 Drama: Glossary
Term Definition
Subtext The meaning or narrative that underlies the main action of a drama is the
subtext. It may be evident through the voice or non-verbal communication
and/or the design of a drama. The subtext might never be openly stated or
revealed.
Suspension of The audience and/or the performers agree to suspend their disbelief and
disbelief accept the ‘make-believe’ world of the play even though they know it is not
‘real’.
Technical The rehearsals where the focus is on the organisation, coordination, timing
rehearsals and running of the technical requirements (for example, design and stage
management processes) of the production.
See Topping and tailing.
Theoretical Particular theatre practitioners such as Brecht, Stanislavski or Grotowski
approaches developed ways of approaching the creation and production of theatre.
Top and tail During technical rehearsals the actors are often asked to just perform the
beginning and end of a scene or the parts that link to changes in lighting,
sound and staging. This is known as topping and tailing.
Transitions Transitions involve the changes from one scene or section to another. It is
important to achieve smooth transitions between scenes on and off the stage.
Traverse stage See Spaces of Performance.
Ushers Front of house staff who check tickets, show patrons to their seats and
manage health and safety considerations in the auditorium and refreshments
areas.
Verbatim This is a form of documentary theatre where the exact words of people are
theatre used to create the drama text. Verbatim theatre involves the working with
extended interviews or transcripts (for example, of court or government
proceedings) which are selected and shaped by the playwright or ensemble
to share impressions of that phenomenon or incident. The participants will
often make themselves part of the performance event identifying
observations, biases and feelings in reaction to what is presented.
See Documentary Theatre.
Visual elements In the visual arts, these refer to the aspects of the visual medium that can be
manipulated and controlled to create meaning and evoke responses. These
include line, shape, texture, colour, tone/value, 3D form and space.
Voice and vocal With the support of good posture and breathing vocal clarity and flexibility can
techniques be achieved through the effective use of:
Articulation: the precision used in the formation of sounds and speech to
ensure a live audience can understand what is being said.
Audibility: projection appropriate to the space so spoken sounds carry to the
intended audience.
Clarity: the accurate formation of sounds with the voice to communicate the
words and sounds in performance.
Emphasis: the use of particular stresses in the spoken delivery of a sentence
to highlight important words or phrases to improve comprehension for a live
audience.
Fluency: the successful combining of the qualities of vocal performance to
produce integrated effects for the audience.
Inflection: the variation of the pitch and tone within a sentence to clarify
emotional quality and intended meaning within a sentence for a live audience.
Modulation #: the careful variation in pitch to communicate meaning and
emotion.
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Term Definition
Pace: the speed with which a sentence or passage is delivered to balance the
needs of a live audience (variety and maintaining energy) with intended
meaning (importance, subtext, emotional state etc.)
Pause: a planned break in the delivery of a phrase, sentence or passage.
These breaks can denote many important meanings to a live audience and
are therefore used with control and careful selection. Pause lengths also are
important to making meaning for a live audience. Pauses also can indicate
change in ‘objectives’ for a character (See Processes developed by
Stanislavski).
Pitch: refers to the intensity of the vibrations in the voice making it seem
higher or lower. Variation in pitch creates inflection (See Inflection in this
section).
Projection (loudness): the strength or power used when speaking to carry
speech to a live audience.
Resonance: the use of muscle control and focused projection to intensify the
use of the body’s resonators that supports and enhances projection as well
as the tonal qualities of a vocal performance.
Rhythm and variety: variation in vocal performance including the use of pace,
inflection and beats (the use of patterns of soft and hard syllables) sometimes
called ‘iambs’. Rhythm also refers to shifts in an overall vocal performance
and the structure of that vocal performance.
Tone: the emotional qualities added to a vocal performance by adjusting the
types of sounds produced by the voice. These in particular can help convey a
sense of a character’s subtext. (See Subtext)
Vocal dynamics: appropriate variation of vocal techniques to denote intensity
of emotion, meaning and mood.
18 Drama: Glossary