UNDERSTANDING THE CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA

UNDERSTANDING THE CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA
NELSON G. VERSOZA

What is Drama?

-a type of literature that is primarily written to be performed for an audience.

-a STAGE PLAY, a play with dialogue and performance by actors for the stage.

**THEATRE – a performance or a place where actors perform.

History…

• Greek Drama 500-400 B.C.
• Medieval:  The Middle Ages 1200-1500 AD
• Elizabethan & Jacobean 1500-1642
• Restoration & 18^th Cent. Drama 1660-1800
• Romantic Era 1800-1880
• Modern Era 1850-Present

Common Types of Drama

1. TRAGEDY:  A play in which the main character experiences disaster, but faces this downfall in such a way as to attain heroic stature.*

2. Comedy -Comedy closes with a peaceful resolution of the main conflict.*

- High Comedy:  The humor arises from subtle characterization, social satire, and sophisticated wit.

- Low Comedy:  Emphasizes absurd dialogue, bawdy jokes, visual gags, and

physical humor.*

Types of Comedy

1.    Romantic Comedy:  The main characters are lovers, and the plot tends to follow the pattern of “boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl again.”

2.    Satiric Comedy:  Uses humor to ridicule foolish ideas or customs with the purpose of improving society.

3.    Comedy of Manners:  Satirizes the vices and follies of the upper class.*

Additional Forms of Drama

4.    Farce:  Relies on exaggeration, absurdity, and slapstick

5.        Straight Drama or Drama:  Deal with serious subjects, but do not always end in disaster.

ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

1. External Conflict:  Pits a character against nature or fate, society, or another character
2. Internal conflict:  Between opposing forces within a character.
3. Protagonist:  The central character of the play and often undergoes radical changes as the action progresses. *
4. Antagonist:  The character who opposes the main character*
5. Foil:  A minor character whose traits contrast sharply with those of the protagonist
6. Dialogue:  Conversations between characters
7. Monologue:  Originally, a long speech spoken by a single character to himself or herself, or to the audience.
8. Soliloquy:  A monologue in which a character speaks his or her private thoughts aloud and appears to be unaware of the audience.
9. Aside:  a short speech or comment delivered by a character to the audience, but unheard by the other characters who are present.
10. Theme – Main Idea
11. Script - written version of a play (drama).

CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA

1.    Plot – dramatic structure (same w/ Freytags Pyramid)

TRIPARTITE DIVISION OF PLOT-(beginning, middle, end)

Divided into acts (mga yugto) –

-            the shorter one is called One-act Play

-            the longer –the full-length play or three-act play

-            one act can last from 30 to 90 minutes

2. SETTING – should be clearly specified with details in script

3. Cast of Characters:  listed in the beginning of the play, before the action starts.

4. Act:  a major division of a play

5. Scenes:  Major division of an act

6. Stage Directions:  a dramatist’s instructions for performing a play.

OTHER FORMS OF THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE

1.  IMPROV – SHORT FORM OF THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE.

l  PALANCA HALL-OF-FAMER DR. REUEL AGUILA SAID THE IMPROVISATION METHOD DOES NOT USE A FORMAL SCRIPT. IT IS A COLLECTIVE PROCESS.

2. SKIT – 1-10 MINUTE PERFORMANCE.

       - CAN BE PERFORMED ANYWHERE;

         IN-BETWEEN ACTS OR AT A COSPLAY (COSTUME PLAY) CONTEST.

3. MONOLOGUE – NO SPECIFIC LENGTH.

     - LONG FORM (UPTO 2 HRS)

     - FOR AUDITION (3 MINUTES)

     - TO SHOWCASE ACTING PROWESS (1MIN)

2 TYPES OF MONOLOGUE BASED ON HOW THE ACTOR DELIVERS IT

l  1. INTERNAL MONOLOGUE – WHEN THE ACTOR EXPRESSES HIS INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

l  2. DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE – THE ACTOR IS TALKING TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, MAY IT BE AN IMAGINARY CHARACTER OR A PART OF THE AUDIENCE.

LITERARY TECHNIQUES IN DRAMA

l  1. BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL – THE ACTORS SUDDENLY TALKS TO THE AUDIENCE OR RESPONDS TO AUDIENCE REACTION, OR THE SUDDEN PARTICIPATION OF THE AUDIENCE IN THE PLAY.

l  2. CHEKHOV’S GUN – REMOVES EVERYTHING THAT HAS NO RELEVANCE TO THE STORY/SCENE.

l  3. Figures of Speech

PHILIPPINE DRAMA ACCORDING TO DR. BIENVENIDO LUMBERA

1.   SENAKULO - a stage or street play about the life and Passion of Jesus — takes place in many communities, especially in Bulacan, Rizal and Pampanga provinces.

2.   KOMEDYA – a long play, sometimes continuing for three nights, a war between Christians and Saracens (or Moros/Muslims).

3.   SARSUELA - A Spanish opera having spoken dialogue and usually a comic subject.

PHILIPPINE TRADITIONAL THEATER

1. NATIVE RITUALS;
2. CEREMONIES;
3. CHANTING; AND
4. DANCES

Individual Take-home Task / Worksheet

A. Write and Perform a short MONOLOGUE (Identify whether Internal or Dramatic type)

B. REFLECTION

·         THEME/LESSON that one can get from it ( -the connection to your real life)

·         TECHNIQUES you used

C. Identify the ELEMENTS present in your drama

                                  RUBRIC

MONOLOGUE: 50

THEME: 10

TECHNIQUES: 10

ELEMENTS: 30

TOTAL: 100

Importance of Academic Writing

                            Importance of Academic Writing

• By admi                       Importance of Academic Writing
• 9211

Academic writing is one of the most dreaded academic activities that students inevitably come across. Academic writing is no way an easy task as it consists of lengthy procedures of conducting thorough research and the ability to write skillfully. Most of the students either lack sufficient writing skills or they fear criticism from their professors once they complete their papers. In either way academic writing is something that cannot be avoided as far as a student is a part of academia. Academic writing is indeed vital for growth and enhancement of important skills to be able to lead a successful life after the completion of studies. This article highlights some of the important aspects of academic writing that are vital for growth and to be able to lead a successful life. Read below to learn more about the importance of academic writing.

Critical Thinking Skills

When a student is involved in writing academic papers he/she is not limited to just providing information. The procedure of academic writing also consists of conducting thorough research and identification of relevant and irrelevant information. In the process, a student has to identify what is relevant and what is not with ample evidence to prove or disprove the claims made. This process enhances intellectual capacity and enables students to think critically on a number of problems. Moreover, it allows students to look into a problem from various dimensions and come up with appropriate solutions relevant to the situation discussed in the term paper, research paper or an essay.

Increases Knowledge

During high school, college or University studies students come across a number of subjects and courses from different academic disciplines to write academic papers. This varying aspect helps increase knowledge in many other academic disciplines. It broadens a student’s horizon and enables him/her to write on any given academic topic.

Online Systems, Functions, and Platforms

ONLINE SYSTEM

¨a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method. Ex. Online Shopping System

PLATFORMS

¨If you can program it, then it’s a platform. If you can’t, then it’s not.” - Marc Andreessen

Online Platforms in ICT

¨It makes it easier for users to interact, to collect, and use the data from the user’s interactions for their own particular needs.

Online Platform Categories

1.Social Media

2.Search Engines

3.Communication

4.Services Payment

5.Systems Advertising Platforms

6.Creative Content Outlets

Web Search Engines

¨It is a software system that is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web (WWW). The search results are generally presented in a line of results referred to as Search Engine Results Page (SERPs).

Top 10 Search Engines (2016)

¨1. Google

¨2. Bing (Microsoft)

¨3. Yahoo (No. 1 email provider)

¨4. Ask.com (Ask Jeeves)

¨5. AOL.com (America Online)

¨6. Baidu (China)

¨7. Wolframalpha (Computational Knowledge Engine)

¨8. DuckDuckGo (simple)

¨9. Internet Archive (histories of a domain)

¨10. ChaCha.com (similar to Ask.com)

Communication Services

¨These are outsourced enterprise communications solutions that can be leased from a single vendor or provider. A Communications Service Provider (CSP) is a provider that transports information electronically and can encompass public and private companies in telecom, internet, cable, satellite, and managed services business. Ex. Telecommunications & Internet

Payment System

¨It is any system used to settle financial transactions through transfer of monetary value, and includes the institutions, instruments, people, rules, procedures, standards, and technologies.

Advertising Platforms

¨It allows users to create and manage advertising campaigns, generate reports, and retrieve information about the ads, campaigns, and organizations that are associated with an account.

Creative Content Outlets

¨It is content that needs to be translated creatively.

MAYON by Kristian S. Cordero (Camarines Sur) 2004

Kristian Sendon Cordero

Described as the enfant terrible of Bikol contemporary writings, Cordero is a widely anthologized writer in the Philippines today. He has five poetry collections in Filipino and Bikol. His most recent collections are Canticos: Apat Na Boses (UST Publishing House, 2013) and Labi (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2013). In 2011, he published his translation of selected poetry of Rainier Maria Rilke, “Minatubod Ako Sa Diklom” ( I Have Faith in the Night) published by Ateneo de Naga University Press. Recently he received a translation grant from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores Y Culto of the Republic of Argentina to translate Jorge Luis Borges’ selected poetry in Bikol and Filipino.

He co-edited an anthology of poetry in Bikol, Sagurong (DLSU and Vibal, 2010) and cultural essays, The Naga We Know (Anvil, 2013) with Paz Verdades Santos. For 2014, he is set to release his first anthology of short stories, Kulto ni Santiago (University of the Philippines Press), books of poetry, among which is “Kinalburong Lanob” (Whitewashed Wall) which won the NCCA Writers Prize in 2007. He has also written and directed his first full-length film Angustia, produced by Cinema One Originals for 2013. 

He has received writing fellowships and literary prizes from the Premio Tomas Arejola Literary Prize, Homelife Poetry Contest, the Palanca for poetry, fiction and essay, the 6th Madrigal-Gonzales Best First Book Award, the NCCA Writers’ Prize for Bikol poetry in 2007 and the Maningning Miclat Poetry Prize in Filipino, in 2009. His third book, “Pusuanon: Mga Bersong Bikol” was a finalist in the 2007 National Book Awards for Best Poetry. 

He is a founding member of the Burikbutikan Artists Collective, a group of local visual artists and writers that spearheads art exhibits and cultural forums particularly in Camarines Sur. He is also a board member of Philippine PEN International. 

He writes a regular column on arts and culture for Bicol Mail and is an assistant professor at the Ateneo de Naga University.

MAYON by Kristian S. Cordero (Camarines Sur) 2004

Ayon sa alamat, lason ng pana ni Pagtuga,

Ang lumikha sa bulkan – libingan ito

Ng dalagang namatay sa isang digmaan.

Ngayon, ano ang tutubo sa paanan ng Mayon

Gayong nagiging malawak na itong sementeryo

Ng abo, ng tao, Manganganak na kaya ito?

Tinitigan ko ang nakangangang bulkan – binalot

Ng ulap at ng sariling usok ang tuktok, gatas sa labi.

Baka sakali, magpakita, nang may silbi ang kamera.

Sa ilang retrato na ibinebenta ng mga bata sa Cagsawa

Lusaw na pupu ang nagliliyab na lava,

dumadaloy pababa.

Matandang nag-nganganga ayon naman sa isang makata.                                                                               

Sa isang lumang postcard na nakita ko sa Antigo merkado –

Kapag sa malayo, isa siyang magandang sikyung nakatanod,

Handa sa pagkapkap, naghihintay sa iyong pagpasok.