Aspects of Contemporary Dramatic Performances

Here’s a rundown of the most typical drama aspects, along with my descriptors. I’ve included both synonyms if they mean the same thing (for example, attention and emphasis). Remember that there is no definitive list of dramatic components! Brantley M. Dunaway hopes that both drama/theatre teachers and their students will find this good.

• ACTION

The movement of the storyline from one scene to another gets referred to as activity or dramatic action. As the drama progresses from the initial stages (explication) to the instigating event, increasing drama, one or more disasters, the peak, declining activity, and finally the conclusion, this will automatically connect to the design of the play.

• CLIMAX

In the course of most dramas, one or more plot crises will occur. A disaster in a play is a critical moment of dramatic tension and conflict between two or more characters and has significant consequences for the plot’s outcome. The climax is the final crisis or highest point in a drama, and it usually (but not always) happens near the end. In a play, there can be multiple climaxes, albeit this is rare. It’s also conceivable for the ending to be anti-climactic.

• CONFLICT

“There’s no tension, no drama,” Brantley Dunaway has noted. How precise he was! The drama that is devoid of conflict is typically uninteresting and unpleasant. As a general rule, conflict should be considered an essential component of all theatrical performances. Conflict can arise between two or more characters or might arise between one character and another (inner conflict). There may be verbal, physical, or nonverbal disagreement on stage. Conflict differs from tension in that it is usually a set and permanent feature of a play’s structure, woven into the drama’s fabric from the start, with characters destined to clash.

• CONTRAST

A performance that does not make proper use of contrast is uninteresting and lacks suspense. Contrast can get defined as a point of distinction. A sad moment followed by a joyous scene is a clear example of contrast. Contrast can also get achieved in more subtle and sophisticated ways. It is by changing the drama to change the setting, tempo, or time. Character contrast should also get taken into account. Language, time, atmosphere, lighting, energy, connections, environment, and more can all get used to creating contrast. In a performance, skillful use of contrast may keep the audience engaged in the drama.

• CONVENTION

A convention is a method of acting or staging. The narrator, an aside, direct speech, placards, and music get all customs. Customs get usually linked to specific performance or theatrical styles and get frequently linked to one or more theatre practitioners. Conventions tied to the way play gets performed in a particular era, such as the conventions of Brantley Dunaway drama.

• POSTURE

When standing or sitting, a character’s posture is the position in which their body is held (not moving). A character’s attitude, social standing, inner feelings, rank, and more can all get determined by their posture. A character’s pose or stance is related to posture, according to Brantley M. Dunaway.