Introduction the word drama comes from the greek meaning to act, do or perform, and it is in the several subtle and diverse meanings of to perform that drama can be said to have begun. The product of an accretion of diverse forms, it is rooted in africa s traditions while, at the same time, it continues to assimilate foreign theatrical traditions, especially those of europe. Some other formats are dance performances, radio shows, puppet shows, etc. The world is a stage and drama a mirror of society this expression is heard in.
African writing, literature, and society a commemorative publication in honor of eckhard breitinger. While music is often featured in drama, in this case aristotle was referring to the rhythm of the actors voices as they speak. Which element of music best describes how high or low notes sound. Like a short story or novel, it has a setting, characters, plot, and even symbolism. Characters play an important role in the drams whether it is a major or minor one. Role and character the identification and portrayal of a persons values, attitudes, intentions and actions as. All communities accept that their later drama has roots in. A brief description of each character should be included in the drama.
Use of scathing and penetrating punch words and understandable sentences can help create a winning comedy. It refers to the material of the comedy, its text and words. Drama a drama is a story written to be performed in front of an audience. Annotated bibliography examples the writing center. Elements of drama acts long sections of a play, made up of multiple scenes, usually designed to separate the play into its main parts and to give the audience a break from the performance. The modern drama is characterized by its unique subject matter like the romanticism of the poor, the strict depiction of real life and the use of symbols, imagery and metaphors. The history of drama goes back to aristotle and his treatise poetics which gives a critical analysis of sophocles greek play, oedipus rex. Twas the night before christmas, when all through the house is the well. Thus, this research investigates the current state of the practice of strategic planning and management in. Origin and forms of drama in the african context mineke schipper. He addresses himself to the reflection of an african sensibility and the creation of an african drama, but his plays have nonafricans amongst their most ardent admirers. The focus on strong female characters by these playwrights shows the gender tensions within black society.
The stories and characters used in a comedy from the pith of it. Modern african drama and improvisation mineke schipperde leeuw in his origin and forms of drama in the african context argues that modern african drama is a by product of traditional african drama. In most discussions and essays on contemporary african drama and theatre the emphases by writers and critics appear to be focussed on areas of general. Paintings, sculpture, music, dance, and drama during the upper paleolithic. The elements of drama richmond county school system.
Impact of cultural globalization on afr ica the role of western media dr. It is at the crossroads of the sacred and the profane, orality and the written word, of inner roots and external adjuncts. It attempt to define modern african drama anchoring on relevant scholars. The characteristics of african traditional religions are. Elements of surface and deep culture the following examples are meant to demonstrate cultural diversity and should not be considered true for all members of a cultural group. He was the first to write about the essential elements of drama more than 2,000 years ago. Elements of a comedy in literature english summary. Three major characteristics of african traditional education. Oral tradition and african theatre universiteit leiden. A printable pdf handout to teach drama, theatre or english students about aristotles six elements of drama, as well as the concepts of catharsis, hamartia, and hubris. This book, which also emphasizes the existence of a link or a sense of organic continuity within african literary tradition, between the precolonial and postcolonial forms of drama and theatre, will be of interest to general readers and a valuable guide to students and scholars of african literature and society. During dionysia, there was a competition between three playwrights who would submit three tragedies and one satyr.
It may come in different sizes with different designs. Scenes shorter sections of a play, usually each scene occurs in one location at a specific time. Pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure. Pdf improvisation in modern african drama timibofa ayebanoah. Collaboration among so many types of personnel presupposes a system that divides duties. The termstheatreand drama will be used throughout this section and throughout this book as terms that are inclusive of ritual, ceremony, carnival, masquerade, testimonials, rites of passage, the blues, improvisation, negro spirituals, spoken word, hiphop, storytelling, and other performative modes of expression rooted in the ancestral ethos of black africans in the diaspora. They give us a sense of drama postonanderson, 2012 and provide the tools to manipulate our engagement and approach to. Oral tradition and african theatre by mineke schipper the theatre is always a mirror of human existence, and theatri. It is at the crossroads of the sacred and the profane, orality and the written word, of inner roots and external. Elements of drama role and character, relationships, situation, voice, movement, focus, tension, space, time, language, symbol, audience, mood and atmosphere.
The story progresses through interactions between its characters and ends with a message for the audience. In addition to plays by hansberry, childress, and shange, the article discusses kennedys plays. Moreover, african oral literature makes use of african places and names, local images and symbols from. African drama which have been adapted to literature and film include, songs and dances, mask and masquerades, proverbs, idioms. How do they affect the quality and thereby the popularity of a play. Origin and forms of drama in the african context mineke schipperde leeuw the world is a stage and drama a mirror of society this expression is heard in many languages and countries. In a way, improvisation is another form of imagination because it gives the dramatist an ample opportunity to visualize the ideal stage, characters, audience and locale. Among its various elements, some important ones are. The authors purpose of most dramas is to entertain. Elements of strategic planning and management in municipal government 47 unless they drive it through their budgeting, measurement, and performance management processes. Part one of three excerpts black revolutionary theatre is the name given to that special black american strain of theatre, film, and agitprop public activity that originated in the black arts movement, the black. Ive been read through many of them, and i have to say, theyre not too bad. Babatunde oyinade abstract this paper unveils the issues surrounding the cultural impact of globalization on africa with a view of determining the. Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play.
Drama tic elements cannot be ignored in magic rites, but one can only then. When you tap your foot to the music, you are keeping the beat or following the structural rhythmic pulse of the music. Dramatic language is ultimately always constructed or made up and it. This paper that takes a look at different aspects of african drama. Furthermore, some discussion of such elements of drama helps to throw light on oral. A drama, or a play, is a piece of writing that is presented almost exclusively through dialogue. Drama is a composition of prose or poetry that is transformed into a performance on stage. Of various forms of drama, plays are the most popular.
Have a go at the following quiz to see how much youve been taking notice in your music lessons. Oral literature always also contains elements of drama at the same time. Foods includes foods and eating patternshabits holidays patriotic. They can be used in isolation or simultaneously and are manipulated by the performer for dramatic effect. The om jai jagdish hare lyrics in hindi pdf origin of drama is difficult to trace and its. Some elements of traditional african drama which have been adapted to literature and film include, songs and dances, mask and masquerades. Africa the country has so entrenched a specific way of thinking that any wider awareness of. Since its been so hard to get my hands on quality plays for the kids to read, i searched and stumbled upon this website. Syllabus board of studies, nsw, 2000 and are used to enhance the drama experience across all forms. African theatre, effectively, the theatre of africa south of the sahara that emerged in the postcolonial erathat is to say, from the mid20th century onward. Scott fitzgerald the world, wrote horace walpole in 1770, is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel. View modern african drama research papers on academia. Elements of strategic planning and management in municipal. Aristotle 384322 bc was a greek philosopher whose writings still influence us today.
Plays aim to show through action and dialogues what the written text of the story delineates. Some elements of traditional african drama which have been adapted to literature and film include, songs and dances, mask and masquerades, proverbs, idioms and other aspects of language, history and myth, festivals and several others that we shall discuss here. This to him is true because, a cursory study of modern african plays reveal that they owe much of their style to oral tradition. Every production in modern african drama has something at the back of the mind of the playwright. In addition, there is selflessness which women in society are still expected to perform. All of us, of course, both think and feel, and all of us have. The roots of african theatre ritual and orality in the pre. At this point let me emphasise that it is the attitude of selflessness. Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. Dramas are usually performed in a theater or on a stage. Theatrical art demands the collaboration of the actors with one another, with a director, with the various technical workers upon whom they depend for costumes, scenery, and lighting, and with the businesspeople who finance, organize, advertise, and sell the product. It is untrue because so far the culture of a people satisfies the needs of the people, that culture is not only independent but also complete unto itself.
The 12 dramatic elements these twelve dramatic elements are at the core of all drama. Indigenous african drama, though it contains what might be the universal element of drama, which is mimesis, is home grown and different from. Towards a theory for indigenous african drama iosr journal. Identify the elements of the drama in each of the following numbers. Drama therapy is, in simplest terms, the use of action. It is not possible to talk of much african theatre as if it fell into discrete historical or national patterns. Tragedy and comedy show me a hero and i will write you a tragedy. Focus focus is often used interchangeably with the terms concentration and engagement, assisting the performer in the portrayal. The elements of music 2 rhythm rhythm is the element of time in music. Elements of poetry partial list structure, sound, imagery, figurative language, elements of fiction, poetic forms structure 1 poetic line the words that form a single line of poetry. A super easy way to teach these concepts before reading a play in class.
Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been contrasted with the epic and the lyrical modes ever since aristotles poetics c. Elements of surface and deep culture surface culture. The origin of drama is difficult to trace and its development in human society. The elements of drama the seven elements of drama used in this section are drawn from the creative arts k6.
The word drama comes from ancient greek and means quite literally things done harrison, 19. One for my teacher station, and one for the kids to perform a readers theater. Theatre is one of the cultural elements that best exemplifies africa. Dramatic language is modelled on reallife conversations among people, and yet, when one watches a play, one also has to consider the differences between real talk and drama talk.
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