Some stage directions tell the actors
what to do, such as when and where to
enter the stage. Other directions may
describe what a character looks like.
They may also indicate the time and
place of the action. The play’s designers
use these descriptions to create the scenery,
costumes, and lighting.
Dramatic Traditions
Different dramatic traditions developed
in Asia and theWest (Europe and North
America). In the dramas of many cul-
The characters of Captain Hook and Peter
Pan fight with their swords.
Fun costumes bring the characters to life in
a performance of Where the Wild Things
Are by Maurice Sendak.
72 Drama BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
tures in Asia, dance, gestures, and music
are often as important as the words.
Asian dramas often use familiar stories as
a base. They also tend to have a formal
style. The actors may follow a set of
rules about the facial expressions and
body movements they use to tell the
story.
On the other hand, Western dramas
tend to focus on telling a new story
through dialogue. Traditionally, Western
dramas have been divided into two
broad types: tragedies and comedies.
Tragedies are serious stories about
heroic individuals. They have a sad
ending. Comedies are less serious and
have a happy ending. Modern comedies
are often funny. Today many Western
dramas mix elements of tragedy and
comedy.
History
Early Forms
Scholars believe that drama dates back
to the time of the earliest peoples.
Drama probably began as part of religious
festivals and ceremonies. These
took place in many cultures, including
those of ancient Egypt, India, and
China.
Western drama has its roots in ancient
Greece. The great age of Greek drama
was the 400s BC. Greek drama was written
in poetry. A few actors portrayed all
the play’s characters. Greek playwrights
also wrote parts for a group called the
chorus. The chorus stood off to the side
and described and explained the action.
Greek tragedies told about important
people and events from legends or history.
The comedies from this period
often made fun of the day’s political figures.
During the Middle Ages (AD 500–1500)
in Europe most drama was based in
Christianity. Some plays of the period
told stories from the Bible. Others dramatized
the lives of Christian saints or
presented a moral lesson.
In the 1300s in Japan a new form of
drama, called Noh, developed. A Noh
drama presents classical Japanese legends
using movement, music, and words.
About 230 of the classical Noh stories
are still performed today. A man named
Zeami wrote 90 of them. He is considered
the greatest Noh playwright.
The 1500s and 1600s were a great
period for drama in England and Spain.
Playwrights wrote in a wide range of
styles. The greatest playwright of this
period was William Shakespeare of
England. He wrote complex, actionfilled
plays with realistic characters.
Actors perform in William Shakespeare’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Drama 73
In the 1600s Jean Racine and other
French dramatists wrote plays set in
ancient Greece. Their plays featured
grand themes and poetic language. The
French playwright Moliere wrote a different
type of play. His comedies poked
fun at the fashions and faults of French
society of the time.
In the 1700s in Japan a type of puppet
theater called Bunraku reached its artistic
height. A man named Chikamatsu
Monzaemon wrote Bunraku plays that
were admired as both literature and
entertainment. He wrote historical
romances as well as tragedies about ordinary
people of his time.
Modern Drama
In the 1800s and early 1900s many
Western plays focused on ordinary
people rather than kings, warriors, or
legendary heroes. These plays explored
the characters’ inner struggles. Many
plays also dealt with social problems,
such as corruption and greed in society.
Henrik Ibsen of Norway and Anton
Chekhov of Russia wrote plays in this
realistic style. In England George Bernard
Shaw used humor to attack society’s
problems. Eugene O’Neill of the
United States used some of the themes
of ancient tragedies. But he placed them
in more modern times among everyday
characters.
AfterWorldWar II ended in 1945 many
people felt discouraged about the state
of the world. Some European playwrights
wrote plots and dialogue that
made little sense. This was meant to
show that life is ridiculous. Their plays
came to be known as Theater of the
Absurd.
Other playwrights continued to explore
familiar topics. In the United States
Arthur Miller wrote dramas that focused
on the inner lives and family conflicts of
strong characters. Similar themes
appeared in the plays of TennesseeWilliams.
Williams often set his plays in the
southern United States.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries
playwrights of many different backgrounds
began to produce notable dramas.
Starting in the 1960s several
African American dramatists, such as
AugustWilson, became successful.
Social problems and the conflicts of
ordinary people continued to provide
material for playwrights. But many playwrights
also experimented with bold,
fresh ways of telling their stories.
#More to explore
Dance • Literature • Music
