We explain what a play is, its origin, its characteristics and the elements that make it up. Also, theatrical genres.
What is a play?
A play, play or theatrical piece It is an artistic representation that consists of the staging of a plot or a fictional story through actors, sets and different scenic elements, in accordance with what is established in a script or dramatic text.
In this way, the term play can refer to two elements. On the one hand, It is a literary text which through dialogues and directions represents a story. Its author is a playwright who may or may not take part in its stage performance.
On the other hand, it refers to the scenic representation of a script or a literary text that takes place in a specific place, whose plot advances through the actions and speeches of the characters and that is exhibited before an audience. In this case, its author is the theatrical director, that is, the one who is in charge of the staging, makes decisions about the content and its representation and can intervene in the dramaturgical text when necessary.
Just as in the making of a film, a variable number of people are involved in the staging of a play, dedicated to different technical and artistic aspects, such as actors, makeup artists, costume designers, set designers, among others.
The plays can be very varied in terms of their theme, their structure, their language and their scenography. Some are more conventional, because in them the story is more recognizable, and others, more avant-garde or experimental. In fact, from its classical origins until today, the theatrical genre has accompanied humanity in its most important changes, since it has served to represent different aspects of society.
See also: Drama
Characteristics of a play
A play:
- represents a story.Through actions and dialogues, recreate a plot so that viewers can understand what is happening. There is usually no narrator to tell the story.
- It is performed in a place called the stage space. It takes place on a theatrical stage, a platform or even on the street. There always has to be an audience in attendance.
- It is usually divided into acts and scenes. It is divided into acts according to duration, actions and theme, which in turn are divided into scenes, that is, parts that indicate the entry or exit of characters or that correspond to different subthemes.
- It has a limited duration Generally, it lasts approximately one hour, although this depends on the stage proposal.
- May include elements of other arts. It can incorporate works of music, dance or plastic arts.
Origin of plays
Theater is an artistic genre that has been produced for a long time: Its origins date back to Ancient Greece (6th century BC). Greek society used theater as an instrument of civic education and transmission of its extensive mythology. Its actors used masks to represent each character, in addition to other scenic elements.
There were great Greek playwrights of both comedy (e.g., Aristophanes and Menander) and tragedy (e.g., Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus). Many of his works are still performed in our times.
Elements of a play
Elements of a play as a stage performance
The elements that make up a theatrical piece are:
- Characters. They are played by actors who may have specific clothing and use certain forms of speech, among other characteristics. The characters interact with each other through actions and dialogue.
- Scenery. It is the physical space in which the performance takes place and in which the actors wander in and out of the scene as they enter or disappear from the stage. It can take different forms and, in some cases, it can include the public.
- Set design and props. It is the set of scenic elements, that is, objects that favor the representation because they recreate a specific environment or because they fulfill a function in the story, such as swords, glasses or tables. In many representations, they are dispensed with and evoked through dialogue and actions.
- Public. It is the group of people who attend to see the play and who in some cases can participate in it.
Elements of a play as a literary text
In the written plays there are:
- Dialogues. They are the speeches of the characters, which move the action forward.
- Didascalias or notes. They are the indications of how the actors should represent the play in relation to the way in which they should pronounce the dialogues and the movements they should perform. In addition, they specify what the stage environment should be like, that is, the stage space.
theatrical genres
Theatrical works can be of very different types depending on their plots and their ways of staging them. The main theatrical genres are:
- Tragedy. It is one of the oldest genres in theater. Their stories usually consist of irresolvable and painful situations, generally of the fall from grace of an illustrious hero or heroine due to an implacable destiny.
- Comedy. It is also a genre of ancient origin. It focuses on the satirical representation of the characters, in such a way that their actions invite the audience to laugh or joy.
- Tragicomedy. It is a combination of comedy and tragedy, since there is room for suffering and laughter.
- Farce. It is a short work, with cartoonish characters and not very realistic situations. It may have a satirical or critical intention, that is, to denounce society. It does not always seek to produce laughter in the viewer, but also shame.
- Melodrama. It is a type of dramatic work in whose plot the tragic or pathetic feelings evoked in the viewer are highlighted through the use of music. It is the artistic precursor of the soap opera and that is why it is usually called melodramas to this type of television productions.
- Monologue. It is a work in which a single character enunciates a speech, which can have different characteristics, such as being reflective or comic.
Examples of plays
Some of the most famous and important plays are:
- Antigone, by Sophocles . It is one of the best-known works of Greek literature and represents the myth of the tragic heroine Antigone to raise a reflection on divine law and human law.
- Pluto, by Aristophanes . It is a Greek comedy in which, through satire, the inequalities of Athenian society are criticized.
- Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. It is a tragedy that represents one of the most famous love stories of all time.
- The Celestina, attributed to Fernando de Rojas . It is a very important comedy or tragicomedy in the Spanish tradition, in which we reflect on love and life.
- Fuenteovejuna, by Felix Lope de Vega . It is one of the most influential works of Spanish literature, which reflects the innovations that the author introduced in the dramatic genre.
- Life is a dream by Pedro Calderón de la Barca. It is one of the most important works of the Spanish Baroque, a literary movement in which elements of tragedy and comedy were mixed.
- The mocker of Seville, by Tirso de Molina . It is a work in which the traditional legend of Don Juan is represented.
- Bernarda Alba's house, by Federico García Lorca. It is a work that represents the story of a family in mourning and allows us to reflect on the society of the early 20th century.
- The misanthrope, by Molière . It is a comedy in which the customs of 17th century French society are criticized.
- Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett . It is a work in which one reflects from a pessimistic perspective on existence and reality.
References
- Chaillet, N., Davis, T.C., & Guthrie, T. (2024). Theater. Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
- Hermenegildo, A. (sf). Approach to the study of the didascalias of early Castilian theater: Lucas Fernández. Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library. https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/
- Reyzábal, MV (1998). Dictionary of literary terms I and II. Accent.
- Sormani, NL (sf). Space and ideology in children's theater. Cooperation Cultural Center. https://www.centrocultural.coop/
- Souriau, E. (1998). Akal Dictionary of Aesthetics. Akal.
- Xunta de Galicia, Department of Education. (2013). the greek theater. https://www.edu.xunta.gal/
