How to read drama

Whether reading or watching a play, you should try to attend to specifics details and to try and answer some basic questions to understand the play. You may need to read the play several times out loud to truly understand a play. You will want to pay careful attention to the stage directions as well as the dialogue. For performances, you will want to listen to the dialogue carefully. You will also need to watch and listen carefully to picture how the stage directions are acted out on the stage. The simplest and easiest part to determine is the play’s structure. For example, you will want to know, “How many acts are there?” and “How many scenes are in each act?”

The next set of questions deal with the characters. How many and who are the characters? Has the playwright included any stereotypical characters? How does the playwright reveal the personalities of the characters? Once you have determined the structure of the play and the characters, it is time to consider the setting.

The setting involves the setting the playwright places his characters in as well as the actual stage and props used by the actors. How is the setting of the story represented on stage? Are elaborate and colourful props used for the setting, or are few props used? For live (stage) performances, how are light and music used to create the stories setting? Is a narrator used to clarify aspects of the setting by simply stating the place and the time? Finally, does the stage allow the actors the freedom they need to act out the events of the plot?

The plot is obviously plot to the structure, setting, and characters in the play. How do these elements influence the plot? Where do the main conflicts appear in the play? Who is involved in the conflicts? Are lights, music, or other devices used to signal or foreshadow conflicts? Most importantly, what is the theme or the message of the play?