Glossary of Drama Terms
SDEA presents terms commonly used in the drama process, sharing the terminology and concepts that our drama teachers from rich and diverse training backgrounds use, to help us exchange and appreciate the broad range of resources we have.
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Action Narration
A scene is performed with participants using narration to describe their actions around individual spoken lines of dialogue. -
CEREMONY
Groups devise special events to mark, commemorate or celebrate something of cultural/historical significance.CHORAL SPEAK/READING
All speaking at the same time, the same words, with one voice.CONSCIENCE ALLEY
Structured like a Gauntlet, but the group plays the character’s thoughts, and voices are lower in volume. Word or phrase is spoken as the character passes by individuals in the group.CONSCIENCE WALL
This convention is typically used in exploring issues involving conflicting interests, but can also be used to voice perspectives on complex situations, but can also be used to voice perspectives on complex situations. A student-in-role walks between two lines of students who each voice their thoughts about the character or a situation. The thoughts can be in-role statements or questions directed at the character, or alternatively reflect the conflicting or complex thoughts of the character.- Dramatise Journal 3
CREATING A PLACE
With only bodies and movement, and sometimes sound, students create a setting (like a stormy ocean, a child’s bedroom, etc.). -
DEVISING
It is a performance that is based not on a script, but a given theme, subject or premise. With research and information found on the chosen topic, students improvise and create dramatic moments under the facilitation of the director. Often the students work collaboratively with the director to create and structure the final performance.- Dramatise Journal 1
DREAMSCAPE
Like a Soundscape, but the sounds and words are focused on dream images, sounds, words, word phrases. Statements and sounds are orchestrated and will overlap at times. Teacher or one/two group members may orchestrate the Dreamscape. -
FREEZE
This word is used often as a strategy to temporarily pause an action. When called, the action stops in mid-motion. Freeze is often a good start to build on to other conventions such as Freeze Frame and Still Images.- Dramatise Journal 1
FORUM THEATRE
This is valuable process for examining difficult situations and considering available options. A few students perform or improvise a scene which can be interrupted, discussed and changed. Alternative ways of playing the scene are explored as those watching stop the action and replace one of the actors to replay the scene and work in new ideas and directions.- Dramatise Journal 3
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GAUNTLET
Two rows of people facing each other. Space between for someone to walk. As one character walks, the characters in the line do an action, speak a word, sentence, or phrase to the character walking by. There will be some overlapping of spoken words.GROUP SCULPTURE
An individual or members of the group model volunteers into a shape using as many members of the group and/or objects necessary, to reflect and encapsulate a particular aspect of the theme or issue under scrutiny.GUIDED TOUR/IMAGERY
A form of narration through which the group are provided with a detailed picture of the environment in which the drama is due to take place. -
HOT-SEATING
A convention in which players question or interview someone who is in role to bring out additional information, ideas, and attitudes about the role.- Dramatise Journal 1
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IMAGE THEATRE
(Boal 174-215) - this was made popular by Augusto Boal, the Brazilian founder of Theatre of the Oppressed. Essentially, participants express themes and ideas through images created by their body. The images may come from the participants or they may be sculpted by other participants. Guided by an experienced facilitator, the images would be 'dynamised.' In the lesson 'Voices in the Dark', students are invited to suggest ways of resolving issues brought out by the lesson through sculpting the images that their classmates have presented.- Dramatise Journal 2
IMPROVISATION
This is a term use for spontaneous, non-scripted scene creation where students are in character, creating the moment by making up words and action. This is apparent during role-playing where students speak and interact with other students in character. Improvisation is also an important element in devised performance.
- Dramatise Journal 1
IN-ROLE WRITING
Students write as if they were a particular character; this can take the form of a letter, a journal entry, a report. This allows for reflective and imaginative exploration of issues in the drama as well as builds ownership of the dramatic process.- Dramatise Journal 3
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MAGIC 'IF'
This is an acting concept that originated with Stanislavsky, and helps actors explore and understand their character motivations. Actors ask questions of themselves and their characters; one of the primary questions being 'what if I was in the same situation as the character?'. This creates empathy - a connection between the fictional character and the actor and helps the actor play the character with conviction and truth.- Dramatise Journal 1
MARKING THE MOMENT
This technique is a reflective device allowing students to indicate or highlight a significant moment or place in the drama. They reflect out of character so it is their own feelings that they access and share, rather than the characters they are playing.- Dramatise Journal 3
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NARRATION
This can be done in or out of the dramatic context. A way to provide a narrative link, atmosphere, initiate a drama, move the action on, create tension.NARRATIVE PANTOMIME
Teacher narrates a scene while the group pantomimes the action/story. -
PANTOMIME
Action and story telling without words. May be done in normal speed, slow motion, fast, and with one or more people.PERCEIVE AND REFLECT
Group discussion and share about what was seen, what was learned and what did we like. -
ROLE-ON-THE-WALL
Students are writing on a paper outline figure of character first impressions and information they learn about the character as they discover the character in the story or play. Students are seeing that the better we know someone, the better we understand them, and they are seeing a character transformed. -
SIDE COACHING
The facilitator calls out just the word, phrase, or sentence that keeps the player on focus. The phrases or words arise spontaneously out of what is emerging in the playing area and are given at the time players are in movement. Sidecoaching guides players toward focus, creating interaction, movement, and transformation.- Dramatise Journal 3
SOCIOGRAM
A graphic representation (like a mind-map) of links between a person and other people, roles and institutions in a community. This links can also indicate power relations, status and other relational information.- Dramatise Journal 3
SOUNDSCAPE
Sound, song, words, and phrases, either pre-recorded or performed live, are used to create the mood and atmosphere of a character’s lived experience. The group are encouraged to think of the Soundscape as having a musical shape to it and to weave the various words, statements and sounds together, orchestrating them as precisely as possible. Teacher may be the conductor or a student.SPOTLIGHTING
During improvisation or role play, the teacher has everyone stop for a while except for one person or a group who continue, while the rest of the students observe. This facilitates a dynamic sharing of work within the exploratory process.- Dramatise Journal 3
STILL IMAGE
Individuals or groups use their bodies to create motionless pictures that crystallize an idea, theme, or moment in time. This convention is also known as creating tableaux, still images, or statue-making. Freeze frames can be brought to life, or have noises and sound effects added to them.- Dramatise Journal 3
STUDENT-IN-ROLE (SiR)
Students take on specific roles which include the expertise, authority, knowledge and skills of specialists. (Healthcote's Mantle of the Expert) This knowledge may be from prior discussion and research or found imaginatively, but the status it gives students allows them to significantly influence and own the drama.- Dramatise Journal 3
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TABLEAU
Also called Still Image and Freeze Frames.- Dramatise Journal 2
TEACHER-IN-ROLE (TiR)
The teacher engages with students as a character from the drama, often answering questions to deepen the context or move the drama forward by sharing information or introducing a conflict. This allows the teacher to support, extend and challenge students' thinking from inside the drama.- Dramatise Journal 3
THOUGHT TRACKING
This convention externalises the inner thoughts of individuals to develop deeper understanding thoughtful, sensitive responses to the drama process. The teacher can touch individuals on the shoulder during a freeze-frame, or interrupt an improvisation and ask students to voice their thoughts, or have the class adopt the role of one character and simultaneously speak aloud their thoughts and fears in a particular situation. Alternatively the teacher, or a student, in role, can give witness to the class and speak personally about recent events from a 'special' chair. Members of the class can step forward to stand behind the chair and express their thoughts and views about the character, or the views of the character.- Dramatise Journal 3
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WRITING IN ROLE
Diaries, Letters, Journals, Messages. These are written in or out of role as a means of reflecting on experience. Students write as if they were the character writing a letter, in a personal journal, and so on. This is thinking in role, drawing information from what has already been collectively assembled. Students use their personal knowledge and imaginations to create the world of the character. This is a way to experience stream of consciousness writing.