Play

A play or stageplay, written by a playwright, or dramatist, is a form of literature, almost always consisting of dialog between characters, and intended for performance rather than reading. However, many people and especially scholars simply read and study plays in this more academic manner, particularly classical plays such as those of Shakespeare. And there are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed or read. So, the term play refers both to the written works of playwrights and to their complete theatrical performance.

Structure

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With regard to the latter the play can be likened to a baby. When it is born, with all of it parts intact and functioning, the baby has yet to be educated, to be brought up to its full potential and become a real person. In the same way, a play as the first day of rehearsal begins is at the point of its birth by the playwright and the collaborating director/producer, has functioning parts, those being the players, now cast, and the other designer elements of the production. But it is too early to "direct", it is first necessary to analyse and fully understand the thing that is there. Only then can the process of "education" or "rehearsal" begin, leading to the realization of its full potential, that is, "Opening Night". Many a director and production have gone off the rails before rehearsals and interpretation have even begun. (See theatre, directors, actors, and other related topics for more detailed information on the process of producing plays for performance.)

The interpretive nature of drama is what makes it so appealing to performers and audience members alike — because a playwright is incapable of presenting the play in its intended form - a performance - without the aid of the actors, director, and others. Some dramatists have attempted to maintain control of the finished product by participating as the director (David Mamet is a good example), or actor (Molière, for example) because a play undergoes constant renewal during rehearsals as new experiences and interpretations are brought to bear.

One kind of play, the closet drama, is written in a dramatic form but is not intended for performance. It consists of dialogue between characters, but it is meant to be read, either silently to oneself or aloud to a group in a "closet" (a private domestic room). Some closet dramas have gone on to be performed.

Plays are written in a variety of genres. There are six basic genres of plays:

1. Tragedy — A play in which a hero comes to a sad end due to fate, a tragic flaw or the work of the gods
2. Comedy — A play in which, despite hindrances and problems along the way, everything works out happily at the end. This usually includes funny material, even jokes.
3. Domestic drama — A play that reflects the world of the domestic, the family and the relationships that emerge out of the ordinary happenings of life.
4. Tragicomedy — A play that contains elements of both tragedy and comedy.
5. Melodrama — A play of heightened emotion in which a hero and often a heroine overcome a villain to right wrong. Usually has a happy ending.
6. Symbolic — A play in which the characters and the actions have symbolic function and the main concern is the development of ideas.

Some theatre producers will commission a play to be written for their theatre company.

See also

• Playwright
• Drama
• Closet drama
• Well-Made Play
• Well-made play
• Improvisational theatre
• The Art of Dramatic Writing
• Theatre
• Directors
• Actors

References

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