30 Powerful Elements of Drama

The elements of drama began with Greek philosopher Aristotle who stated in
The Poetics (c.335 BC) each dramatic performance (tragedy) must contain the
six key elements of plot, character, thought (theme), diction (language),
melody (music-dance, song, rhythm) and spectacle. This is history’s first
surviving example of dramatic theory.
In contemporary drama education, there is no prescribed or definitive list of
the elements of drama. Below is a list of 30 of the most common elements of
drama.
Table of Contents
30 Elements of Drama
1. Action 2. Audience 3. Climax 4. Conflict 5. Contrast 6. Convention
7. Dramatic Moment 8. Energy 9. Focus / Emphasis 10. Language / Text
11. Dramatic Metaphor 12. Mood / Atmosphere 13. Movement
14. Plot / Story 15. Posture 16. Relationships 17. Rhythm
18. Role / Character 19. Setting / Place 20. Situation 21. Sound / Music
22. Space 23. Spectacle 24. Structure 25. Symbol 26. Tension
27. Theme 28. Time 29. Timing 30. Voice

1. Action
Action, or dramatic action, refers to the propelling of the plot from one
moment to the next in the drama. This will naturally relate to the structure of
the play, as the action moves forward from the early stages (exposition) to the
inciting incident, rising action, one or more crises, the climax, falling action,
and then the conclusion. See the “Structure” entry further down this list for
more information on how plays are formed.
2. Audience
Of all the essential elements of drama, the audience must exist for it to be
considered a performance – a play without an audience should be considered
a rehearsal.
An audience can specifically refer to the engagement actors have with their
audience through performance, known as the actor-audience relationship. The
exact nature of this relationship can vary depending on the style of the
performance.
For example, a performer in a purely naturalistic drama may ignore the
audience altogether (they may even have their back facing the audience),
while a performer in a realistic drama may be aware of the presence of an
audience but not perform directly to them, whereas a performer in an epic
theatre play by Bertolt Brecht may regularly break the fourth wall and interact
directly with sections of the audience. Manipulating exactly how a performer
relates and engages with the audience in a performance can be both an
academic exercise and fun at the same time.
3. Climax
Most dramas will have one or more crises in the development of the plot. A
crisis is a key moment of dramatic tension and conflict in the play, usually
occurring between two or more characters and having serious implications for
the outcome of the plot. The ultimate crisis, or highest peak, is usually called
the climax and often (but not always) occurs toward the end of a play. There
can also be more than one climax in a drama, although this is uncommon. An
anti-climax is also possible.
4. Conflict
Conflict is one of the key elements of drama. Playwright George Bernard Shaw
once said ‘No conflict, no drama’. How right he was! A drama that lacks
conflict is normally dull and uninspiring. As a rule, conflict should always be
considered an essential ingredient for all dramatic performances.
Conflict can be between two or more characters, or simply one (inner conflict).
Many Elizabethan soliloquies contain inner conflict (‘To be or not to be…’ is an
excellent example). Conflict on stage can be verbal, physical, or non-verbal.
Conflict differs from tension in that it is often a fixed and permanent part of
the structure of a play embedded in the fabric of the drama, often from the
outset, with characters destined to clash with one another.
5. Contrast
Without the careful use of contrast, performances are boring and lack tension.
In simple terms, contrast is a point of difference. An obvious example of
contrast is a sad scene followed by a happy scene. But contrast can be created
in more subtle and sophisticated ways, such as manipulating the drama to
create a change in setting, pace, or time.
The contrast between characters should also be considered. Contrast can be
created by changes in language, timing, mood, lighting, energy, relationships,
situation, and more. Careful use of contrast as one of the elements of drama in
performance can keep an audience actively engaged, throughout.
6. Convention
A convention is an acting or staging technique. Examples of conventions
include the use of a narrator, an aside, a soliloquy, a direct address, the use of
placards, songs, etc. Conventions are often associated with performance
styles, which in turn are commonly associated with one or more theatre
practitioners. Sometimes conventions are linked more generally with the way
theatre was performed in a certain era, for example, the conventions of
absurdism or Elizabethan theatre.
7. Dramatic Moment
A moment, or dramatic moment, is self-explanatory. It is a specific moment in
the play, usually lasting only a short time, where the action is dramatic in some
way. But being dramatic does not always mean loud noises and lots of moving
characters. A dramatic moment can be a poignant moment of stillness or
silence. Dramatic moments can also occur with only a single actor and even
without sets and props, such is the power of drama. The tempo and rhythm of
a play often change when a dramatic moment occurs. Tension is often
manipulated when creating dramatic moments and the element of contrast is
commonly employed.
8. Energy
Energy is the intensity of a character’s actions in the drama. Many plays
contrast one or more high-energy characters with low-energy characters.
Energy, therefore, refers to both vivacious and vibrant characters as well as
slow, dispirited, or tired characters. Before a character can be portrayed with a
certain type of energy, the performer must possess this energy. In general
terms, energy can also refer to the intensity of specific performances or the
type of show being performed (e.g. a musical).
9. Focus / Emphasis
Focus has multiple meanings in drama and performance. While it can often be
used interchangeably with the term concentration, as an element of drama,
focus is more often associated with emphasis. Unlike in movies or television,
where the filmmaker can zoom into the actor or area in question, in the
theatre, we need to employ other techniques to attract the focus of the
audience.
How do we channel the attention of the audience to a certain area of the
stage in order to give this particular space appropriate emphasis? How do we
focus the lens of the spectator on the small bird in the hand of the actor
downstage left? What directorial techniques can we employ to place focus on
the two pirates sneaking onto the ship upstage? How can we use theatrical
lighting to ensure emphasis is placed on the character who is singing? These
are all challenges associated with focus and emphasis in performances.
10. Language / Text
The use of language in performance can be verbal, vocal, or non-verbal.
Language is normally spoken text. It is the written script realised in
performance. While normally spoken by the actor, language can also be
chanted or sung. Language can also deliberately be nonsensical for dramatic
effect.
The choice of language as one of the elements of drama is crucial, as it forms a
major means of communicating the story of the drama to the audience.
Exactly how the actor in a performance chooses to use language is usually
determined by the expressive skill of voice. However, language can also be
non-verbal, commonly referred to as body language. The elements of voice
and language should not be confused. Using the voice is the process of
speaking the verbal language.
11. Dramatic Metaphor
Metaphor in drama involves a second reference in order to enhance the
meaning of the first. For example “The man is a goose”. The description of the
qualities of the first reference (the man) is enhanced by knowledge of the
second reference (the fact that a goose is considered a silly waterfowl by its
looks, big feet, and awkward behaviour).
A literary example of metaphor can be found in Arthur Miller’s play The
Crucible, set in the Salem witch trials of 1692-93, but actually about the spread
of Communism in 1950s America (the time and place of the play’s writing).
Bertolt Brecht employed a similar dramatic metaphor in his work The
Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, a play set in 1930s gangster-ridden Chicago that
was really about Hitler’s Germany. George Orwell’s Animal Farm was not
about animals at all, but Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party
rule.
Dramatic metaphors, however, should not be confused with the use of
symbols. When an object is used as a symbol, it is replaced by the symbolic
meaning – for example, the red rose is now replaced by the feeling of love.
However, with dramatic metaphor, the second reference enhances this
meaning without replacing it.
12. Mood / Atmosphere
The mood is the feeling or tone of a performance and is naturally associated
with the atmosphere. It refers to ambiance or aura and is often created
through a combination of several elements of drama and production areas
working in harmony. The atmosphere of performances are closely linked with
everyday feelings such as fear or desire.
The mood in drama can be created via sound, lighting, movement, props,
setting, rhythm, contrast, conflict, and more. It is also possible to create a
particular mood or atmosphere in just one moment or scene in a play.
Therefore you can have more than one mood presented in a single
performance.
13. Movement
Movement is the self-explanatory act of a performer moving in the drama
according to the character’s objective, motivation, surrounding circumstances,
and interaction with other characters. The physical action of movement often
defines character relationships and situations. While certain types of
movement can involve walking (and the hundreds of different ways of doing
just this), running, sliding, falling, etc, stage space needs to be used, including
upstage, downstage, stage left, stage right, etc.
14. Plot / Story
The plot is the action of the drama. Many plays have more than one plot, often
consisting of the main plot and one or more (less important) plots known as
subplots. Shakespeare’s dramas are classic examples of plays with multiple
plots keeping the audience engaged at every turn.
The “story” of a drama is usually considered any action referred or implied to
on stage, but not seen. This is often the backstory of various characters
revealed in the early part of the drama (exposition). The story differs from the
plot of the drama in that the plot must be seen by the audience.
15. Posture
Posture is the position in which a character holds their body when standing or
sitting (not moving). Posture can define a character’s attitude, social status,
inner feelings, rank, and more. Posture is similar to a character’s pose or
stance.
16. Relationships
Relationships are also sometimes considered one of the elements of drama.
This refers to the interrelationships between characters in a play. Character
connections affect the way the plot evolves. These relationships may be
friendly, conflicting, romantic, of equal status, or otherwise. Some
relationships in a drama may be fixed, while others may be variable and
subject to change as the plot evolves.
17. Rhythm
Rhythm is more commonly a musical term. In drama, rhythm refers to timing
and pace. It also means the beat or tempo of the whole performance. As a
rule, rhythm should never be the same throughout the drama, regardless of its
length. Rhythm can follow the emotional state of one or more characters or
the atmosphere of the play at particular moments.
Rhythm is closely linked to movement. An everyday ritual presented on stage,
such as getting ready for work in the morning, can involve repetitive and
rhythmic actions and gestures. What is the rhythm of the long line of people in
the unemployment queue? What is the rhythm of the classroom scene where
students are misbehaving with the substitute teacher? How does the rhythm
contrast in these two examples?
Rhythm can also have a place in the delivery of dialogue. The most obvious
example is the text of Shakespearean dramas delivered using iambic
pentameter. But all character dialogue, no matter how informal, should have a
particular rhythm attached to it.
18. Role / Character
Role and character lie at the heart of all drama because, without these
elements, the drama would not exist. Role and character are often used
interchangeably to mean the same, while sometimes these terms are
separated. The role is normally associated with role-playing in drama, which
can occur at any level. Taking on a role often occurs as part of the process of
drama and not always the product (performance). However, it is also entirely
acceptable to ask an actor what his or her role is in the play.
Role-playing is popular in drama improvisation games and often involves quick
transitions into roles with little or no preparation, sometimes involving a
stimulus. While adopting a role is critical in understanding the essence of
drama, it is often considered less complex than portraying a character.
Characters often have sophisticated backstories and undergo changes during
the development of the plot. Portraying a character involves the application of
expressive and performance skills. In professional theatre, there are numerous
acting methods for developing and sustaining character (e.g. The Method).
19. Setting / Place
Setting refers to the location of a scene, play, or musical. It is one of the
fundamental elements of drama. Many dramas have more than one setting.
Productions with physical sets normally have clearly defined settings, but
smaller dramas and one-person plays (monodramas) may have little or no sets
or props to help identify locations. In these examples, the performer will use
dialogue and other expressive skills in order to denote a setting, including any
changes. This is known as an implied place or setting.
20. Situation
The situation in drama refers to the given circumstances of the dramatic
action happening in the play. This is a straightforward concept. What is the
setting of the play (time, location, etc)? What are the circumstances of the
given scene (an argument, marriage proposal, a betrayal of friendship, medical
emergency, school assembly, election campaign, etc)? Clearly conveying the
situation in the play at any particular time makes the drama coherent for the
audience.

21. Sound / Music

Contemporary theatre relies on sound and music in a number of ways. While
theatre has traditionally used lighting to create an atmosphere in
performance, sound and music is being increasingly manipulated to create
mood. The use of sound can involve the implementation of technology, such
as sound effects and soundscapes. Actors and their bodies can also construct
effective sound in performance. Small props can create sound effects that can
be used live during a show. Sound in drama can even involve the absence of
sound!
22. Space
Space is one of the critical elements of drama, referring to the effective use of
available space in performance. Space can be both horizontal and vertical.
Performers can be upstage or downstage, stage left or stage right. Different
levels of space can also be utilised such as sitting, bending over, lying down,
crawling, or physically using another level of a stage set. In order to use space
effectively, movement becomes an important factor.

Effective use of space also involves clearly communicating to the audience

where the action is taking place. This may include any changes in location that
occur in the performance, particularly if little or no sets or props are being
used and there is a heavy reliance on the audience’s imagination – otherwise
known as implied space in the drama. Sometimes theatre buildings or specific
productions can be created using a particular space such as traverse staging,
proscenium arch, thrust staging, or arena/in the round.

23. Spectacle
Historically, the spectacle was one of the obligatory elements of drama
outlined by the Greek philosopher Aristotle in The Poetics. Aristotle referred
to spectacle elements as costumes, scenery, actor gestures, and the sensory
effects of the resonance of the performer’s voice (sound).
In a contemporary context, spectacle refers to all the visual elements of a play
– those incorporating theatre stagecraft and production areas. These can
include stage sets, lighting, costumes, props, make-up, special effects, and
multimedia. Spectacle in contemporary theatre is probably more important
today than it was centuries ago due to the advent of technology and its
integration into all levels of the theatre.

24. Structure
Structure, or dramatic structure, refers to the backbone of a drama. A typical
structure of a play involves the exposition and initial action at the beginning,
an inciting incident where the conflict and point of attack within the play are
revealed, rising action involving conflict and one or more crises, and the
ultimate crisis known as the climax, then the falling action towards the latter
part of the drama leading to the conclusion, which is not always a happy
resolution. The French word denouement is often used to define a play’s
ending. Translated into English, denouement means the untying or unravelling
of the knot, in other words, the untying of all the complexities of the plot into
a suitable conclusion.

Non-typical structures involve cyclical plots that end where they began,
evident in some absurdist plays. The simple fact that Shakespeare and his
contemporaries always wrote plays in a five-act format is also an example of
structure. In later years, a three-act format was common, further reduced to
two acts. Today, short one-act plays consisting of numerous brief scenes are a
common dramatic structure in contemporary theatre.

25. Symbol
The symbol is one of the principal elements of drama. The use of symbols in
dramatic performance can be one of the simplest and also most complicated
of all techniques. Symbolism implies a greater meaning than the literal
suggestion. Props are the easiest to work with because objects in everyday life
are symbols in society (a rose symbolises love; a cross symbolises Christianity).
Symbols can also be found in the use of colour. We often symbolise purple
with royalty, red with anger or desire, black with evil and darkness, or white
with purity and innocence.
Colour association can be worthwhile symbols with costumes, sets, and props.
But the most sophisticated use of symbols occurs with the application of
gesture and movement. A particular gesture performed by a character early in
performance can be repeated in another context and have a very different
meaning. Used only once, a gesture can also be a powerful symbol. All of these
examples can be combined for an even better effect.
26. Tension
Tension is sometimes referred to as dramatic tension and usually lies with the
development of suspense. As the audience anticipates certain outcomes in the
plot, the tension builds. Tension differs from conflict in that it is usually a
transient occurrence that may take place multiple times in a single play. An
obvious example of rising tension occurs in a mystery play or whodunit. In
these instances, the audience is left in a constant state of suspense trying to
determine the real culprit. The development of tension therefore usually
parallels the advancement of the plot, leading to a crisis or climax. Tension is
closely linked with the element of timing.
27. Theme
Theme refers to what a play is about (often the central idea), while what
specifically happens on stage is the plot. Through the dramatic action of the
plot, the deeper meaning of the play is revealed. A single play can consist of
multiple themes. Extracting a theme from a play involves viewing it with a
wider lens and seeing the bigger picture. Is the play about a group of friends
from different cultures really about racism? Examples of themes in plays are
power, revenge, mateship, love, greed, nature, good versus evil, coming of
age, family, isolation, redemption, injustice, etc.
28. Time
The notion of time is one of the indispensable elements of drama in most
performances. In period drama, time can be as broad as a particular era, such
as the 1880s. Other dramas loosely convey a modern or contemporary
portrayal of time. Some plays contain a specific time that must be conveyed to
the audience. These may involve the season of the year, month, day, or even
hour. More generic use of time involves the use of the future, although this
can also be specific by stating the actual year.
Time can also refer to how long the drama takes to perform. This can be of
particular importance in naturalistic dramas where the length of stage time in
a play may equal real-time in the theatre. Flash forwards, flashbacks, and
other disjointed time sequences in a drama can also refer to changes in time.
Alternatively, plays can deliberately appear timeless within the world of the
play. Some absurdist dramas deliberately follow this structure.

29. Timing
Timing in performance refers to the dramatic timing of movements and
gestures. We often take our movements for granted in everyday life, but when
performing, the use of our bodies must be carefully considered and controlled.
Timing can be manipulated to demonstrate authentic, stylised, or non-realistic
movements and gestures. The timing of movements of a tired old man will
differ from those of an energetic young schoolboy. Similarly, the gestures of a
tyrannical dictator will differ from the suppressed people living under his
regime. Rhythm, pace, and movement are particularly affected by timing in
drama.
30. Voice
As one of the elements of drama, voice is critical to most performances. A
drama without the use of voice is considered a movement piece or a mime.
While some would place the voice in the category of a performer’s expressive
skills, it is nevertheless an element essential to nearly every drama. Vocal
variety can be achieved via the use of projection, pitch, tone, rate (pace),
emphasis, diction (articulation/enunciation), rhythm (beat), pause, intonation,
tempo, subtext, and even silence.