Drama Glossary

Naturalism is a theatrical style that seeks to depict life with accuracy, focusing on everyday speech, behavior, and settings. It often highlights ordinary people in realistic environments, emphasizing authenticity over theatricality. Emerging in the late 19th century, naturalism remains influential in contemporary drama.

Naturalistic drama is a theatrical style that seeks to present life on stage with heightened realism, portraying characters, dialogue, and settings as close to everyday reality as possible. It often emphasizes the influence of environment, heredity, and social conditions on human behavior, inspired by scientific and sociological ideas of the late 19th century. Productions typically use detailed, lifelike sets and natural speech patterns to immerse audiences in an authentic slice of life.

An ancient Sanskrit treatise detailing the principles of classical Indian dance and theatre, attributed to Bharata.

A leading male character in Indian classical drama, often romantic or heroic, paired with a female Nayika.

The archetypal female protagonist in Indian drama and dance, representing love, longing, and emotional expression.

A fascist regime often dramatized to examine themes of extremism, propaganda, genocide, and moral collapse.

African-American baseball leagues sometimes dramatized in plays to explore racial segregation and cultural pride.

An antagonist or force of retribution often featured in tragedies to fulfill poetic justice or downfall.

A trait or condition affecting character behavior, often portrayed to reflect internal conflict or societal pressures.

Spiritual and metaphysical beliefs, sometimes depicted in theatre to contrast traditional religion or promote alternative worldviews.

A cultural movement during the Harlem Renaissance promoting African-American arts, identity, and political empowerment.

A technique from Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, transforming news articles into performative pieces to expose bias or stimulate discussion.