Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
The story that has been written for actors to perform.
A reference made to one's own self, character, or experience.
A type of English comedy popular in the 1700s that was intended to teach a moral lesson to the audience.
A literary work that is its own story but a continuation of story and/or characters from a previous work.
The time and place of the play. Stage directions can be very specific or very ambiguous about the setting.
A literary device that compares two unlike and distinct things using "like" or "as".
Slapstick is a style of physical comedy, often involving chases, silly and exaggerated movements and activities, and simple practical jokes. It can also represent violence in an over-the-top, comical guise.
A speech given by a character that reveals inner thoughts only shared with the audience.
Anything that is used to get ideas or inspiration for a devised play.
A genre of American art and literature, centered in the American South, that uses elements of fear, irrationality, the grotesque, dark humor, problematic romance, and horror.
A type of scene in which two distinct scenes happen simultaneously on stage.
Information in the play, included by the playwright, that identifies staging, characterization, blocking, or technical requirements for a script.