Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
A family unit of parents and children that often forms the societal backdrop for dramatic conflict and generational themes.
A one-sided emotional connection audiences form with performers or fictional characters, referenced in media-themed drama.
A play or film set in a specific historical era, often focusing on costume, language, and customs to create authenticity.
A toxic substance historically used in match factories, referenced in realist plays about labor and injustice.
A dramatic form dealing with social issues in a realistic way, often associated with Ibsen and Shaw.
A genre exploring internal conflict, motivation, and emotion, often rooted in realism and character study.
A psychological thriller is a dramatic genre that emphasizes the mental and emotional states of its characters, often exploring themes of obsession, fear, guilt, or manipulation. Rather than relying solely on external action, it builds tension through suspense, mind games, and the gradual unraveling of hidden motives. These works keep audiences on edge by blurring the line between reality and perception, often leading to shocking twists or revelations.
The inclusion of racially diverse casts and themes, reflecting social progress and realism in theatre.
A radioactive element dramatized in plays like 'Radium Girls' to explore industrial exploitation and health issues.
A working-class character on a ranch, used in Western or realist theatre to explore labor, masculinity, and independence.
A metaphor or literal device used in plays to symbolize entrapment, commonly seen in psychological or symbolic dramas.
A theatrical movement that strives to depict everyday life and authentic behavior on stage. It often focuses on domestic settings and psychological depth.