The elements of one-act play.

1. DRAMA
TYPES
One- Act Plays

2. One- Act Plays
Is similar to a short story in its limitations. There
is a complete drama within one act. It is brief,
condensed, and single in effect. One situation or
episode is presented, permitting no minor plots
or side actions that may distract attention for the
single purpose and effect being developed.
Characters are few in number, quickly
introduced, and very limited in character
development. Dialogue and Plot must carry the
action forward smoothly and quickly.

3. DEFINITION
 A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as
distinct from plays that occur over several acts.
One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes.
In recent years the 10-minute play known as
"flash drama" has emerged as a popular sub-
genre of the one-act play, especially in writing
competitions. The origin of the one-act play may
be traced to the very beginning of drama: in
ancient Greece, Cyclops, a satyr play by
Euripides, is an early example.

4. Elements of One- Act Play
Setting
Character/ Characterization
Plot/ Plot Structure
Conflict
Theme
Suspense and atmosphere

5. Setting
 - Geographical location. Where is the action of the
story taking place?
 - When is the story taking place? (Historical period,
time of day, year, etc.)
 - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc.?
 -What is the daily life of the characters like? Does
the story contain local color (writing that focuses on
the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a
particular place)?
 - What feeling is created at the beginning of the
story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and
frightening?

6. Characters
Character is a person, or sometimes even an
animal, who takes part in the action of a short
story or a piece of literary work.
main characters those who are most
important in the story
minor characters usually static or unchanging

7. Characterization
Characterization is the method used by the
writer/author to reveal the personality of the
character/s.
The characters are revealed according to:
1. actions of the character
2. thoughts of the character
3. descriptions of the character
4. descriptions of other characters
5. descriptions of the author

8. Plot
Different in one- act play from a full length play
In a one- act play, there is only time for one
significant event
Determining place for hero, where all can be
won or lost
Events leading to this, can be included without
being shown to audience
The events that follow must be inferred or
understood by the audience

9. Plot Structure
Five Stages
a) Introduction - The beginning of the story where
the characters and the setting is revealed.
b) Rising Action - This is where the events in the
story become complicated and the conflict in the
story is revealed (events between the introduction
and climax).

10. c) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and
the turning point of the story. The reader wonders
what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved
or not?
d) Falling action - The events and complications
begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows
what has
happened next and if the conflict was resolved or
not (events between climax and denouement).
e) Denouement - This is the final outcome or
untangling of events in the story.

12. Conflict
Conflict is the opposition of forces which
ties one incident to another and makes the
plot move.
Two Major Types
1. External - A struggle with a force outside
one's self.
2. Internal - A struggle within one's self; a
person must make some decision,
overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an
urge, etc.

13. External
a. man vs. man - a type of conflict
where one character in the story has a
problem with one or more of the other
characters
b. man vs. society - a type of conflict
where a character has a conflict or
problem with some element of society-
the school, the law, the accepted way
of doing things, and so on

14. External
c. man vs. nature - a type of conflict
where a character has a problem with
some natural happening: snowstorm,
typhoon, avalanche, bitter cold, or any
elements common to nature

15. Internal
man vs. self -is a type of conflict where
a character has trouble deciding what
to do in a particular situation

16. Theme
The theme is the controlling idea or
the central insight.
It is the author's underlying meaning
or main idea that he is trying to
convey.
The theme may be the author's
thoughts about a topic or view of
human nature.

17. Theme
Theme necessary
Ask yourself: What is the play about?
Revenge? Self- discovery?
Mind needs to be clear about the theme
Characters, plots, and sub- plots need
to point to and support the theme
Sub- plots might be missing in one- act
plays

18. Suspense
Suspense in situations which rouse our
concern for the welfare of the
characters can be created in many
ways in a play. It can be accomplished
through a series of crises and a major
crisis or climax, foreshadowing,
surprise or use of the unexpected,
withholding information, disguise, and
the intervention of chance or fate.

19. Atmosphere
The atmosphere and mood of the
drama is created by the set, the
lighting, the furnishings, the music or
sound effects, the opening dialogue,
the facial expressions and gestures
of the actors, and the growing
tension of the plot.

20. Activity
Q. Write a short one- act play which involves two
characters following the guideline given below.
o First students imagine the situation they want to write
about and write it down on a blank sheet of paper
o Then they brainstorm the situation to come up with ideas
involving:

21. o the details of the characters, including their relationship and
the nature of the problem being explored (two friends, son
and father, daughter and father, husband and wife …),
o the topic they are talking about
o the problem that arises in their conversation
o the time and background of the conversation, i. e. the setting
o how the play starts and how it ends

22. Students may then:
 Work by themselves or with a partner
 Do the drafting at home
 Do editing in the classroom with the help of
classmates or teacher
 Read out the play to the class

23. Topic suggestions
 an older woman, hoping that a film of her life story would both
make her rich and free her from her dangerous past
 Pamela, a divorced career girl from the suburbs, rides the
commuter train back and forth to her glamour job in London.
However, Pamela's latest romantic coupling threatens to veer
off the track
 Revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold, and Grace has been
cooking up hers ever since her husband dumped her for
Paulette, a younger lighter Second Mrs. Marwick.
 Aspiring Playwright calls on Dionysus and Euripides for help
in winning a drama contest.
 Group of unemployed people in support group try to keep
their spirits up while their desperation level rises. Drama