Types of Drama

How well life and its intricacies are portrayed on a stage through actions and performances of theater actors! This creative art form is renowned throughout the world as drama. It's a means of self expression, where actors showcase their inherent talents on the stage, which is interwoven with other elements like, music, dance, instruments, mikes and lights, to make it more appealing to the audience. Theater and drama are collective terms, and the basic component of the play is a story based on fictional events and characters.

Evolution of drama bears a rich history and it had influences mainly from the Western countries. The theatrical culture emerged from Greece and Athens, thereby creating an impact throughout the world. Classical Athenian drama was succeeded by Roman drama, Medieval, Elizabethan and Jacobean (English renaissance theater), modern and postmodern drama. Different genres of dramas were produced, which gained immense popularity amongst all sections of the society. Worth to note, Asian countries like India, China and Japan also composed dramas that explicitly symbolized their tradition, culture and ethnicity.

Drama was broadly categorized into three different forms, viz. opera, pantomime and creative drama. We explain them in the following points.

    Opera was accepted warmly during the Renaissance period due to its versatility. Theater and music were in perfect harmony and actors displayed exceptional acting and singing skills.

    Pantomimes were composed keeping the theme of folk tales as the primary element and symbolism occupied a prominent position. It was organized in the form of masques, where characters wore elaborate costumes and makeup.

    Creative drama is the modern version of drama, which was popularized mostly by youngsters, possessing innate acting skills. Stage shows and theaters were organized in schools and colleges, which gave a platform to students for exhibiting their talents.

Although drama has been divided into the aforementioned types, yet people love to experiment their skills to produce many new genres. You can also sustain a single plot combined with all these major forms. The drama gets etched in the mind of audience when execution of the script, the stage performance and the coordination between group members are absolutely perfect.