Elements of Theater

• Performers

  • People on stage present the characters in dramatic action.
  • The audience is coming to see them pretending to be someone else.
  • When the actor/actress is on stage, they must be believable as the character they are portraying.
  • Acting is central to all forms of theater, a performer stands in front of the audience and begins to act out a character, by speaking and moving.
• Audience

  • The essence of the theater is the interaction between the performer and the audience.
  • Theater needs to be experienced live. There is a “call and response” atmosphere that can not be witnessed in a movie theater.
  • In a live theater, when the audience laughs out loud, or cries, then the actors can respond to that energy.
  • In movie, there is no connection between the actors and audience, only reaction from the audience.
• Director

  • Responsible for rehearsing the actors and coordinating the works of the designers (scenic, costumes, lighting, sound) and other members of the team to ensure that the performance is both coherent and interesting.
  • The director makes certain that the performers understand the text and deliver the script excitingly and appropriately.
• Space

  • It is essential to have a stage, or some equivalent area, where actors and actresses can perform.
  • It is also essential to have a place for audience members to sit or stand.
• Visual aspect

  • Visual aspects pertain to the design of the scenic production that will support the performance of the actors and actresses.
• • VISUAL ASPECTS - costumes, lighting, and some form of scenic background
  • NONVISUAL ASPECT - sound and background music.
• Script

  • The final element essential to the theater is the text that is performed. It is considered as the blueprint of the product.
• One key element for writing is the CONFLICT
• • A playwright, a writer who writes the script, creates a dramatic script by transforming stories into a sequence of events incorporating the CONFLICT.
• • Without the conflict, the story would be bland and boring .