DRAMA:Solo plays, Series, Serial, Soap, Components of Drama

<< RADIO DOCUMENTARY:Commentary, History, Persons, Things, Phenomena

SPECIAL AUDIENCE PROGRAM:Childrenâ€™s Programs, Womenâ€™s programs >>

Radio News, Reporting and Production MCM515

LESSON 39

DRAMA

Drama is a literary form involving actions and dialogues written for actors to perform. It is a Greek word

meaning "action", drawn from the "to act".

Types of drama in terms of Mood

The following are different types of drama in terms of Mood:

Tragedy

Comedy

Satires

Types of drama in terms of Making

The following are different types of drama in terms of Making:

Solo plays

Series

Serial

Soap opera

Solo plays

These are individual plays produced for special occasions, days, etc., such as Independence Day, Eid days,

anniversaries of national heroes, etc.

Series

A series contains different plays with different sub titles under the same main title portraying different

shades of the same theme.

Serial

Serial contains one story that goes on to many episodes. Every episode has its own climax and the last

episode carries the chief climax that leads to anti climax.

Soap

Soap drama actually presents family problems and conspiracies with no definite main character; rather every

character, by and large, is equally important.

Components of Drama

The following are the components of a drama:

Characters

Dialogues

Screenplay

Components of Drama Script

The components of drama script are as under:

Plot the story of the drama that contains the turns & twists is called the plot of the drama.

Expose` the introduction of characters is called the expose`.

Growth the establishment of conflict between different characters.

103

Radio News, Reporting and Production MCM515

Climax  it is the peak point of the conflict.

Anti-climax  it is where the conflicts amongst the characters are resolved.

Radio Drama

Radio drama is a form of drama which is intended to be broadcast on radio. With no visual component,

radio drama depends on Dialogues, Music and Sound Effects to help the listener imagine the story.

Components of Radio Drama

The components of radio drama are as under:

Speech

Music

Sound Effects

Speech

Speech contains the following elements:

Dialogues

Monologue (soliloquy a character's verbal communication to himself)

Music

Music in a radio drama can be included as under:

Background music as situation demands

Change over music marks the change of the scene

Sound Effects

The especially recorded sounds to establish a particular atmosphere are called sound effects. For instance,

Birds' chirping, typewriter's rattling, jackal's howling, cricket's chirping, chairs' dragging, water pouring into

glass, thunder clap followed by rain sound, Azaan.

Radio Drama Production

Getting drama written

First of all, the producer contacts to a drama writer to get it written. Drama may be thematic or

entertaining. The producer discusses the theme with the writer and asks him/her to develop a drama

portraying the theme.

Vetting

After the drama is written, producer vets the script. While vetting drama script a drama producer must be

careful regarding the following aspects:

Drama must not go against Religious Policy.

Drama must not go against National Policy.

Language used must not violate the set standards of the language to be employed while writing for

mass medium.

Length of the script so that it may not exceed the given time limit.

Copies of the script

Producer's copy that contains important cues, details of musical instruments that will go with the

situation, and the sound effects where they are needed.

Engineer's copy that contains all those details that does the producer's copy.

Actors' copy that does not contain any details which are needed from production point of view.

104

Radio News, Reporting and Production MCM515

Characterization

The act of conceiving a character is called characterization. While selecting a voice for a certain character

following essentials a producer must keep forth:

The voice age of the actor that must correspond to the age of the character conceived by the writer.

Education of the character. Actor's tone, voice and accent must be in accordance of the character's

education that is established by the writer for that particular character.

Socio-cultural background of the character so that the accent of the actor may conform to the

character's accent.

105

Table of Contents: