Play (theatre)
A play is a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than mere reading. The creator of a play is known as a playwright.
Plays are staged at various levels, ranging from London's West End and New York City's Broadway – the highest echelons of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world – to regional theatre, community theatre, and academic productions at universities and schools.
A stage play is specifically crafted for performance on stage, distinct from works meant for broadcast or cinematic adaptation. They are presented on a stage before a live audience. Some dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, have shown little preference for whether their plays are performed or read. The term "play" encompasses the written texts of playwrights and their complete theatrical renditions.[1]
Theatre of Cruelty[edit]
This theatrical style originated in the 1940s when Antonin Artaud hypothesized about the effects of expressing through the body rather than "by socially conditioned thought". In 1946, he wrote a preface to his works in which he explained how he came to write as he did.
Foremost, Artaud lacked trust in language as an effective means of communication. Plays within the theatre of cruelty genre exhibit abstract conventions and content. Artaud intended his plays to have an impact and achieve a purpose. His aim was to symbolize the subconscious through bodily performances, as he believed language fell short. Artaud considered his plays enactments rather than re-enactments, indicating that he believed his actors were embodying reality, rather than reproducing it.
His plays addressed weighty subjects such as patients in psychiatric wards and Nazi Germany. Through these performances, he aimed to "make the causes of suffering audible". Audiences who were taken aback by what they saw initially responded negatively. Much of his work was even banned in France during that time.
Artaud dismissed the notion that conventional theatre of his era could provide audiences with a cathartic experience that would aid the healing process after World War II. For this reason, he gravitated towards radio-based theatre, where the audience could personally connect the words they heard with their own bodies. This approach made his work more intimate and individualized, which he believed would enhance its effectiveness in conveying the experience of suffering.[8]
Theatre of the Absurd[edit]
This genre typically presents metaphysical portrayals of existential questions and dilemmas. Theatre of the absurd rejects rationality, embracing the inevitability of plunging into the depths of the human condition. Rather than explicitly discussing these issues, theatre of the absurd embodies them. This leaves the audience to engage in personal discussion and contemplation of the play's content.
A central aspect of theatre of the absurd is the deliberate contradiction between language and action. Often, the dialogue between characters starkly contrasts with their actions.
Prominent playwrights within this genre include Samuel Beckett, Jean-Paul Sartre, Eugène Ionesco, Arthur Adamov, and Jean Genet.[9]
Terminology[edit]
The term "play" can encompass either a general concept or specifically denote a non-musical play. In contrast to a "musical", which incorporates music, dance, and songs sung by characters, the term "straight play" can be used. For a brief play, the term "playlet" is occasionally employed.
The term "script" pertains to the written text of a play. After the front matter, which includes the title and author, it usually begins with a dramatis personae: a list introducing the main characters of the play by name, accompanied by brief character descriptions (e.g., "Stephano, a drunken Butler").
In the context of a musical play (opera, light opera, or musical), the term "libretto" is commonly used instead of "script".
A play is typically divided into acts, akin to chapters in a novel. A concise play may consist of only a single act, known as a "one-acter". Acts are further divided into scenes. Acts and scenes are numbered, with scene numbering resetting to 1 at the start of each subsequent act (e.g., Act 4, Scene 3 might be followed by Act 5, Scene 1). Each scene takes place in a specified location, indicated at the scene's outset in the script (e.g., "Scene 1. Before the cell of Prospero.") Changing locations usually requires adjusting the scenery, which takes time – even if it's just a painted backdrop – and can only occur between scenes.
Aside from the text spoken by actors, a script includes "stage directions" (distinct from the term's use in blocking, which involves arranging actors on stage). Common stage directions include the entrances and exits of actors, e.g., "[Exeunt Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.]" (Exeunt is the Latin plural of exit, meaning "[they] leave"). Additional stage directions may dictate how lines should be delivered, such as "[Aside]" or "[Sings]", or specify sounds to be produced off-stage, like "[Thunder]".
