Drama Terms

​Dialogue

conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie

​External Conflict

a conflict that occurs between a character with something outside of himself, maybe with the natural environment, maybe the human environment

​Stage directions

an instruction in the text of a play, especially one indicating the movement, position, or tone of an actor, or the sound effects and lighting.

​Director

a person who is in charge of an activity, department, or organization.

​Props

Respect or credit due to a person

Tragic Hero

the central character of a play, film, etc., depicted as a noble figure who experiences a tragic downfall.

Protagonist

the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text

Tragic Flaw

a defect in the character of a good person (as the hero of a tragedy) that causes his or her destruction

Foil

a character who is presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point to or show to advantage some aspect of the second character

Stage

a raised floor or platform, typically in a theater, on which actors, entertainers, or speakers perform

Drama

a play for theater, radio, or television

Tragedy

an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe

Comedy

a movie, play, or broadcast program intended to make an audience laugh

Internal Conflict

a struggle within a person's mind over a problem or question

Resolution

at the end of a story; after the conflict is resolved