What Is Drama?

A drama is a

• story with no dialogue.

• piece of scientific research.

• story that’s meant to be acted out.

• short piece that’s written in rhyme.

True or False: The only way to enjoy a drama is by watching it on a stage.

• True

• False

When does intermission occur?

• at the end of a play

• between acts of a play

• at the beginning of a play

• between every scene of a play

Read the following passage from the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder:

Georye: Hello Emily!

Emily: [Shyly, turning from trellis] H'lo

Georye: [Edging down center, socking mitt with baseball ] You made a fine speech in class.

Emily: Well--I was really ready to talk about the Monroe Doctrine, but at the last minute Miss Corcoran made me talk about the Louisiana Purchase instead. I worked an awful long time on both of them.

Georye: [Puts ball in back pocket, looks at own house, edges to the bench] Gee, it’s funny Emily. From my window up there I can just see your head nights when you’re doing your homework over in your room. [Both face front, shy throughout]

Which of these is a prop in this scene?

• a plate

• a pencil

• a bucket

• a baseball

Which of these is an example of a stage direction?

• George: Hello Emily!

• [Both face front, shy throughout ]

• George: You made a fine speech in class.

• Emily: I was really ready to talk about the Monroe Doctrine.

Kayley sits backstage every night and helps move sets and props while the play goes on onstage. Kayley is probably

• a member of the crew.

• acting in the play.

• in the audience.

• a playwright.

The Johnson family gave a standing ovation after seeing a play. They probably

• didn’t like the play very much.

• wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

• thought the play was OK but nothing special.

• thought the actors in the play did a fantastic job.

What was remarkable about Lorraine Hansberry?

• She was a famous Broadway director.

• She was was an actor in A Raisin in the Sun.

• She was the first black woman to write a Broadway play.

• She was the first black woman to work on the crew of several Broadway plays.

Which of the following is a difference between novels and plays?

• Plays are meant to be acted out while novels are only meant to be read.

• In a play, there is only dialogue, while in a novel there is dialogue and description.

• Plays might be divided into acts and scenes, while novels are divided into chapters.

• all of the above

In a play, information about characters’ motivations and character traits comes from the

• dialogue

• set and props

• stage directions

• audience's imagination