Drama Conventions

Drama conventions are used to create an understanding between actor and audience of the context, time, place, and action of a story being told. 

DRAMA CONVENTIONS

Think about the performance you saw of Dido & Aeneas. Can you remember instances of the following conventions?
  • Repetition
  • Motifs
  • Chorus of movement
  • Chorus of voice
  • Slow motion
  • Soundscape
  • Spoken thoughts
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  • Direct address
  • Narration
  • Flashback/flash‐forward
  • Mimed action
  • Multiple roles
  • Actor as an object

TIME

ACTION
  1. When in time is the opera set? How do you know?
  2. Does the play have a timeframe over which the action takes place? What is it? How can you tell?
  3. Is time all that important in this production?
  1. How would you describe the pace of the show?
  2. How do you as an audience keep pace with these changes?
  3. What techniques/conventions are used to facilitate changes in action?
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ROLE

  1. What are some of the characters played in the performance?
  2. How do the actors signify these other characters to the audience? (eg. physically, with props or costumes, lighting changes, vocal quality)

SPACE

  1. How did the actors occupy and use the physical space of the stage and venue?
  2. Were the entrances and exits used? Why do you think?