dramatic story essay example

The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What this handout is about

This handout identifies common questions about drama, describes the elements of drama that are most often discussed in theater classes, provides a few strategies for planning and writing an effective drama paper, and identifies various resources for research in theater history and dramatic criticism. We’ll give special attention to writing about productions and performances of plays.

What is drama? And how do you write about it?

When we describe a situation or a person’s behavior as “dramatic,” we usually mean that it is intense, exciting (or excited), striking, or vivid. The works of drama that we study in a classroom share those elements. For example, if you are watching a play in a theatre, feelings of tension and anticipation often arise because you are wondering what will happen between the characters on stage. Will they shoot each other? Will they finally confess their undying love for one another? When you are reading a play, you may have similar questions. Will Oedipus figure out that he was the one who caused the plague by killing his father and sleeping with his mother? Will Hamlet successfully avenge his father’s murder?

For instructors in academic departments—whether their classes are about theatrical literature, theater history, performance studies, acting, or the technical aspects of a production—writing about drama often means explaining what makes the plays we watch or read so exciting. Of course, one particular production of a play may not be as exciting as it’s supposed to be. In fact, it may not be exciting at all. Writing about drama can also involve figuring out why and how a production went wrong.

What’s the difference between plays, productions, and performances?

Talking about plays, productions, and performances can be difficult, especially since there’s so much overlap in the uses of these terms. Although there are some exceptions, usually plays are what’s on the written page. A production of a play is a series of performances, each of which may have its own idiosyncratic features. For example, one production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night might set the play in 1940’s Manhattan, and another might set the play on an Alpaca farm in New Zealand. Furthermore, in a particular performance (say, Tuesday night) of that production, the actor playing Malvolio might get fed up with playing the role as an Alpaca herder, shout about the indignity of the whole thing, curse Shakespeare for ever writing the play, and stomp off the stage. See how that works?

Be aware that the above terms are sometimes used interchangeably—but the overlapping elements of each are often the most exciting things to talk about. For example, a series of particularly bad performances might distract from excellent production values: If the actor playing Falstaff repeatedly trips over a lance and falls off the stage, the audience may not notice the spectacular set design behind him. In the same way, a particularly dynamic and inventive script (play) may so bedazzle an audience that they never notice the inept lighting scheme.

A few analyzable elements of plays

Plays have many different elements or aspects, which means that you should have lots of different options for focusing your analysis. Playwrights—writers of plays—are called “wrights” because this word means “builder.” Just as shipwrights build ships, playwrights build plays. A playwright’s raw materials are words, but to create a successful play, they must also think about the performance—about what will be happening on stage with sets, sounds, actors, etc. To put it another way: the words of a play have their meanings within a larger context—the context of the production. When you watch or read a play, think about how all of the parts work (or could work) together.

For the play itself, some important contexts to consider are:

The time period in which the play was written
The playwright’s biography and their other writing
Contemporaneous works of theater (plays written or produced by other artists at roughly the same time)
The language of the play

Depending on your assignment, you may want to focus on one of these elements exclusively or compare and contrast two or more of them. Keep in mind that any one of these elements may be more than enough for a dissertation, let alone a short reaction paper. Also remember that in most cases, your assignment will ask you to provide some kind of analysis, not simply a plot summary—so don’t think that you can write a paper about A Doll’s House that simply describes the events leading up to Nora’s fateful decision.

Since a number of academic assignments ask you to pay attention to the language of the play and since it might be the most complicated thing to work with, it’s worth looking at a few of the ways you might be asked to deal with it in more detail.

There are countless ways that you can talk about how language works in a play, a production, or a particular performance. Given a choice, you should probably focus on words, phrases, lines, or scenes that really struck you, things that you still remember weeks after reading the play or seeing the performance. You’ll have a much easier time writing about a bit of language that you feel strongly about (love it or hate it).

That said, here are two common ways to talk about how language works in a play:

How characters are constructed by their language

If you have a strong impression of a character, especially if you haven’t seen that character depicted on stage, you probably remember one line or bit of dialogue that really captures who that character is. Playwrights often distinguish their characters with idiosyncratic or at least individualized manners of speaking. Take this example from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest :

ALGERNON: Did you hear what I was playing, Lane? LANE: I didn’t think it polite to listen, sir. ALGERNON: I’m sorry for that, for your sake. I don’t play accurately—anyone can play accurately—but I play with wonderful expression. As far as the piano is concerned, sentiment is my forte. I keep science for Life. LANE: Yes, sir. ALGERNON: And, speaking of the science of Life, have you got the cucumber sandwiches cut for Lady Bracknell?

This early moment in the play contributes enormously to what the audience thinks about the aristocratic Algernon and his servant, Lane. If you were to talk about language in this scene, you could discuss Lane’s reserved replies: Are they funny? Do they indicate familiarity or sarcasm? How do you react to a servant who replies in that way? Or you could focus on Algernon’s witty responses. Does Algernon really care what Lane thinks? Is he talking more to hear himself? What does that say about how the audience is supposed to see Algernon? Algernon’s manner of speech is part of who his character is. If you are analyzing a particular performance, you might want to comment on the actor’s delivery of these lines: Was his vocal inflection appropriate? Did it show something about the character?

How language contributes to scene and mood

Ancient, medieval, and Renaissance plays often use verbal tricks and nuances to convey the setting and time of the play because performers during these periods didn’t have elaborate special-effects technology to create theatrical illusions. For example, most scenes from Shakespeare’s Macbeth take place at night. The play was originally performed in an open-air theatre in the bright and sunny afternoon. How did Shakespeare communicate the fact that it was night-time in the play? Mainly by starting scenes like this:

BANQUO: How goes the night, boy? FLEANCE: The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. BANQUO: And she goes down at twelve. FLEANCE: I take’t, ’tis later, sir. BANQUO: Hold, take my sword. There’s husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!

Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch

Give me my sword. Who’s there?

Characters entering with torches is a pretty big clue, as is having a character say, “It’s night.” Later in the play, the question, “Who’s there?” recurs a number of times, establishing the illusion that the characters can’t see each other. The sense of encroaching darkness and the general mysteriousness of night contributes to a number of other themes and motifs in the play.

Productions and performances

Productions.

For productions as a whole, some important elements to consider are:

Venue: How big is the theatre? Is this a professional or amateur acting company? What kind of resources do they have? How does this affect the show?
Costumes: What is everyone wearing? Is it appropriate to the historical period? Modern? Trendy? Old-fashioned? Does it fit the character? What does their costume make you think about each character? How does this affect the show?
Set design: What does the set look like? Does it try to create a sense of “realism”? Does it set the play in a particular historical period? What impressions does the set create? Does the set change, and if so, when and why? How does this affect the show?
Lighting design: Are characters ever in the dark? Are there spotlights? Does light come through windows? From above? From below? Is any tinted or colored light projected? How does this affect the show?
“Idea” or “concept”: Do the set and lighting designs seem to work together to produce a certain interpretation? Do costumes and other elements seem coordinated? How does this affect the show?

You’ve probably noticed that each of these ends with the question, “How does this affect the show?” That’s because you should be connecting every detail that you analyze back to this question. If a particularly weird costume (like King Henry in scuba gear) suggests something about the character (King Henry has gone off the deep end, literally and figuratively), then you can ask yourself, “Does this add or detract from the show?” (King Henry having an interest in aquatic mammals may not have been what Shakespeare had in mind.)

Performances

For individual performances, you can analyze all the items considered above in light of how they might have been different the night before. For example, some important elements to consider are:

Individual acting performances: What did the actor playing the part bring to the performance? Was there anything particularly moving about the performance that night that surprised you, that you didn’t imagine from reading the play beforehand (if you did so)?
Mishaps, flubs, and fire alarms: Did the actors mess up? Did the performance grind to a halt or did it continue?
Audience reactions: Was there applause? At inappropriate points? Did someone fall asleep and snore loudly in the second act? Did anyone cry? Did anyone walk out in utter outrage?

Response papers

Instructors in drama classes often want to know what you really think. Sometimes they’ll give you very open-ended assignments, allowing you to choose your own topic; this freedom can have its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, you may find it easier to express yourself without the pressure of specific guidelines or restrictions. On the other hand, it can be challenging to decide what to write about. The elements and topics listed above may provide you with a jumping-off point for more open-ended assignments. Once you’ve identified a possible area of interest, you can ask yourself questions to further develop your ideas about it and decide whether it might make for a good paper topic. For example, if you were especially interested in the lighting, how did the lighting make you feel? Nervous? Bored? Distracted? It’s usually a good idea to be as specific as possible. You’ll have a much more difficult time if you start out writing about “imagery” or “language” in a play than if you start by writing about that ridiculous face Helena made when she found out Lysander didn’t love her anymore.

If you’re really having trouble getting started, here’s a three point plan for responding to a piece of theater—say, a performance you recently observed:

Make a list of five or six specific words, images, or moments that caught your attention while you were sitting in your seat.
Answer one of the following questions: Did any of the words, images, or moments you listed contribute to your enjoyment or loathing of the play? Did any of them seem to add to or detract from any overall theme that the play may have had? Did any of them make you think of something completely different and wholly irrelevant to the play? If so, what connection might there be?
Write a few sentences about how each of the items you picked out for the second question affected you and/or the play.

This list of ideas can help you begin to develop an analysis of the performance and your own reactions to it.

If you need to do research in the specialized field of performance studies (a branch of communication studies) or want to focus especially closely on poetic or powerful language in a play, see our handout on communication studies and handout on poetry explications . For additional tips on writing about plays as a form of literature, see our handout on writing about fiction .

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Carter, Paul. 1994. The Backstage Handbook: An Illustrated Almanac of Technical Information , 3rd ed. Shelter Island, NY: Broadway Press.

Vandermeer, Philip. 2021. “A to Z Databases: Dramatic Art.” Subject Research Guides, University of North Carolina. Last updated March 3, 2021. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/az.php?a=d&s=1113 .

Worthen, William B. 2010. The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama , 6th ed. Boston: Cengage.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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75 Drama Writing Prompts To Spice Up Your Script

It's time to tap into the human experience..

Little Children

The drama genre captures the essence of life's trials and triumphs, inviting audiences and readers alike into worlds both vastly different and strikingly similar to their own.

The following drama writing prompts are designed to ignite the imagination of writers.

Check them out below.

75 Drama Writing Prompts

Creating drama writing prompts can be an engaging way to inspire stories filled with conflict, emotion, and character growth. Here are 75 prompts designed to spark your creativity, whether you're writing a play, screenplay, novel, or short story:

A character discovers a hidden letter revealing a family secret.
Two strangers are the only survivors of a plane crash in a remote area.
A young lawyer takes on a case that challenges their moral compass.
A forbidden romance between members of rival families.
An ambitious artist struggles to balance their passion with personal responsibilities.
A whistleblower faces the consequences of exposing corruption in a powerful corporation.
A time traveler tries to prevent a historical tragedy, but falls in love with someone from the past.
A group of friends on a remote camping trip uncover something sinister.
A detective becomes too emotionally involved in a case.
An immigrant's journey to build a new life while facing prejudice.
A soldier returning home struggles with PTSD and reintegrating into society.
A family is torn apart by a will that reveals unexpected conditions and secrets.
A couple's marriage is tested when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness.
A community is shaken by a series of mysterious disappearances.
An athlete faces a career-ending injury and must find a new path in life.
A politician's career is threatened by a scandal from their past.
A scientist makes a breakthrough discovery that challenges ethical boundaries.
An undercover agent gets too close to the criminal organization they're infiltrating.
A child prodigy wrestles with expectations and their own desires.
A person gains the ability to hear others' thoughts, uncovering more than they bargained for.
A parent and child reconcile after years of estrangement.
A heist gone wrong forces criminals to confront their own morality.
A celebrity's fall from grace and their journey to redemption.
A young adult must choose between familial duty and personal dreams.
An ancient curse haunts a family generation after generation.
A character faces a moral dilemma after finding a bag of money.
A betrayal among friends leads to a web of lies and revenge.
A natural disaster traps a group of characters, revealing their true selves.
An aging athlete attempts a comeback against all odds.
A character is accused of a crime they didn't commit.
A couple adopting a child faces unexpected challenges.
A rivalry between two chefs in a high-stakes culinary competition.
A survivor of a cult struggles to adjust to normal life.
A character receives a heart transplant and begins to take on the traits of the donor.
An actor's obsession with a role leads to blurred lines between fiction and reality.
A character embarks on a quest to find a lost parent.
A dystopian society where emotions are forbidden.
A small town's dark secrets are uncovered by a new arrival.
A character must navigate the dangerous world of organized crime to protect their family.
A magical realism story where a character can see the future but cannot change it.
A journalist fights to expose the truth in a corrupt society.
A character struggles with addiction and the journey to recovery.
A forbidden love story set in a futuristic society.
A story of survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
A family's generational curse comes to a head with the youngest member.
A character's life changes after swapping bodies with a stranger.
A person tries to rebuild their life after losing everything.
A tale of revenge between two powerful families.
A character discovers they are part of a government experiment.
A love triangle with a supernatural twist.
An artist finds a mysterious painting that holds the key to their past.
A character must choose between love and duty.
A story exploring the complexities of identity and gender.
A group of survivors on a deserted island uncover a mystery.
A ghost seeking to resolve unfinished business in the living world.
A political thriller set in a volatile regime.
A character becomes entangled in the world of espionage.
A forbidden relationship challenges societal norms.
A family is haunted by a tragic event from their past.
A story of redemption for a character who has lost their way.
A rivalry between two magicians becomes dangerously intense.
A journey through a fantastical land to break a curse.
A character must save their sibling from a cult.
A prophecy foretells a great calamity, and characters must prevent it.
A story of friendship tested by a moral dilemma.
An exploration of the impact of technology on human relationships.
A character is forced to confront their past when an old friend reappears.
A rivalry turns into an unexpected partnership to overcome a common enemy.
A person must navigate the complexities of a polyamorous relationship.
A character's ability to manipulate dreams becomes a curse.
A small town detective uncovers a national conspiracy.
A character is reincarnated with memories of their past life, affecting their present.
A historical drama about a revolution that changes the fate of a nation.
A character faces discrimination while trying to reveal their true identity.
A tale of sacrifice, where a character must give up something precious for the greater good.

These prompts can serve as a foundation for stories that explore deep emotional truths, challenge societal norms, and capture the complexities of the human condition.

Feel free to adapt and combine prompts to create unique and compelling narratives.

Now, go get writing before your estranged uncle reveals a tragic secret about your family heritage.

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'The Old Man' Season 2 Director Shares Insights Into Episode 5

Ben semanoff talks about shooting tv..

As season 2 of The Old Man unfolds, No Film School sat down with Ben Semanoff, the director on episode 5. Ben previously directed episodes on season 2 of Yellowjackets and was Emmy-nominated for his work on Ozark .

As episode 5 is a break from typical The Old Man action in favor of tension and impactful dialogue, Ben shares details on how he made the episode even more impactful by emphasizing the theme of water throughout the episode and how lies affected characters’ complicated relationships.

Let's dive in.

NO FILM SCHOOL: How did you get involved in season 2 of The Old Man? What was your process like when you first signed on to the project?

Ben Semanoff: I think I had met with the Littlefield Group at some point. I can’t recall if it was a general or specifically about The Old Man, but we had a nice conversation. Then my manager reached out to me while working in Vancouver on season 2 of Yellowjackets to let me know that the folks over at The Old Man were interested in talking with me about season 2. So we set a meeting, which are all on zoom these days, and I connected with Dan Shotz. Ironically, Dan was also in Vancouver at the same time (probably three blocks away) working on their other show, Percy Jackson. Dan and I hit it off right away! We just seemed to be speaking the same cinematic language. And, just as we are ending the call he asked where I was from. Turns out, Dan and I, along with Jon Steinberg (one of the creators of The Old Man) all grew up in roughly the same area, just outside Philadelphia.

Once I signed on, as with most shows I’ve guest directed, you’re at the mercy of when scripts are ready. This really determines if you’ll be able to do much work ahead of any formal prep. Being that the second season started filming a couple months prior to the writers strike, they had worked diligently to get ahead on scripts. So I had my script for a few weeks prior to my formal prep which gave me lots of time to sit with the material which is quite the luxury.

This episode is quite unique. What was your process like when you first signed on to the project?

My process tends to be similar on most shows. First, I try to read the script purely as an audience member because this is the first and only time I’ll get to enjoy the material as an audience member. It is, for lack of a better term, unadulterated. Once you start to formulate a plan, discuss the plan, have heaps of meetings about the plan, try to execute the plan and on the day run into hurdles and obstacles that try to prevent you from succeeding with your plan, and finally come out the other side, the show is permanently tied to that experience! There is never reading or watching your episode ever again without all those memories being activated! So, once I finish my first read, and have gotten to enjoy the show as an audience member, then I start breaking down the script. As I revisit scenes I think about how I initially visualized them, which is a great jumping off point, but then I start to question the why. In my mind's eye, I explore blocking ideas, story relevance, relationships between characters, and decide whose perspective I want to anchor the story or particular scene to. Once I’ve worked through those ideas, I visualize the various approaches I might take towards photography. And as I do, I remind myself of whose perspective I’m in, and of what story I’m trying to tell with the photography.

Could you share more about the meaning of water in the episode?

Originally, the script only featured the water heater leaking in the basement. But I loved this metaphor. The idea that Harper had tried to keep his personal life sheltered from his former life in the CIA, and even from what he currently did in the FBI, and that barrier had cracked and was leaking. But Harold wasn’t the only character dealing with kinks in their armor. Chase’s relationship with his daughter Emily was strained by her learning that Hamzad was her real father. And Harper was still grappling with the fact that Angela was actually Emily. And Emily was coming to terms with Hamzad being her real father, having been stolen from her family as a toddler, and then the passing of Hamzad before she could make peace with any of it! So I suggested weaving the theme of water throughout the episode. We added rain, as if Harper’s & Chase’s worlds weren’t just breaking from the inside out, but it was as if the dam was collapsing all around them. But there’s water in the first scene, running from the found in the Hamzad residence as the family gathers. Water is used when Hamzad’s body is washed and prepared. And even when Chase washes his hands after torturing the assassin. Water connects everything!

There is a sequence when the characters are sitting around with Emily on the other side of the phone. I heard that you changed some things by, for example, moving the conversation to the living room. Can you walk us through the sequence and your approach to it?

In the script, this scene had been staged in the study. There were a few scenes in this room in season 1. Harold playing legos with his grandson is one that comes to mind. But this room is rather small, and only has one window. And I knew it would be limiting when it came to blocking. Of course, on paper the scenes scripted for this room were simple, but they took place over several pages of script. Which means holding the audience’s attention over a long bit of screen time in a small room with four actors on a phone call, and never seeing the other side of the phone call! So I pitched moving the scene to the living room. This would offer two walls of floor to ceiling windows to push moonlight through during the power outage and much more room to block action. I just couldn’t imagine gluing the performers down during such an emotional scene, they needed some room to move and express how they were feeling beat by beat. And of course, this added flexibility was welcomed by my amazing cinematographer, Jules O’loughlin. But the windows were a blessing and a curse. This episode is entirely night, but the cast and crew would have revolted if we suggested shooting this all night for night. So we tented the house. But that meant the wall of windows that was going to allow us to motivate light, also became a black hole when we looked at them. So thankfully, the idea of introducing the rain helped create texture for those windows and combined with shears I think Jules was able to create a mood that you felt, and one that supported the story. But in addition to motivating the ambient through the windows, I really wanted to feel the light from the cell phone. It was almost Emily’s presence. I wanted the performers to huddle over it and feel the light on them… almost like a campfire. And since I was trying to lean into the horror a bit… this uplighting worked perfectly to help set the mood.

Hamzad’s funeral sequence is another significant scene, and afterward, we see Emily saying goodbye separately. Emily also didn’t get to say goodbye to her mom. How did that and cultural circumstances affect your approach to the sequence?

Good question! Well, I mentioned earlier that my approach has a lot to do with determining perspective. I think anchoring a characters’ perspective is critical to filmmaking. It really helps the audience connect to the story. In Hamzad’s funeral we see all of the men carry Hamzad’s body to the grave. We had some great cultural advisors on the show that helped ensure the nuance was captured correctly. That the ritual was honest and true. But the main character here was Emily, and being that she was a woman. She wasn’t participating in the funeral in the same way as the men. So as much as I wanted the rituals that the men were following to be accurate, it was more important to me to capture Emily’s experience as she watched from several hundred yards up the hill with the other women. So you’ll notice the photography is rooted in her perspective.

Do you have any advice for aspiring directors or someone who also wants to transition from another department?

The path to directing is different for everyone, and many directors have former lives in various crafts throughout the industry. These experiences help build a knowledge base that can be invaluable when it comes to finally getting your shot to direct. So in the short term, focus on the opportunities that are right in front of you. They’ll only make you a better director when the time comes.

Another bit of advice would be to keep your goal of directing to yourself until you’re on the precipice of an opportunity. Focus on being the best you can be at the job you’re doing at the moment. Employers want to hire people that are excited about the job they are being hired for, as opposed to hiring someone that’s excited about someone else’s job. And when it comes to getting that opportunity to direct it will be given to those that are great at their current job!

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Home / Essay Samples / Literature / Literary Genres / Drama

Drama Essay Examples

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The Theme of Justice in the Oresteia by Aeschylus

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Comparsion of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus and Its Film Adaptation by Ralph Fiennes

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Analysis of the Main Themes in the Play Our Town

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The Issue of Patriarchy and Gender Inequality in Trifles

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The Role of Gender in Trifles by Susan Glaspell

In Susan Glaspell’s short play Trifles, the reader is met with the ongoing case of John Wright’s murder. One moral that the play depicts is that women and men see things differently. According to the male characters, the women only care about issues that have...

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