The Stage and the School

Chapter 6: Varieties of Drama

Overview

The two most recognized styles of drama are tragedy and comedy. Tragedies feature an inevitably doomed protagonist. The protagonist's struggle creates pathos, or feelings of pity and compassion, in the audience. When the protagonist finally falls or fails, the audience reaches a catharsis, or an emotional release.

Comedies share the common goal of amusing the audience and generating laughs. The situations and characters in low comedy are usually exaggerated and outlandish, and often rely on physical antics. Farce, burlesque, and parody are forms of low comedy. Intellectual humor, clever lines, wordplay, and allusions constitute high comedy, which includes "comedy of manners" and satire. Both high and low comedies utilize a variety of the acknowledged seven common causes of laughter: exaggeration, incongruity, anticipation, ambiguity, recognition, protection, and relief.

Many plays do not fit neatly into either the tragedy or comedy category; for example, melodramas, plays of ideas, and fantasies often mix pathos and humor. The term style refers to the way in which a play is written, produced, and acted. Style relies on theatrical conventions, such as setting, to convey a particular interpretation. Most plays are representational, performed as if the audience were watching through a "fourth wall." However, some plays are presentational and acknowledge the audience's presence. Avant-garde plays use new and experimental techniques. Theater styles born in the 20 th century include constructivism, theater of the absurd, and total theater.