We Look Into What Drama Genre Means
Drama Genre is the style fiction which is represented in writing, screen plays, or books, storylines in ballets, poetry writing, and mime storylines to name a few.
If you are watching a movie on Passion of Christ by Mel Gibson, then a drama is the depiction/style or type of writing in the movie. If you are watching a horror movie, then horror is the depiction or type of genre you are watching.
What Does the Word Genre Mean?
Genre from French genre, “kind” or “sort”, from Latin genus (stem gener-), Greek γένος, génos) is any category. As a french word, it gives English more scope to explain what genre means. It has its origin from Latin. Genre has a root word ‘gen’. This means that it belongs to the same family. It is similar to general, gene, gentile. Gen and its derivatives are present throughout the English, Latin and Greek Languages.
So in general terms drama genre actually means a type of literature, screen play, prose, poetry, lyrics, narrative which has a sense of excitement, suspense, unexpected circumstances which are of a serious and non humorous nature.
Origins of the Word Drama and Performance Genre
The Word Drama Comes From Ancient Greek Ceremonies
The Word Drama is of Greek origin. The word Drama means
‘Action.’ Ancient Greek plays would showcase dramatic plays in front of citizens as a performance.
Western performance stems from ancient Greek music and dance festivals. People would celebrate Gods such as Dionysis who was the God of wine, fertility and good times.
Ancient Greek plays festivals at around 240 BC held performance competitions, where actors would act in masks, in flowing tunics, high shoes and perform in front of a skene (scenery).
These festivals were held in outdoor amphitheatres, where men who were the audience would congregate and experience aspects of their own culture and politics on the stage. Some of these plays still survive and are being performed on stage to this day. These Dramatic tragedies/plays were written by famous Dramatic playwrights such as Euripedes, and Aeschylus.
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The Tragedy Mask Represents the Dramatic Genre
If you’ve ever wondered why theater or acting is represented by the comedy and tragedy masks? It is because it stems from the Ancient Greek plays and their genre performed on stage.
The logo here is used by our Theater Company called the Real Theater Company in New Zealand.
The happy face represents Comedy while the sad face represents the more serious genre being tragedy. They depict the type of genre of the plays, which we as modern day practitioners and artists have utilized within the theater and performing arts industries.
Unhappy Mask
Certain playwrights would be well known to write more serious dramatic plays which were taken more seriously by the patreons, compared with the in between shows, called Satyr plays, which lambasted local politicians and celebrities. Hence why these masks are often featured together.
Dramas Have Always been and are a Very Popular Genre
Drama Genre has been around for literally centuries and were just as popular then as they are now.
From ancient classics such as:
- Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. …
- The Oresteia by Aeschylus
- Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus
- Antigone by Sophocles
- Medea by Euripedes
- Alcestis by Euripedes
- The Persians by Aeschylus
- Ajax by Sophocles
From these well known performances and studies plays to the more religious based, Liturgical plays throughout the Medieval period in Europe to, Shakespeare’s dramatics to today’s modern narratives in movies, dance, plays, musical theatre and television shows to name a few.
If you are wondering what Drama in Theater is please click on this particular popular post from my blog.
Genre within Dramatic Genre
- Dark Drama: movies which depict a sinister, unexpected, mysterious plot. Horrors could be included.
- Docudrama: half documentary and half written for a narrative. Characters would act out the dialogue based on actual circumstances, which denotes what happened. There is deliberate dialogue written by a screenplaywright.
- Docu-fiction: similar to Docudrama. This would be based on reality and a fictional narrative. This is especially so if, an unknown situation occurred within a circumstance.
- Comedy-drama: Having a dramatic or serious mood mixed in with a comedic quality. Think The Truman Show.
- Hyper-drama: a performance which has a split narrative with scenes branching to play simultaneously in an expanded performance space. The audience follows different branches of a narrative. The audience mingles with the actors.
- Light Drama: Drama which leaves the audience with a light handed feel. No major issues explored, but a movie made for light hearted narratives without a major catharsis taking place.
- Satire: the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
- Straight Drama: Without a lighthearted or comedic narrative. Explores issues in a significant and consequential nature. The audience often
Famous Modern Day Dramatic Genre
Movies
- The Mission (1986) PG | 125 min | Adventure, Drama, History. …
- Schindler’s List (1993) R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History. …
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) …
- Stranger Than Fiction (2006) …
- Crash (I) (2004) …
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012) …
- The King’s Speech (2010) …
Drama is very popular form of entertainment in a variety of cultural genre.The term genre of drama can be demonstrated and experienced in narratives within books, movies, tv programmes, dance, performance art, poetry to name a few. Drama is fundamental in most cultures and the genre of drama is wide and varied which most people can experience and enjoy depending on tastes.
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