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A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Plays are performed at a variety of levels, from Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, to Community theatre, as well a University or school productions. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed or read. The term "play" can refer to both the written works of playwrights and to their complete theatrical performance.[1]
Genres
Comedy
Comedies are plays which are designed to be humorous. Comedies are often filled with witty remarks, unusual characters, and strange circumstances. Certain comedies are geared toward different age groups. Comedies were one of the two original play types of Ancient Greece, along with tragedies. An example of a comedy would be William Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night Dream," or for a more modern example the skits from "Saturday Night Live".[2][3]
Farce
A generally nonsensical genre of play, farces are often overacted and often involve slapstick humour. An example of a farce includes William Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors," or Mark Twain's play "Is He Dead?"
Satirical
A satire play takes a comic look at current events people while at the same time attempting to make a political or social statement, for example pointing out corruption. An example of a satire would be Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector and Aristophanes' Lysistrata.
Tragedy
These plays often involve death and are designed to cause the reader or viewer to feel sadness. Tragic plays convey all emotions, and have extremely dramatic conflicts. Tragedy was one of the two original play types of Ancient Greece. Some examples of tragedies include William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and also John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi.[2]
Historical
These plays focus on actual historical events. They can be tragedies or comedies, but are often neither of these. History as a separate genre was popularized by William Shakespeare. Examples of historical plays include Friedrich Schiller's Demetrius and William Shakespeare's King John.[4]
See also
Lists
- List of basic theatre topics
- List of Canadian plays
- List of films based on stage plays or musicals
- List of plays made into feature films
Related topics
- Closet drama
- Drama
- Dramatis personæ
- Playwright
- Theatre
- History of theatre
- Screenplay
- Musical theatre
- ^ "Play": Dictionary.com website. Retrieved on January 3, 2008.
- ^ a b "THE ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA & THEATRE HISTORY PAGE". anarchon.tripod.com. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ "Origin of Comedy". www.theatrehistory.com. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ The Three Richards: Richard I ... - Google Book Search. books.google.co.uk. 2006. ISBN 978-1-85285-521-5. Retrieved 2008-06-17.