A play is written for performance, so a playwright creates more than words on a page: they shape dialogue, characters, and dramatic events for the stage. This lesson introduces the playwright’s role and explains how the word playwright developed.
A playwright, also called a dramatist, writes a script for a play. Plays are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than simply for reading. A script gives performers and theatre-makers material to interpret and stage.
All flashcards
What does a playwright do?
A playwright writes a script for a play, shaping dialogue, characters, themes, and dramatic events for theatrical performance.
What is the difference between a play and a text written only for reading?
A play is intended to be performed theatrically. It primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is brought to life by performers.
What does wright mean in the word playwright?
Wright is an old English term for a craftsperson or builder, as in wheelwright. It presents the playwright as someone who crafts dramatic material.
When was playwright first recorded, and who used it?
The term is first recorded in 1605 and appears to have been used by Ben Jonson in a pejorative sense.
How did the connotation of playwright change?
It began as a term that could belittle a theatre writer as a mere tradesperson, but later lost that negative connotation and became a standard professional term.
Quiz questions
In Aristotle’s account of tragedy, what does plot (mythos) refer to?Answer: The arrangement and selection of events.
What did the neoclassical unity of time recommend?Answer: Keep the represented events within about 24 hours.
What is a cold reading of a play?Answer: An informal script reading by actors with little or no rehearsal.
What was usually included in a Greek tragic tetralogy at the City Dionysia?Answer: Three tragedies and one satyr play.
What does Aristotle’s term mimesis mean in his account of tragedy?Answer: The imitation of a serious action.
Based on the Wikipedia article Playwright, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.