Elements of Drama
Elements of Drama (DRAM) was a Baby CTY Writing course based around classic dramatical works to show kids how authors used techniques to amplify their story. This course was offered at Alexandria, Chestertown, Malibu, Palo Alto, South Hadley and Owings Mills.
Course Description
From the CTY Course Catalog (2002):
A playwright uses the same tools as any other author—words and imagination. Yet drama differs from most poetry and fiction because it is written not to be read quietly, but to be performed on a stage for an audience. Students in this course approach the challenge of drama as young writers themselves. Through creative and critical writing, students learn how the ultimate goal of live performance influences the playwright's creative process.
By examining and writing about plays, and in some cases the source material for those plays, students learn to analyze the elements of drama: how characters are created, how a play’s action unfolds through scenes and acts, and how sets and lighting establish mood. In addition, students experience the playwright’s process firsthand by writing their own scenes, performing them, and learning how to revise work based on audience reaction and peer feedback.
