Drama

6 Pages 1435 Words

Drama, a five letter word that is used worldwide, everyday. It is a way of communicating a point, a thought, an opinion, an idea, an event…through acting and taking on a different role. Drama can be molded and shaped to transform the mind. It causes awareness and in doing that, it brings forth controversy, as a result of allowing people to see more than one side to the story. Look at drama as a tool, a way to make learning exciting and entertaining, allowing students to become participants rather than passive listeners. Augusto Boal, author of Theatre of the Oppressed, references theatre as a weapon, a way of opening the doors to its spectators, and increasing their awareness of a situation, seeing it at an angle in which they may have never acknowledged before.
Drama and its history show the steps different cultures took in modifying its meaning and purpose and further explaining the foundation that these cultures laid down to make drama what it is today. Drama as seen in today’s society, highlights some specific events that demonstrate the variety of ways theatrical shows are performed throughout the world and how these performances impact the audience. Augusta Boal once said, “Theatre is a weapon, and it is the people who should wield it.”
There is little evidence that can concretely show how drama evolved in the first place. Researchers strongly consider that the basic concept travels as far back as the cavemen. It is a strong possibility that cavemen would center themselves around a campfire, each taking turns reenacting the events of a hunt from that day. Researchers believe this gradually took on a more ritualistic meaning and incorporated chanting, dancing and some early forms of music. These enactments were assumed to bring good luck for the hunt of the following day. Although these conclusions are not factually based, historians pungently feel that due to limited means of communication through languag...