A play being performed.
A
play is a form of
literature written by a
playwright, usually consisting of scripted
dialogue between
characters, intended for
theatrical performance rather than
reading. 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.
History
The earliest recorded theatrical event dates back to 2000 BC with the
passion plays of
Ancient Egypt. This story of the god
Osiris was performed annually at festivals throughout the civilization, marking the known beginning of a long relationship between theatre and religion.
In Western culture, the play originated in
Ancient Greece and was popular through
Roman times. They began to fade from popularity until the late 16th century, when
Shakespeare popularised theatres and plays. His influence on this literary form, and the
English language, is still apparent today.
Shakespeare may, in fact, have helped introduce the play to England, as before the late 1500s there were no set plays in England, just wandering minstrels performing scenes on request.
The history of plays in Eastern theatre is traced back to 1000 BC with the
Sanskrit drama of ancient
Indian theatre. The earliest plays in
Chinese theatre also date back to around the same time. Japanese forms of
Kabuki,
Noh, and
Kyogen date back to the 17th century. Other Eastern forms were developed throughout
China,
Korea, and
Southeast Asia.
The most popular plays in the
medieval Islamic world were
passion plays known as
ta'ziya, where actors re-enact episodes from
Muslim history. In particular,
Shia Islamic plays revolved around the
shaheed (martyrdom) of
Ali's sons
Hasan ibn Ali and
Husayn ibn Ali. Live secular plays were known as
akhraja, recorded in medieval
adab literature, though they were less common than
ta'ziya plays.
Genres
Comedy
Comedies are plays which are designed to be
humourous. 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.
Farce
A generally nonsensical genre of play,
farces are often overacted and often involve
slapstick humour.
Satirical
A satire is a play that tends to poke fun at current events or famous people.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.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 popularised by William Shakespeare.Terminology
The term "play" can be either a general term, or more specifically refer to a non-musical play. Sometimes the term "straight play" is used in contrast to "musical", which refers to a play based on music, dance, and songs sung by the play's characters. For a short play, the term "playlet" is sometimes used.See also
Lists
Related topics
