Literatura: Province of Drama

Welcome to the Province of Drama!

Fret not, ‘tis not the kind of stress-inducing drama running rampant around the world. As a Gen-Z gal who studied LAMDA Drama for her O/Ls, trust me, I know a significant amount about both types of drama. Rest assured; this is the artistic drama performed on a stage in front of an audience.

The Internet defines drama as, ‘a written work that tells a story through action and speech and is meant to be acted on a stage.’

I call it ‘an aesthete’s liberation.’ Why? It allows a performer to understand, empathize, and embody their character’s personality and very essence; enabling one’s own creativity to freely and effortlessly express from within by means of the characters they portray, without fear. However, the creative freedom is not limited to only the cast, but to the crew as well.

Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

Then let’s get cracking!

Town of Stagecraft

Constructed at the center of the province, functioning as the core that harbors all the sources for successful theatrical performances, lies the Town of Stagecraft. Here, you won’t find any departments or theatres; only lodgings built accordingly to specify each citizen’s role involving dramatic gigs. Here are a few of the list:

• House of Playwrights, where the creators of the plays we know of are housed in.

• House of Management, where directors, production managers, and stage managers lodge.

• House of Lighting, where electricians, color temperature technicians, and stage lighting experts dwell.

• House of Audio, where vocal and instrument mixers, theatrical sound effects conductors, score composers, and audio engineers reside.

• House of Wardrobe & Makeup, where costume designers, costume constructors, makeup artists, and wig makers stay.

• House of Scenery, where set designers, scenic constructors, scenic painters, and drape and curtain handlers are boarded.

• House of Theatrical Property, where prop masters and prop makers are domiciled.

• And finally, House of Cast, where the actors, singers, dancers, and extras are occupied in.

Now, onto the main surrounding towns.

Town of Opera

Like ‘Hamilton’ and ‘Don Giovanni;’ every opera tells a story; one that is sung to its audience. A lady’s singing voice can be classified as either a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or soprano. A gentleman’s singing voice can be classified as either a bass, bass-baritone, baritone, tenor, or countertenor. Only a rare handful of people with the desired raw talent and unwavering commitment may receive the opportunity in taking part in the theatrical performances of an opera. And an even smaller bunch of the cast may be selected for the singing roles; the most coveted being the leading titles; more specifically, the prima donna and primo uomo roles. So, tell me, which type of singing voice do you possess? If you have an affinity for opera, would you like to join in with a group of crew or cast? Or do you prefer to be just a spectator? Either way, keep in mind not to confuse operas with musicals; for they are separate entities.

Town of Mime

When most think of ‘miming’, their minds immediately drift to the legendary Charlie Chaplin. Miming is basically an act performed with solely body language and facial expressions, and no verbal speech involved. Mimes are mostly comedic in nature. They originated from Ancient Greece and found their way to the Roman Empire; becoming so popular that even Emperor Nero, himself took part as a performer in a mime. At the time, mimes were acted out mostly in a way that would be considered in modern times as PG-18 or perhaps even R-Rated. While all theatres here present performances meant for all ages, there happens to be one theatre in the far corner of the town that prefers to mime the way our European ancestors did. If you are curious to take stock of it, please note that there are no kids allowed in that particular arena.

Town of Pantomime

Lastly, the Town of Pantomime. A pantomime is nothing like a mime; instead, it is basically a musical comedy with songs, dancing, and humorous gags as its main elements. Usually, the male actors would be dressed in clothing that is considered quite feminine and would speak about a topic from a story slightly based on fables or folklore; in a comical manner. Unlike other theatrical performances, pantomimes allow the audience to engage with the act; such as by shouting out to the performers about the situation of a particular moment of a scene, or even singing along to the songs in the production. In a pantomime, the typical characters involved are as follows: the hero, his/her parents, his/her lover, the villain, the comic lead, the animals, the chorus, and the dancers. Should you ever wish to take your family out to watch the theatre, pantomimes are one of the best kinds of performances to enjoy together.

And so, we reach the curtain call of the tour.

Tomorrow, we shall venture into the Province of Folklore, where nostalgia is known to permeate the air.

Exeunt omnes!

~Wolfy