Theater Essay Examples and Topics

147 samples

Essays on Drama might require you to show a great deal of creativity, but an excellent essay must have a solid structure. The steps below will help you write an organized essay with minimal effort:

Begin by writing down some preliminary titles of interest.  One of the points of structuring an essay is to make sure that all the components fit well with the topic. Hence, this step will help you to organize your ideas further on. After reviewing the list, select one title that speaks to you the most.

Research some sources relevant to the chosen topic. You can start by looking at Drama essay examples online or revisit your textbook for some background information. Then, research academic databases or Internet articles for more details. Evaluation of resources is the key – choose trusted websites and publications whose authors have the necessary credentials. Once you’ve gathered a sufficient number of sources, write down the key quotes and ideas from them.

Start writing the outline. Begin with three core sections of the paper: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Then, fill each section with ideas or quotes that you had identified in the previous step. The introduction should contain basic information on your topic and a thesis statement. The main body should be the most substantial part of the paper. For example, you can include the analysis of each character, literary features, and other components of the play in this section. Avoid putting any new information into the conclusion. In this part, focus on re-stating your thesis and key points.

The steps described above will help you to achieve a superior Drama essay structure and earn a good mark on your next assignment. If you need more ideas, check here for Drama essay topics.

147 Best Essay Examples on Theater

The History of Elizabethan Drama Era

The early Elizabethan dramas were not performed in permanent theaters. In most cases, traveling troupes performed these plays in the courtyards.
  • 5
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1009

Greek and Roman Theatre Differences

The design was further involved in the seat arrangement that ensured that the actors were clearly heard by the people on the uppermost semicircular bench of the theater.
  • 1.8
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1124

Why Was the Globe Theatre Important to Shakespeare?

The role of the Globe Theatre in Shakespeare's life is significant because the possibility to participate in the theatre's The Lord Chamberlain's Men Group and to write plays for the theatre's performances contributed to the [...]
  • 3.8
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1089

The Theories of Theatre’s Origins

The play's inspiration was the Greek mythology a part of the Greek religion. The governing body of the city convened and decided whether to allow the staging of a Corpus Christi play.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1131

“References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot” by Rivera

These are: "Why does the author of the play depict Gabriella either nude or in some light bed-like clothes?", "How does the clothing style reflect Gabriella's feelings?", "How do the costumes of Gabriella relate to [...]
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1111

The Play “Fifth of July” by Lanford Wilson

The rebirth can be connected to the launch of new events in the lives of the characters. Shirley, being the youngest in the Talley's in the play, is seen the progression factor of the Talley's [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 925

The Rent Broadway Musical’s Analysis

This is a musical, and the type of performance is an ensemble since the majority of songs are performed by a group of actors, although there are several solo performances as well.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 562

Drama: Staging “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

In its turn, this explains why in Glaspell's play, the characters strive to act in the manner fully consistent with what used to be assumed accounts for the social roles of the representatives of each [...]
  • 5
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1700

An Analysis of Almost Maine

The play used metaphors to define the story in fuelling the personal connections of the audience to the play. The play shows the bravery of the characters in taking a chance in love and how [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1016

Alice Gerstenberg’s Overtones Review

This new technique along with the publications of Sigmund Freud who was on a trip to New York at the time of the productions spread interest in the use of the unconscious mind. She is [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1485

The Role of Costumes in Play

In the given pictures from a play, the character's costume can help to deliver information to the reader through hints about their social hierarchy or wealth.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 599

Romanticism and the Modern Theatre

The statement by the Romantic writer confirms the need to involve ordinary people in the theatre. The relationship between Faust and the devil in Goethe's play is different from that in the traditional myth.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 687

How Theater Was Used in the Soviet Union

The formation of the Soviet Union can be traced back in 1917 when the people got tired of the monarchy system which, was led by Czar Nicholas II.[1] In those times, most people in the [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2173

The Train Driver by Athol Fugard

Rolf, the train driver and a "traumatized, angry, and unable to get the woman and her baby out of his head", visits Simon in the cemetery.
  • 3
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 561

Othello and Desdemona: Emotional Strangers

Unaware of what is happening, Desdemona continues to show her fierce devotion to her husband which both blinds her to the truth of Othello's murderous emotions and feeds them.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1243

The History Of Drag Queens and The Evolution Of Drag

In conclusion, drag has been a part of the social culture for centuries. As drag queens started to get more successful and recognized by mainstream media, it became crucial to examine the roots of drag [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 338

Movie and Drama. A Few Good Men

Although the play version is more engaging than the movie, it lacks the glamour and flamboyance brought by the lighting and effects.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 563

Performing Arts and Plays Analysis

In turn, the key purpose of this paper is to show how these performances can be related to the coarse goals that had to be attained.
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2165

Drama “Riders to the Sea” by John Synge

This is because in Synge's play it is specifically the array of the explored ideas about the sheer tragedy of people falling victims to the forces of nature, and not the exposure of the characters' [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1402

Drama on Stage and Screen

First of all, Trevor Nunn wanted to make sure that the audience could easily of the movie the plot of the movie; this is why he rearranged the scenes and added new ones.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1347

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

There is a definite connection between the characters and the audience, as people are able to relate to the pain and confusion of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 630

Analysis of the Play ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Another interesting scene of the production that makes it real understanding of the authors work is the casting of the romantic love between Romeo and Juliet, the physical love of the nurse and the contractual [...]
  • 4.5
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 554

Cultural Diversity in the Play “Othello”

It is the role of men to support women in this society, and that is why Desdemona's father goes to court immediately, he is convinced that his daughter was bewitched by Othello.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 822

Melodrama in Realism and Naturalism

French artists coined the term melodrama to refer to plays with exaggerated plots and actors with the purpose of touching the emotions of the audience.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 637

Ancient Athenian Drama: Academic Summary

This was the decoration: orchestras - a circular platform where actors and the choir performed, and a semicircular amphitheater where spectators were accommodated. The masks helped to recognize the characters and were amplified with a [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 286

Italian Opera and Its Characteristics

From the time of origin of opera in Italy, the composers and singers were well trained and the major ingredients of the opera were voice and the singer.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 587

Women’s Success in Late 19th-Century Europe

In the early 16th century, Women in Europe engaged in private and public activities associated with the theaters. Through the years, they have proven to be some of the most progressive personalities in the film, [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1162

The Basic Principles of Western Theater

Third, the importance of the audience in the concept of a theater play is discussed. However, they lack the unique characteristic of a theater, which is the unparalleled connection between the audience and the performers.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 596

“Peter Pan”: The Broadway Musical

While the musical's plot easily captures the viewers' attention, the ending emphasizes the main idea of the play to illustrate how childhood is the only time when people can fly and travel to imaginary worlds. [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 953

Oh Tae-Suk’s Romeo and Juliet

Oh Tae-suk is a South-Korean playwright and director, well-known for his masterful portrayal of modern Korean life and the use of the elements of the traditional Korean theater in his plays.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1377

Timon of Athens Show by Simon Godwin

In this exciting retelling of the original play, the role of Timon is played by a woman, Kathryn Hunter, and this is the most important change.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 591

Scenes From the Play “Amadeus” by Peter Schaeffer

I chose Antonio Salieri, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Katherina Cavalier as the most important characters of the play. He really killed Mozart, and it was not the poison, it was all the evil Salieri had [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 836

Intro to Theatre: “Macbeth”

Shakespeare’s theatrical performances are widespread all over the world and do not lose their relevance, both due to the problems raised by the playwright and the various interpretations of his works. One of such plays is the production of Macbeth directed by Bodinetz (2020) and created by the troupe of Digital Theater +. The performance […]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 948

Prince Igor and Sadko by Russian Composers

While discussing the works composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, it is important to pay attention to Sadko, the opera that is viewed by Taruskin as important to explain the difficult relationships between the composer and the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 562

Performers vs. Spectators: Assessing the Difference

For the spectators, the show is, first and foremost, a source of entertainment, so their interest in the process is consumerist rather than professional. Both performers and spectators have their codes of conduct designed to [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 899

Structure of Plays “Ruined”

It is important to note that a notion of change is quite remarkable in this piece, as Buckner names it an "activist drama" in the U.S.culture. The plot is interesting, as it gets more and [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 314

The Play ‘A Doll’s House’

The play A Doll's House is the best play the audience is presented to. Besides, the actors must come up to the audience from behind the scenes because the viewer does not need to [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 494

Modern Scenography and Technologies

Scenography can be described as the creation of a theatrical presentation and it includes making the setting, costumes, and scripts that are in the context of theatrical and practical function.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 556

Sophocles’ “Ajax” Performance Analysis

The analysis of the performance will be based on the investigation of three main issues to be properly developed in the play, which are acting, design and dramaturgy The effectiveness of performance is closely dependant [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1702

Latino Theater as an Extension of Art and Society

One of the aims of the play was the extension of the audience, showing the existing problems in the society and making people think and not forget about what had happened."Zoot Suit" by Luis Valdez [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1666

Modern Drama: Tragedy Versus Comedy

The atmosphere in which the drama breathes appears to be tragic but there are certain elements owing to which the tragic sense does not absolutely dominate the ambiance of the play.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1512

Don Giovanni Opera at the Cowell Theater Review

The first expression of the opera Don Giovanni was indeed a very good experience as the whole scene was so fulfilling and touching. It brought a lot of exposure in my life and created some [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 615

The Impact of Theatre on Community in the US

The history of theatre, its forms, and the development of theatre in relation to community building in the US and the theatre in New Mexico, and finally, the impacts of theatre on general community building [...]
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2927

Western Civilization: Ancient Greek Theater

However, the modern theater has become more commercialized and has become a potential arena of political, social, and cultural discourses, increasingly involving the masses."Theatre, which had been dominated by the Church for centuries, and then [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 721

The ‘Sweet Charity’ Broadway Show

Charity is shown bravely covering for her rogue boyfriend, telling Nickie, Helene and the other colleagues that Charlie had actually tried to save her from falling into the lake, but managed to only 'grab her [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 1092

“Amadeus” the Play by Peter Shaffer

This is one of the details that should be considered by readers and viewers. The main tragedy of Salieri is that in many cases, his envy prevents him from simply enjoying the music created by [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 654

Theater Exam: Religious Rules

It describes the events that took place at the end of the 1990s when a male student was murdered because he was homosexual."How I Learned to Drive" is a play written by Paula Vogel that [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1170

Actors Training: Attitudes and Approaches

It is assumed that the approaches of the three directors to the process of organizing the training of actors and their performance have had a significant impact on theatrical art in general and on the [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1663

History of Theatre: Purposes of Playing

By using the ritual origins theory, one can argue that this scene explores the conflict between a human being and the forces that are beyond his/her control.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 567

Drama Elements Developed by Aristotle

The sixth is a spectacle which is the visuals in the drama that include props, set, and actor's costumes. An example of a tragic hero is King Macbeth in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 169

A View from the Bridge by Miler

The play is based on a real story that happened in the fifties of the last century. This is a tragic story about love and jealousy, friendship and betrayal.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1038

“Foxfinder” Theatrical Production by Dawn King

The lighting of the stage was remarkably balanced to represent a farmhouse and the intentions of the playwright. The conversation between the couple and the government agent represented the interaction between the state and the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 564

Theatre for Development Workshops and Initiatives

As a result the locals have embraced the scope of theatre and this has helped in promoting theatre for development. The application of theatre for development thus contributed to the recognition of identity research, in-house [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1624

Costume Design and Its Role in Drama Embodiment

Placing the play set in the world war era and basing the description on clothing and costume, Bluntschli is wearing a brown steel helmet that resembles a bowl and a military attire.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 439

The Glass Menagerie by American Repertory Theater

Tiffany's production of Williams' play should be discussed as the tribute to the classic The Glass Menagerie because of valuing the traditional approach to interpreting the play; thus, the director's voice can be discussed as [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 597

Basic Conflict in Antigone by Sophocle

In setting the central characters against each other, Sophocles' play Antigone embodies a conflict between one's duty to the state and laws and the responsibility to family and morality.
  • 4
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 300

The Book of Mormon by Matt Stone

As the political message is brought to the foreground, it is necessary to analyze that aspect of the play in great detail in addition to its aesthetic appeal. The performance of the actors was astonishing [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 614

Drama: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Given actions at the end of the play, she may appear to be a villain, but, in fact, she is a victim of her circumstances she was driven to her decision by the blackmail and [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1157

Drama Oedipus the King by Sophocles

The key aspects of Sophocles' play capture the learners' interest in the purpose of comedy and twist of fate. The theme of tragedy is illustrated in the play, Oedipus the King.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1104
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