What is a Play?

A play is a story devised придуманная to be presented by actors on a stage be­fore an audience.

This plain statement of fact presents an exceedingly очень simple def­inition of the drama , — a definition so simple indeed as to seem at the first glance easily obvious and therefore scarcely едва worthy достойное of ex­pression. But if we examine the statement thoroughly основательно, phrase by phrase, we shall see that it sums up within itself the entire theory of the theatre, and that from this primary axiom we may deduce делать вывод the whole practical philosophy of dramatic criticism .

It is unnecessary to linger задерживаться long over an explanation of the word story. A story is a representation of a series of events linked связанных to­gether by the law of cause закону причинности and effect and marching forward маршируя вперёд toward a predestined culmination , — each event exhibiting imagined characters героев performing imagined acts действия in an appropriate соответствующих imagined setting декорациях.

The phrase 'devised придуманная to be presented' distinguishes the drama sharply from all other forms of narrative . In particular it must be noted that a play is not a story that is written to be read. By no means никоим образом must the drama be considered primarily as a department of literature, — like the epic эпической поэме or the novel, for example. Rather точнее, from the standpoint of the theatre, should literary method be considered as only one of a multitude of means which the dramatist драматург must employ to convey передать his story effectively to the audience. The great Greek dramatists need­ed a sense чувство of sculpture as well as a sense of poetry; and in the con­temporary theatre the playwright драматург must manifest ясно показывать the imagination фантазию of the painter as well as the imagination of the man of letters литератора. The ap­peal of a play is primarily visual rather than auditory. On the contem­porary stage, characters properly должным образом costumed must be exhibited within a carefully designed and painted setting костюмы illuminated with appropri­ate соответствующими effects of light and shadow ; and the art of music is often called upon призывается to render исполнять incidental aid побочную поддержку to the general impression. The drama­tist драматург, therefore, must be endowed одарённым not only with the literary sense, but also with a clear eye for the graphic and plastic elements of pictorial графического effect, a sense of rhythm and of music, and a thorough полное knowledge

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of the art of acting. Since the dramatist драматург must, at the same time and in the same work, harness использовать and harmonise the methods of so many of the arts, it would be uncritical to centre studious старательное consideration рассмотрение solely исключительно on his dialogue and to praise хвалить him or condemn осуждать him on the literary ground alone единственно.

It is, of course, true that the very greatest plays have always been great literature as well as great drama . The purely чисто literary element — the final touch of style малая толика in dialogue — is the only sure antidote противоядие against the opium of time. Now that Aeschylus [i:skɪləs] Эсхил (древнегреческий поэт, родоначальник классической трагедии; 525-456 до н.э.) is no longer performed reg­ularly as a playwright, we read him as a poet. But on the other hand it must be granted предпологать that many plays that stand very high as drama do not fall within the range направление of literature.

(From: Hamilton C. The Theory of the Theatre. N. Y., 1939.)

b) Answer the following questions:

1. Why is the theatre sometimes alluded to as a "synthetic" art? 2. What arts are involved in the production of a play? Which of them do you consider especially important for a successful presentation of a play? 3. Do you share the author's opinion that the dramatist драматург must manifest ясно показывать the imagination of the painter as well as the imagi­nation of the man of letters and that he should possess a sense of music and a thorough полное knowledge of the art of acting? One might say that these aspects of the play are rather the concern of the di­rector producing the play than of the author, aren't they? 4. Does drama belong to literature? What is the author's opinion? What is your opinion?

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