Our Lady of the Pillar College – San Manuel,

Incorporated
District 3, San Manuel, Isabela

College Department
S.Y. 2020 – 2021

Module
in
HUMANITIES
Elvis Pabro Viernes
Instructor

Mobile Number: +639364024417

Facebook Account: Elvis Jhaker Pabro Viernes
Gmail Account: [email protected]
LESSON 4: THE DRAMA

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Drama, which is believed to have its origin in the art of dance, is found in some form in almost every
society, primitive and civilized, and has served a variety of functions in the community. At its best, it
is a reflection of many phases of life. We learn that the past, as shown on the board of the theatre, is
not concerned only with kings and great personages, but with peasants and mechanics, saints and
sinners, and rich and poor as well; that is not the exclusive province of fine writers but also of inspired
clowns and strolling mummers.

What is Drama?
The abridged Oxford Dictionary defines drama as a composition in prose or in verse, adapted to be
acted and is represented with accompanying gesture, costume, and scenery, as in real life.
Drama in ancient Greek meant something that is acted out, or lived through. It is essentially social
and involves contact, communication and the negotiation of meaning. The group nature of the work
imposes certain pressure on the participant, but also brings considerable rewards (O’Neil and
Lambert, 1982).

A World-Wide Show (A Dramatic Entertainment)

Miss Saigon, which was produced by Cameron Mackintosh of England whose company received a
Queens’ award for Export Achievement was staged in the Cultural Center of the Philippines in March
2001. The title of Miss Saigon was conceived by Alan-Boublil, a lyricist and Claude-Michel Shonberg
who wrote the musical score.
Miss Saigon proved to be an overwhelming triumph when it opened at London’s greatest musical
theatre, Drury Lane. In 1991, a New York production of Miss Saigon opened at the Broadway Theatre
to a huge audience and even bigger headlines. Subsequently, similar successful productions have been
staged in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Budapest, Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, Struttgart, Sydney, Stockholm
and Copenhagen. Then, in 1999, they thought of staging Miss Saigon in Concert in Manila. The
contract was finalized in 2000, and in March 2001, the dramatic entertainment was staged at the
Cultural Center of the Philippines (souvenir program, 2001).

Development of Drama

1. Ancient Drama. Among the Egyptians of about 2000 B.C.E., drama existed in religious
ceremonies for the worship of Osiris. There are some evidences of drama in the Book of Job
and in the Song of Solomon, where occasionally there appear to be parts for two speakers.

2. Medieval Drama. There was gradual development of the three kinds of medieval play.
a. Mystery Play
b. Morality Play
c. Secular Drama

3. Renaissance Drama. With the rediscovery of classical literature during this period, the Greek
and Roman dramatists were imitated first in Italy and later, with the spread of humanism, in
France, Germany, and England.

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 4. Drama of the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries. In England, the casual charm that characterized
Elizabethan drama died out under the Puritan regime and did not return until near the end of
the 18th century.

5. Modern Drama. Credit should be given to Ibsen, a Norwegian dramatist, for the development
of the modern drama. Ibsen’s influence on modern drama was immense.

Oriental Drama
Understanding the Oriental drama, the Japanese, the Chinese, and the Filipino drama, in particular,
will help us appreciate Asian Heritage, culture, and civilization more. This is a culture or civilization
not far from those established by Rome, Greece, or other countries.

Philippine Drama
Three kinds of plays became popular among the masses during the Spanish era. They were the
Cenakulo, the Moro-moro, and the Zarzuela. The Ati-atihan and the Moriones emerged as street
dramas.
1. Cenakulo. it is a very heavy drama shown in relation to the life sacrifices and death of Jesus
Christ. It is like a passion play presented and celebrated during the month of March or April,
depending upon the exact date of the Holy Week.

2. Moro-moro. It is a cloak-and-dagger play depicting the wars between the Christians and the
Muslims, with the Christians always on the winning side. The first Moro-moro was written by
Fr. Jeronimo Perez and was tagged in Manila in 1637, to commemorate Governor General
Consueras’ victory over the Muslims of Mindanao. Since then, it has become the favourite
play of the people, especially during the town fiestas.

3. Zarzuela. It is a melodrama with songs and dances that have a three-in-one-act play. It is
intended to make the mass feeling towards love, fear, grief, sorrow or any emotional reactions
sublime.
4. Moriones. The Morion festival is a Lenten ritual that is as colourful as it unique. It is
celebrated every Holy Week in Marinduque, an island at the southern end of Luzon,
particularly in the towns of Boac, Gasan, and Mogpog.

5. Ati-atihan. The Ati-atihan is a pagan ritual which has become an annual affair that the
natives look forward to with great expectation. Undoubtedly, it is the most extravagant fiesta
in the Philippines celebrated in Kalibo, Aklan, and every third Sunday of January in honor of
the Infant Jesus.

The Modern Philippine Drama

The modern Philippines drama / stage play was rejuvenated upon the establishment of the Repertory
Philippines in June of 1967 which was founded by Zeneida “Bibot” Amador and Baby Barredo. In its
years of existence, Repertory Philippines has become the country’s leading theatre company, keeping
abreast of new materials and demanding outstanding performance from its extraordinary talents.

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 Japanese Drama
The traditional forms of Japanese drama are the Noh, the Joruri, and the Kabuki.
1. Noh plays. These are the oldest of the three traditional forms of the Japanese drama. They
developed during the 1300s from the dances performed at religious shrines. The Noh theatre
reached its present from in the 1600S and has remained practically unchanged.
Noh plays are poetic treatments of history, love, story, war story, and legends, influenced by
the religious beliefs of Buddhism and Shintoism.

2. Joruri play. It is a puppet drama. It enjoyed great popularity between 1650-1730,, but is now
restricted to the Bunraku Theater, Osaka where scenes from famous plays are performed in
drama.

3. Kabuki drama. it is most popular form of Japanese drama. It originated at the end of the 16 th
century. Although it incorporates some of the highly stylized dances and the stationary
unrealistic poses of the Noh theatre, Kabuki developed a much freer, more extravagant type
of entertainment.

Chinese Drama
The history of traditional drama in China, like that of most dramas, goes back to the earliest rituals
connected with sacrifices performed with song and dance by the “Wu” and a very ancient pantomime
said to originate from a symbolical dance in honor of the victory of Wu Wang, founder of the Chou
Dynasty, over the then known empire China. Dancing and singing always accompanied celebrations
at harvest and in connection with war and peace.
There are three types of Chinese plays, namely, the Vun Pan Shi, the Sin Pan Shi, and the Vun Min
Shi.
1. Vun Pan Shi. The oldest of Chinese play; it has patriotism and filial devotion for its subjects.
Music and action for its subjects. Music and action unite to play upon the emotions of the
audience.

2. Sin Pan Shi. It presents civil and military conditions. The difference between Vun Pan Shi
and the Sin Pan Shi is not the libretto, but in the manner of singing certain roles and in the
tradition of acting. The dictionary defines libretto as a musical work not intended for the
stage.

3. Vun Min Shi. This is also known as the “modern play.” Colloquial dialects are allowed in the
Vun Min Shi instead of Mandarin, the dialect of Peking, which is the accepted speech of the
stage as well as of the nation.

The Cinema
The cinema or motion picture is one of the most popular form of art and entertainment in the
Philippines. Every week, millions of people go to the movies, Many more watch movies on television.
In addition, TV networks use picture techniques to fulm many of the programs that appear on
television each week.
Philippine motion picture is also a source of formation as well as of entertainment. Motion pictures
can introduce us to new ideas and help us explore serious social issues. Students learn from

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educational film in school. Industries use our movies to train employees and to advertise their
products. Our government uses films to inform and influence the Filipinos and people from other
countries.

Elements of Philippine Motion Pictures

1. Music and Musical Director. Music has been indispensable in motion pictures since the very
beginning. During the era of silent movies, every cinema house employed musicians who
played music that suited the tempo and varying moods of the scenes as they were projected on
the screen while others used phonograph records for economy.

2. Make-up, Coiffeur, and Costumes. Make-up consists of the sticky substances which are
applied on the face of the actors before facing the camera. The make-up of the leading lady
should be lighter than that of the leading man as well as the supporting players. The make-up
artist should know what to do and apply in every type of screen personality.

3. Acting and the Stars. Acting is the art of portraying or impersonating a character. A
performer should forget his own personality and live the life of the character he is portraying.

4. Color in the movies. The latest innovation in cinematography is color. Color in local movies
was attempted in 1941 by LVN pictures Inc. in Ibong Adarna.

5. Set and Directors. Beautiful settings gives beauty to the picture and pleases the eye. Art
directors should know the natural setting and build artificial sets. They should get the
inspiration from liberal producers and disappoint the stingy ones.

6. Sound, Cameras, and Technician. Now that moving pictures have found their voices, sound
plays an important part. Technicians exert efforts in making the dialogue clear and music of
fine quality. They avoid any background noise which is not part of the scene. Complaints of
moviegoers regarding unwanted sounds are traceable to the defective projectors of the movie
houses. However, if pictures are old, music, and dialogues may be bad, missing, or broken.

The Elements of Drama

Drama, like prose fiction, utilizes plot and character, develops a theme, arouses emotion or appeals to
humor, and may be either escapist or interpretative in its dealings with life.
1. Plot. It is the term sometimes used to mean a summary of a play’s story. It is concerned
with what happens in the story. More properly, it seems to be the overall structure of a
play. In this sense, it is the most important element of drama.

2. Character. The characters must be shaped to fit the needs of the plot, and all the parts of
the characterization must fit together.

3. Thought. Every play, even the most light-hearted comedy, involves thoughts in its
broadest sense. In dramatic structure, thoughts include the ideas and emotions implied by
the overall meaning of the play, sometimes the theme.

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4. Language (dialogue). Language is a means of expressing the character and the thoughts
dramatically. Language in the theatre refers to the dramatic dialogue, which may be in
prose or in verse. Prose dialogue may be naturalistic or rhetorical. Naturalistic dialogue
is the actual way people talk, while the rhetorical dialogue is popularly described as high
flown, florid, and oratorical. Verse dialogue makes use of the conventions of poetry for
the purpose of drama.
Dialogue is the conversation between two or more characters in a play.

5. Theme. It is what a story means. It is a conviction about the real world we live in, and it
may be started in several ways. Theme tends to be complex, and may include
contradictory evaluations (Colwell, 1968).

6. Climax/Denouement. The climax is the scene or incident that is the fruition of the
accumulated suspense, and the stirs the most intense feelings or emotions. It can also be
described as the turning point of the story.
Denouement is the working out of the plot, following the climax.

7. Music and Spectacle. Aside from “background” music, there is music of speech and of
movement. Spectacles intensifies emotions, whatever these emotions are.

8. Costume and Make-up. Every costume should be comfortable and securely put together
so that the performer does not have to worry about it once it is on. Before the dress
rehearsal, all the parts of each costume committee should be on hand to help.

9. Scenery and Lighting. Scenery and lighting, furniture-painted backdrops, or large props,
should be real. The scenery may be simple, for it is supposed only to suggest the scene.
The imagination of the audience will complete the picture.

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 LESSON 5: THE MEDIUMS OF MUSIC

Like literature, music is an art that deals with sound. In literature, all sounds are produced by the
human voice. In music, however, the human voice is but one of a number of possible instruments.
Different listeners may have and even opposed associations upon hearing the same musical sounds. It
is helpful for the listener to have some understanding of the various musical instrument most
frequently used in our culture and of the kind of sounds they produce.
A musical instrument is a mechanism that is able to generate musical vibrations and launch them into
the air. These various musical instruments are the means by which the composer communicates to the
listener; they are his medium of expression. Like any artist, the composer must choose his medium for
any given composition according to the requirement of his or her artistic conception.

The Properties of Musical Sound

Musical sounds have for properties, namely: pitch, duration, volume, and color (timbre).
1. Pitch. All musical sounds have pitch. By pitch, we mean the location of a tone in the
musical scale in relation to high or low. It therefore refers to the highness or lowness
of tone. All sounds are caused by vibration.
2. Duration. This property of sound depends on the length of time over which vibration
is maintained. Tones are not only high or low but also short and long.
3. Volume. The term refers to force or percussive effects as a result of which the tone
strikes us as being loud or soft. Forte means loud; piano means soft.
4. Timbre of tone color. This is the individual quality of sound produced by other
instruments. This depends on how the instrument accentuates the overtones within the
sound wave.

Range. The range of an instrument has to do with the total number of tones it can
produce from highest to lowest, and is determined largely by the size of the
instrument.

The Two Mediums in Music

We have two mediums in music: the vocal medium and the instrumental medium.
Vocal Medium. The oldest and still most popular of all instruments is the human voice. It is the most
personal and direct of all instruments as it comes from within the body. The song projected by the
human voice is the most natural form of music.
Vocal Register. Voices differ considerably in range and register.

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Classes of vocal register:

 Soprano(high register female voice)

 Mezzo-soprano (medium-register female voice)
 Alto or contralto (low-register female voice)
 Tenor (high-register male voice)
 Baritone (medium-register male voice)
 Bass (low-register male voice)

The Different Musical Instruments

Musical instruments have always been a source of wonder to both the player and the listener. They
figure in our music either singly, in small groups (chamber music), band, or as part of the ensemble-
orchestra.

STRINGS WOODWINDS BRASSES

Violin Piccolo Trumpet
Viola Flute French horn
Violoncello (or cello) Clarinet Trombone
Bass Oboe Tuba
English horn
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Contrabassoon

The Percussion Instruments Combinations of Instruments

 Kettledrums  Ensemble Media
 Glockenspiel  Orchestra
 Xylophone  The Symphony Orchestra
 Marimba  Concerto
 Chimes  Band
 Harp  The Rondalla
Keyboard Instruments  Mixed Ensembles
 Piano  Chamber Orchestra
 Organ  Chamber Ensembles
 Celesta  Special Ensembles
 Piano accordion The Conductor
 Harmony

LEARNING ACTIVITES

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