Play (theatre) facts for kids

Painting of a play being performed

A play is a special kind of story written to be performed. You can watch plays in a theatre, on television, or even listen to them on the radio. Plays usually show conversations between different characters. Instead of just reading a play, people usually go to see it performed live.

What is a Play?

Actors bring the story to life. They stand on a stage so everyone in the audience can see them clearly. A director helps the actors. They guide the actors on how to act and how the play should look.

Plays are interesting because they can be understood in many ways. The writer, called a playwright, creates the play. But the actors and director add their own ideas. Sometimes, the playwright is also an actor or director, like Molière.

The director can change many things in a play. This includes the actors' costumes, the music, and how people say their lines. They also decide how actors move or what objects they hold. Even old plays by Shakespeare can feel modern with a new director.

Different Kinds of Plays

There are many types of plays. Here are some of the most common ones:

• Tragedy - These plays have a sad ending. This might be because of bad luck or a flaw in the main character.
• Comedy - These plays have a happy ending. They often include funny parts that make the audience laugh.
• Domestic drama - These plays are about everyday life. They focus on families and friends.
• Tragicomedy - This type of play mixes both sad and funny parts. It has elements of both tragedy and comedy.
• Melodrama - These plays often have a happy ending. They usually feature a bad person, called a villain. But the hero (and often a heroine) always wins. The feelings shown in these plays are very strong.
• Symbolic - These plays are mostly about ideas. The characters in the play are not as important as the messages they represent.
• Experimental - In these plays, directors and actors try out new ideas. Anything can be explored, making it an experiment.

Images for kids

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  A performance of Macbeth (2018)

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  An actress performs a play in front of two statues.

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  An actor and actress performing a play in front of the Nereid Monument.

See also

In Spanish: Obra de teatro para niños