The theater is one of the most enjoyed literary genres. Despite not being one of the most widely read, since there are other genres with a greater number of readers, put into practice on a stage, it completely changes the paradigm: the strength, the feelings, and the sensations that the actors transmit, convert the theatrical genres in a very important part of literature.
There are different theatrical genres, each of which has different characteristics. Therefore, they can be easily distinguished as long as you know how to identify them. To discover what the theatrical genres are and their most outstanding characteristics, at OneHOWTO we recommend that you continue reading this article.
Comedy
It is one of the funniest theatrical genres. It is opposed to tragedy since its main objective is to transmit optimism and joy to the spectators. Comedy plays use humor to deal with issues or aspects of everyday life with laughter as the main axis, eliciting laughter and connecting with the audience.
It is, without any doubt, one of the theatrical or dramatic genres preferred by viewers. In addition, it is also the favorite in the format of works in children’s theater, since it manages to entertain and connect with children with ease.
Tragedy
Within the theatrical genres, tragedy is the most traditional and representative of the history of theatre. Shakespeare and Seneca are some of the great authors of tragedy. Here are some of the main characteristics of the theatrical genre of tragedy:
- The tragedy reached its maximum splendor in classical Rome, but the Golden Age served to be reborn and adapt to new times.
- Heroic and illustrious characters are the main protagonists of tragic works.
- Generally, they are works with a bleak ending: the protagonist usually falls into disgrace or even more than he already was at the beginning of the work.
- Destruction, death, and heartbreaks are the main arguments and the issues to be developed throughout these plays.
Musical
Theater musicals are conceived to tell an entire story, but they differ from other theatrical genres because they intersperse dialogues between characters and situations without any music (only sound effects according to the demands of the work), with dances and songs by the complete cast of artists.
The Lion King is one of the best-known musicals that can be seen in Madrid. Globally, there are also other famous musicals like Cats. It is a highly valued theatrical genre today and whose format manages to capture the attention of thousands of spectators each season in theaters to enjoy dances, music, and performances.
Tragedy
Within the theatrical genres, tragedy is the most traditional and representative of the history of theatre. Shakespeare and Seneca are some of the great authors of tragedy. Here are some of the main characteristics of the theatrical genre of tragedy:
- The tragedy reached its maximum splendor in classical Rome, but the Golden Age served to be reborn and adapt to new times.
- Heroic and illustrious characters are the main protagonists of tragic works.
- Generally, they are works with a bleak ending: the protagonist usually falls into disgrace or even more than he already was at the beginning of the work.
- Destruction, death, and heartbreaks are the main arguments and the issues to be developed throughout these plays.
Musical
Theater musicals are conceived to tell an entire story, but they differ from other theatrical genres because they intersperse dialogues between characters and situations without any music (only sound effects according to the demands of the work), with dances and songs by the complete cast of artists.
The Lion King is one of the best-known musicals that can be seen in Madrid. Globally, there are also other famous musicals like Cats. It is a highly valued theatrical genre today and whose format manages to capture the attention of thousands of spectators each season in theaters to enjoy dances, music, and performances.
Opera
It is a highly appreciated theatrical genre today. His serious style and the great voices of his artists manage to penetrate deeply and move the spectators of the opera. It has legendary and romantic themes unlike musicals, whose theme is usually more cheerful combining music with dance. In the case of opera, there is no choreography for the characters.
Drama
Drama is a genre that is still used today to create new plays. It helps to represent different scenes of daily life, making room for the thoughts, feelings, and concerns of the characters.
The drama is distinguished from tragedy in not being tied to a very sad or dark theme. He constantly resorts to dialogues between characters and his works can be classified into lower subgenres depending on the type of representation: social, lyrical, or historical, among others.
Tragicomedy
It is the genre that seeks both the sadness of the spectators, as well as making them smile or laugh. Play with negative and positive feelings during the same play. It is the best combination of those considered common dramatic genres: tragedy and comedy. A very representative work of tragicomedy is La Celestina, attributed to the playwright Fernando de Rojas.
Monologue
Monologues are characterized by having a single character who speaks during the work. Sometimes, the protagonist is the only person who is exposed on stage and recounts some event, whether happy or sad depending on the theme.
There may be more characters in the monologues, but they will be silent: they will not pronounce any words, so they will be limited to being companions of the monologue’s narration.
Auto Sacramental
They are those works focused on representing a biblical scene on stage. The Christmas Cars are one of the most common examples of auto sacramentals made, of course, at Christmas time, with representations of scenes such as the birth of the baby Jesus or the arrival of the Three Wise Men from the East.
Extremes
These plays emerged in the sixteenth century in Spain. They are comic works with a funny tone in which easy laughter is sought. Normally, this theatrical genre takes place in a single act. In its beginnings, they began to be represented in the intervals between plays that took place throughout the days in theaters.
If you liked this article about what are the theatrical genres and their characteristics, we recommend you read our post What are the literary genres.
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