Drama. You've heard the word. In fact, you've probably used the word yourself. Maybe you've said, 'Oh, she's just a drama queen,' or, 'I'm sick of all this drama.' In that context, the word 'drama' is something that has been blown out of proportion. Usually, a 'drama queen' is someone who is over the top, an over actor.

 

In literature, the word drama defines a genre, or style of writing. Drama is a play that can be performed for theatre, radio or even television. These plays are usually written out as a script, or a written version of a play that is read by the actors but not the audience.

 

This is where theatre comes in. Drama, as in a play, is meant to be performed on a stage in front of an audience at the theatre. So, drama refers to the script, while the word theatre is the performance of the script. While it might seem completely disconnected from what we mean when we say drama today, consider it this way. Someone who is dramatic is sort of a performer on a stage, hoping for everyone's attention. See, they're more related than you thought!