Act (drama)

The word act can also be used for major sections of other entertainment, such as variety shows, television programs, music hall performances, cabaret, and literature.

[1] The elements that create the plot of a play and divide it into acts include the exposition, which sets up the rest of the story by giving basic information.

In some scenarios, the play may not end with a resolved situation; it may leave the audience on a peak and have a sequel to it, otherwise known as a cliffhanger.

[7] In classical theater, each regrouping between the entrances and exits of actors is a scene, while later use describes a change of setting.

[citation needed] Successive scenes are normally separated from each other in either time or place, but the division between acts has more to do with the overall dramatic structure of the piece.

[10] This format is known as the five-act play, and was famously analyzed by Gustav Freytag in Die Technik des Dramas (Dramatic techniques).

Zeami, in his work Sandō (The Three Paths), originally described a five-part (five dan) Noh play as the ideal form.