Who among the following described drama in the following words?

“A true play is three dimensional; it is literature that walks and talks before our eyes.”

Correct option is A

Explanation:

The quote “A true play is three-dimensional; it is literature that walks and talks before our eyes” is attributed to Marjorie Boulton, a renowned scholar and critic.

The phrase highlights Boulton’s emphasis on the physical and performative aspect of drama. The idea is that a play is not just a written script, it is brought to life when performed in front of an audience.

The "three-dimensional" nature of the play signifies that drama involves movement, speech, and interaction that make the words come alive in a visual and sensory experience.

Boulton’s statement implies that the text of a play gains its true form when enacted on stage, transforming it from something merely written to something experiential for the audience. This concept of the play as “three-dimensional” explores how drama combines literature with live performance, something that distinguishes it from other forms of literature such as poetry or novels. The statement draws attention to the interactive nature of theatre, where actors and the audience come together to create the meaning of the work.

Information Booster:

Marjorie Boulton (1910–2001) was a British literary critic, theatre scholar, and poet. Her most famous works include studies of drama and literature, especially regarding the nature of theatre and its relationship with literature.

She is particularly known for her analysis of how drama is distinct from written works because of its need for performance to fully unfold. She contributed significantly to understanding the aesthetic and performative qualities of drama, focusing on its live interaction.

Boulton’s best-known work, The Anatomy of Drama, delves into the structural and performative aspects of plays, where she examines how drama is constructed as both literature and performing art.

Her perspective aligns with theory that theatre is inherently three-dimensional, integrating verbal expression with physical action.

The phrase "a true play is three-dimensional" underlines the live performance aspect of theatre. Unlike written literature that is static, drama requires actors, set designs, lighting, and audience interaction to become complete.

Boulton’s view emphasizes the sensory experience that plays provide, making it an art form that exists in time and space, unlike poetry or novels, which exist primarily as textual experiences.

Additional Knowledge:

Allardyce Nicoll:

Allardyce Nicoll was a key figure in the history of English drama studies and theatre history. His theories on drama focused more on the historical development of the theatre.

G.B. Shaw:

George Bernard Shaw, a famous playwright, is associated with modern theatre. Shaw was concerned with social issues and dramatic content.

Arthur Miller:

Arthur Miller, though a major figure in modern theatre, emphasized social realism. His focus was on psychological realism and social critique through character-driven narratives.