Final answer:
Plays are primarily classified by genre, such as comedy or tragedy, and by structure, which is the division into acts and scenes. These classifications help describe the tone, emotional response, and plot progression of the performance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plays are often classified in two primary ways: genre and structure. Genres in drama include comedy, tragedy, history, and romance, which define the play's tone and the emotional response it aims to invoke in the audience. A comedy, for example, is light-hearted and aims to make the audience laugh, while a tragedy deals with more serious themes and evokes deeper emotions. On the other hand, the structure of a play refers to its division into acts and scenes, and it outlines the progression of the central plot through these divisions.
Theatre, being a collaborative art form, is meant to be experienced live, though playwrights start this experience by writing the play for the stage, taking into account that the final production will involve actors, directors, and designers. Unlike novels that provide detailed descriptions, plays rely heavily on dialogue and stage directions within the confined space and time of a theatrical performance. Therefore, playwrights write with an understanding that the plays will be established on a stage, with live actors performing to a live audience, and each performance is unique due to its live nature.