[2] Written by Taylor Granville, Junie MacCree and Edward Clark; see Appendix.
There are, of course, certain other divisions into which these four basic kinds of playlet—as well as the full-length play—may be separated, but they are more or less false forms. However, four are worthy of particular mention:
The Society Drama: The form of drama in which a present-day story is told, and the language, dress and manners of the actors are those of polite modern society. [1] You will see how superficial the distinction is, when you realize that the plot may be farcical, comic, tragic or melodramatic.
[1] As the dramas of the legitimate stage are more often remembered by name than are vaudeville acts, I will mention as example of the society drama Clyde Fitch's The Climbers. This fine satire skirted the edge of tragedy.
The same is true of
The Problem Drama: The form of drama dealing with life's "problems"—of sex, business, or what not. [2]
[2] Ibsen's Ghosts; indeed, nearly every one of the problem master's plays offer themselves as examples of the problem type.
And the same is likewise true of
The Pastoral-Rural Drama: The form of drama dealing with rustic life. [3]
[3] The long play Way Down East is a fine example of the pastoral—or rural—drama of American life.