act a drama

[Lazypierrot]

Hi I would like to know if it is correct to say "act a drama", or should I rather say "perform a drama?"


Thanks in advance.


Best wishes,

LP

[Odysseus]

In article
<27784092.139.1336639562877.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@pbkd6>,

Lazypierrot <lazyp...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi I would like to know if it is correct to say "act a drama", or should I
> rather say "perform a drama?"

Some context would be helpful, but the former sounds unidiomatic to me.
If the subject is an individual, rather than a troupe or company,
"act/perform in a drama" is usual -- here the verbs are pretty well
fungible.

--
Odysseus

[Odysseus]

In article
<odysseus1479-at-70...@news.eternal-september.org>,

P.S. I meant to add that an actor is often said to "play/act/perform a
role/part/character (in a drama)": when a person is the subject, the
usual object of these verbs is the individual role rather than the
performance as a whole.

--
Odysseus

[Don Phillipson]

Lazypierrot <lazyp...@gmail.com> wrote:
.>

> Hi I would like to know if it is correct to say "act a drama", or should
> I
> rather say "perform a drama?"

English combines "act" and "drama" in two stock (common) phrases:
1. To act in a drama means to perform in a theatre
2. To enact a drama means to create the sort of atmosphere you
might find during a theatrical performance. This phrase is commonly
used of people seeking to exercise emotional influence, thus is a
metaphor (so far as no theatres may be involved.)

In #1 drama is the indirect object.
Only in #2 is drama the direct object of the verb enact.
"Act a drama" makes drama the direct object of the verb act
and this is not standard or common English usage.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)