Necessary Targets: genre

Genre of Necessary Targets

Drama as a Form

Necessary Targets is fundamentally based on drama, which seeks to tell its story via performances by actors playing characters.
Drama is valued as a form that conveys deep emotional experiences and has the power to engage audiences empathetically with topical issues.

War Drama

The play falls under the category of war drama, focusing on the experiences, hardships and realities of war from a primarily female perspective. This subgenre traditionally explores the psychological effects of warfare.

Docudrama

There are elements of docudrama in Necessary Targets. This approach to drama seeks to dramatise real-life events and circumstances, often tackling complex socio-political issues.
It’s worth mentioning this given the play’s based on the author’s own experiences in post-war Bosnia, and the verbatim accounts of Bosnian women the author interviewed during her visits.

Political Drama

The piece can also be classified as a political drama, considering its potent critique on war, violence, and international humanitarian intervention.
The characters and plot are used to explore broader political and societal issues, promoting reflection and questioning among the audience.

Character Study

Ensler focuses on creating strong, multidimensional characters to tell her story, resulting in a degree of the work acting as a character study.
Each woman is depicted with her unique backstory and character arc, contributing to a model of the human experience of war.

Tragic Drama

There are elements of tragic drama in Ensler’s play, witnessed in the heartrending narratives of the protagonists, their losses, and their struggles.
This format is meant to evoke feelings of sympathy and sadness and leave a lasting impression on audiences after the final act.

Combine this knowledge to understand the complexities of ‘Necessary Targets’ as a play, and the tools that Eve Ensler uses to create a dramatic and engaging narrative.