An investigation of structures and functions of dramatic discourse in a semiotic perspective. The focus is on (i) the relationship of factual discourse and fictional dialogue, (ii) dramatic discourse as a source for historical conversation analysis, (iii) the semiotics of the 'medium' of dramatic discourse, (iv) the multimediality of dramatic discourse, (v) a (fragmentary) rhetoric of dramatic discourse, and (vi) the medial relationship of drama/theatre and film.