| Term | Definition |
|---|
| improvisation | the portrayal of a character or a scene without rehearsal |
| Spontaneity | naturalness |
| Illusion of the first time | to make the audience think that this is your first performance |
| scene-stealing | diverting attention from the other actors |
| character centered | approach focuses on a character or a group of characters who experience different situations one after another |
| situation centered | takes a single situation and places a number of characters into the the situation to demonstrate how different personalities will respond to the same event |
| Pantomime | acting without words |
| nonverbal communication | communicating without words |
| crossing | moving from one place onstage to another |
| gesture | the movements of any body part to help express an idea or an emotion |
| kinesthesis | the neuro-muscular awareness the body feels in a particular physical position |
| mime | an offspring of pantomime that conveys abstract ideas |
| inclination | the bending of the body to the front, side, or rear |
| rotation | the turning or pivoting of a part of the side or the rear |
| isolation | separates parts of the body for individual development and expression |
| quality | the individual sound of your particular voice |
| resonance | the vibrant tone produced when sound waves strike the chambers of the throat, head, nose, and mouth |
| nasality | when vowel sounds are diverted from the oral cavity into the nasal cavities, cutting down resonance and leaving the voice flat |
| inflection | makes the voice musical and interesting |
| monotone | from speaking continuously on one level |
| volume | the relative strength, force, or intensity which a sound is made |
| rate | the speed at which words are spoken |
| diction | refers to the selection and pronunciation of words and their combination in speech |
| schwa | the vowel sound |
| voiceless | if there isnt a vibration in the vocal folds |
| voices | if there is a vibration in the vocal folds |
| pronunciation | the correct vowel and consonant sounds in words and placing the accent on the proper syllables |
| ad-lib | to improvise stage business |
| at rise | who and what are onstage when the curtain opens |
| backstage | the area behind the set |
| bit | an acting role with very few lines |
| blocking yourself | getting behind furniture so that you can not be seen by the audience |
| building a scene | using dramatic devices to bring the scene to the climax |
| business | any specific action preformed on the stage |
| countercross | a movement in a direction opposite to a cross to balance the stage picture |
| cover | to obstruct the view of the audience |
| cue | a stage signal |
| curtain | the curtain that drops at the end of the show |
| cut | to stop action |
| cut in | to break into the speech of another actor |
| downstage | the part of the stage towards the audience |
| dressing the stage | placing furniture, keeping the stage picture balance during the action |
| enter | to move onto stage |
| exit | to leave the stage |
| feeding | giving lines in such a way that another actor can make a point to laugh or make a point |
| foil | an acting role that is used for personality comparison |
| hand props | items that a main character uses....hammer, phone ect. |
| hit | to emphasize a word or line for extra focus |
| holding for laughs | waiting for the audience to quite down after a funny line |
| leading center | a body part or feature used by an actor to lead movements , often used to show a characters personality |
| left and right | terms used to refer to the stage from an actors point of view |
| master gesture | a distinctive action that serves as a clue to a character's personality |
| milk | to draw maximum response from the audience from comic lines |
| offstage | off the visible stage |
| onstage | on the visible stage |
| overlap | to speak when someone else is speaking |
| pace | the movement of the play as it progresses |
| personal props | small props that are usually carried in an actors costume |
| places | the stage command the actors to take their positions at the opening of an act |
| plot | to plan stage business |
| pointing lines | emphasizing an idea |
| principals | the main characters in a play |
| props | all the stage furnishing |
| ring up | to raise the curtain |
| role scoring | the analysis of a character |
| scripting | the marking of one script for a character |
| set | the scenery for an act |
| set props | props placed onstage for the use of actors |
| sides | half-sheet pages of a script that contains the lines, cues, and business for one character |
| stealing a scene | attracting attention from the person to whom the audience's interest legitimately belongs |
| subtext | the unstated or between the lines meaning that an actor must draw from the script |
| tag line | the last speech in an act or a play |
| taking the stage | giving an actor freedom to move over the entire stage |
| temp | the speed ay which the action of a play movies along |
| timing | the execution of a line or piece of business at a specific moment to achieve the most telling effect |
| top | to make line stronger than the or lines preceding it by speaking at a higher pitch. |
| upstage | area on stage away from the audience |
| upstaging | improperly taking attention from an actor who should be the focus of interst |
| walk-on | a small acting part |
| warn | to notify of an upcoming action or cue |
| emotion acting | actors play their parts in such a way that they actually weep emotionally in front of the audience |
| technical acting | performance is based on acting technique, an actor analyzes the plays structure and the personalities of the characters |
| leading roles | the main character |
| protagonist | one who must solve the problem |
| antagonist | who opposes the goals of the protagonist |
| juvenile | young male lead |
| ingenue | young female lead |
| principals | the leads |
| supporting roles | the challenge of a role lies in the type of person to be portrayed. |
| straight parts | resemble in appearance and personality the characters the playwright had in mind |
| character part | always include some distinguished trait or personality type |
| type casting | casting someone over and over again in the same kind of role |
| pause | a stop |
| versatility | the ability to change style with ease |
| primary source | the individual |
| secondary source | the books that you read to help shed light in your character |
| body language | nonverbal communication |
| master gesture | a distinctive action that serves as a clue to a characters personality |
| leading center | a part in the body that leads movements |
| cheat out | when he or she pivots the torso and turns face toward the audiece |
| giving the scene | when you turn toward the other actor |
| turning the scene in | when they shift their body's upstage |
| share a scene | equally with another actor when you stand parallel to each other |
| knap | slapping sound |
| inflections | rising, faling, sustained, and circumflex |
| rising | used to indicate surprise or shock |
| falling | indicates the end of a statement |
| sustained | staying on the same note |
| circumflex | two or moe vowel sounds for what ordinarily is a single vowel sound |
| substitution | technique to portray an emotion |
| producer | a person who can envision the end product and be actively involved with the production as it takes place |
| director | responsible for creating a team that will work toward a common goal |
| critiques | the communication is accomplished is rehearsal and through oral, written, or taped notes |
| assistant director | a student who serves as a liaison between the director and the cast crew |
| prompter | person who attended every rehearsal and can ask any question |
| scenic designer | settings, costumes, makeup, and lighting |
| technical director | costumes and lighting. props |
| stage manager | takes charge backstage during rehearsals |
| grips | people who move the scenery |
| properties chief | acquiring furniture and props that fit the designers plan storing them and preparing a prop table and giving hand props to actors backstage |
| business manager | the responsibility of financial arrangements |
| publicity manager | person who promotes the show in school or public |
| house manager | person who makes sure the physical comfort of the audience members and smooth admission and intermission periods |
| warn cue | advises the stage manager of an entrance, a sound effect, or a lighting change |
| callbacks | auditions to read again from the script |
| resume | a picture of you |
| reading rehearsal | the first one |
| blocking rehearsal | the movement on stage business are worked out |
| working rehearsal | words and actions are put together |
| bridging | adding words before the difficult ones |
| polishing rehearsal | lines memorized and action set, all phases of the production can be brought together in an artistic whole |
| technical rehearsal | every crew member and actor must get their materials organized and preformance duties clearly in mind |
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