Acting Terms

3. Spoken words (sometimes witty comments) said out loud that are not in the script. They can also be given “off the cuff” when another actor forgets a line.
5. The action, line, or phrase of dialogue that signals your character to move or speak.
7. A blocking movement by an actor to rebalance the stage in reaction to another actor’s movement, or change of position.
8. Another word for an acting objective, or action, that an actor pursues while onstage.
10. Setting out to do a scene with no pre-planned or written idea. A process leading to spontaneous discovery that allows the actor to find real, organic impulses within themselves.
13. The conflict and stumbling blocks to a character’s struggle in pursuit of an action or objective.
15. A speech given directly to the audience, ordinarily with no one else on stage. Usually played as a direct address to the audience, sometimes played as a character thinking aloud in the audience’s presence.
16. A compelling or powerful impulse
17. All objects on a theatrical or film set, used by the actors.

1. The written words spoken by the actors/characters.
2. The actor using their craft to explore and develop the specific qualities of a character.
4. To set the movements of actors on a stage or set. Also, any given movement that enhances the scene, such as a specific character gesture.
6. An uninterrupted speech by a character in a performance. The monologue may be to another character or the audience.
9. 1. A series of brief lines building to a speech or key moment. 2. The number of performances a show does.
11. A natural response that an actor responds to in the moment.
12. A character’s comment or observation, often delivered directly to the audience or themselves.
14. The arrangement of the staging and design elements to create a visual picture.