The Young Actor’s Glossary
An acting career can begin with a part in a school play. Nailing a character and delivering a memorable performance may be the first steps toward a profession in the performing arts. Anyone considering an acting career will need to know acting terms that describe scenes, staging, techniques, and delivering lines. Learning acting techniques takes study and practice. Here are a list of acting words and resources that will prepare you for your next performance.
Activity – An activity is stage direction usually connected to an action, such as a character dialing a phone or feeding a dog.
Ad-Lib – When a character speaks words that are not in a script, the actor is ad-libbing. These off-the-cuff phrases may happen when actors forget their lines.
Adjustment – Directors often give actors directions for making adjustments in how they deliver material.
Apron – The apron is the area of the theater stage that’s located in front of the proscenium arch.
Arena – A stage with audience seating on three sides.
Aside – When a character delivers a comment directly to the audience.
Beat – A single-action component of spoken material.
Blocking – Directions for the movements of actors on stage.
Central conflict – The plot action that involves opposing forces between characters.
Characterization – The development of qualities and personality traits in their characters.
Cheating – Cheating involves positioning the body so it partly faces the other characters and partly angles out toward the camera or the theater seating area.
Cold reading – When actors read unfamiliar material they are cold reading.
Composition – The arrangement of staging and design element.
Conflict – Tension rises as characters have to overcome obstacles and struggles to reach objectives.
Countering – Actors move in reaction to other actors’ movements.
Cue – This action directive signals actors to move or speak.
Dialogue – The lines of a script that actor that an actor speaks.
Downstage – The part of the stage closest to the audience.
Emotion – The portrayal of feelings such as fear, sadness, love, hate, anger, and joy.
Emotional recall – Actors use memories and personal experience to fuel their performance.
Fourth wall – An imaginary wall that separates actors from the audience.
Framing – Framing involves creating individual moments to highlight them.
Improvisation – The act of performing a scene without planning or preparation.
Indicating – A shallow performance caused by an actor performs the character’s feelings without really experiencing the feelings.
Instinct – A powerful impulse that helps actors feel out a situation when reacting to the what’s happening on stage.
Line Cue – The last part of a bit of dialogue that prompts that next action.
Monologue – An uninterrupted bit of dialogue that is can be lengthy.
Motivation – The driving force behind a character’s actions and choices.
Objects – Physical items used during plays or movies are objects.
Objective – A character’s pursuit of a goal is the character’s objective.
Obstacle – The struggles that stand between the character and a goal.
Pace – The speed at which an actor picks up a cue and delivers the next line of dialogue.
Pantomime – This theater art form is storytelling told through movement and music, but not words.
Physical gesture – A movement or action to express feelings or plot context points.
Props – Objects placed on the set, often used by actors to enhance a performance.
Soliloquy – A speech given to an audience, usually without any other actors on stage.
Speed-through – A fast rehearsal.
Stage directions – A writer will add reactions, gestures, and props to a script to clarify actions.
Stage left – The direction left of the actors when facing the audience.
Stage right – The direction right of the actors when facing the audience.
Tactics – The methods an actor uses to achieve a goal.
Trigger – A signal that leads to an emotional response.
Upstage – The back section of the stage furthest from the audience.
Additional Acting Resources
- Accent Help for Actors
- Dealing With Stage Fright and Public Speaking Fear
- Learning to Act Without a Class
- Six Tips for Becoming an Actor
- 10 Creative Ways to Learn More About Acting
- 15 Actors Share The Most Important Acting Tips Learned From Their Experience
- Basic Rules That Every Actor Should Know
- 25 Life Skills learned in Theatre
- 5 Simple Ways to Step Up Your Acting Game
- 8 Skills You’ll Learn While Studying Acting
- 8 Acting Tips for Bright Eyed Beginners
- How to Become an Actor: Tips and Techniques for Your Acting Career
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