script
Spoken conversation used by two or more characters to express thoughts, feelings and
attitudes.
Dialogue
Stage blocking or the physical movements of the actors onstage during performance.
Movement
A short period of silence or stillness in a performance when the drama is communicated
non-verbally.
Pause
In acting, the act of concentrating or staying in character. It is also used to refer to the way actors and directors can direct the audience’s attention to somebody or something on stage.
Focus
A position nearer the audience or at the front of the stage.
Downstage
The sequence of events of a play or arrangement of action, as opposed to the theme.
Plot
Physical alignment of a performer’s body, or a physical stance taken by a performer, which conveys information about the character being played.
Posture
The particular level (high or low) of a voice, instrument or tune.
Pitch
A very brief period of time in which there is a significant change in the drama.
Moment
Offstage areas to the right and left of the acting area on a proscenium or end on stage.
Wings
The internal or external struggle between opposing forces, ideas, or interests that creates dramatic tension.
Conflict
Any movement of the actor’s body that is used to convey meaning, attitude or feeling.
Gesture
The vocal delivery of the text.
Pace
The measurable amount, levels or strength of a given property (for example sound, light, emotion).
Intensity
A fabric drop hung from a curved or segmented bar, or a curved wall at the back of the stage, upon which light can be cast to create effects.
Cyclorama
The point of greatest intensity in a series or progression of events in a play, often forming the turning point of the plot and leading to some kind of resolution.
Climax
The level of confidence, commitment and energy an actor appears to have on stage. It is the ability of an actor to hold the attention of the audience.
Stage presence
In drama, the particular way in which a character speaks. This could include accent, idiom, dialect, vocabulary or phrasing to suggest class, profession, culture or personality.
Language
Dynamic use of opposites or significant differences to create dramatic effect. Examples of ‘opposites’ might include movement/stillness, sound/silence, and light/darkness. ‘Significant differences’ might include distinct styles or colour of costumes, or styles of
dialogue.
Contrast
What a character is really thinking or feeling when they say particular words. ______ is linked to motivation.
Subtext
The part of a play that introduces the theme, main characters and current situation in the story.
Exposition
Contemporary term for ‘spatial relationships’, referring to the physical distances between actors on a stage that communicates the relationship between different characters. It is also applied to the distance between a performer and elements of the set, which conveys information about character and circumstances.
Proxemics
Change in pitch of the voice, specifically the way the voice rises and falls. A rising _____ is commonly used to indicate that the speaker is asking a question, while a falling ______ suggests a statement. ________may be used by an actor to
communicate meaning and intention in dialogue
Inflection
Variations in levels of energy, physical movement, pace or emotional intensity in a scene. Also used in technical theatre to describe the difference between levels of sound.
Dynamics
In performing, _____ is the tempo, pace or regular pattern of the work. _____ can reflect the emotional state of a character or group of characters, or the
atmosphere of a scene.
Rhythm