Stage Directions and Areas
This part of the stage is closest to the audience.
What is downstage?
This theatre term means the planned movement and placement of actors onstage
What is blocking?
Performers working together as one unified group are called this.
What is an ensemble?
Pantomime communicates primarily through these rather than spoken dialogue
What are movement, gestures, and facial expressions?
This is the person an actor portrays in a performance.
What is a character?
An actor facing the audience is told to move to their left. They are moving in this direction.
What is stage left?
Actors write their movements in their scripts primarily for this reason
What is to remember/repeat their blocking consistently?
Talking loudly, using your phone, and distracting performers violate these expectations.
What is audience etiquette?
When pretending to lift a heavy box, your body should communicate this physical quality of the imaginary object.
What is its weight?
Facial expressions, posture, movement, and voice can all help an actor create this.
What is characterization?
An actor moves from upstage right to the exact middle of the acting area. Name the destination.
What is center stage?
An actor crosses the stage simply because they haven't moved recently. This important quality is missing from the movement.
What is purpose/intention?
Instead of trying to get the most attention, a strong ensemble member does this with their scene partners.
What is listen, respond, and support them?
You place an imaginary cup on a table and later reach for it in a completely different location. You have broken this pantomime principle.
What is consistency?
The reason a character behaves or responds in a particular way is called this
What is motivation?
These directions are always determined from the actor's perspective rather than the audience's
What are stage left and stage right?
Facing the audience completely gives an actor this body position.
What is full front?
Your partner accidentally skips a line. A strong ensemble performer should do this instead of stopping the scene.
What is adapt/respond and keep the scene going?
A pantomimed object should maintain the same size, shape, weight, and location. Together, these create this quality.
What is believability/consistency?
Two characters who behave comfortably around each other and willingly share personal space communicate this theatrical concept.
What is a character relationship?
An actor's blocking prevents part of the audience from seeing another performer. This staging consideration has been ignored.
What are sightlines?
During another character's emotional speech, you make a large downstage cross. This is the theatrical problem you may accidentally create.
What is stealing/pulling focus?
0 A less-experienced performer keeps making an ineffective blocking choice. A Theatre 3 ensemble leader should do this rather than simply taking over.
What is help them understand and improve the choice?
An actor pantomimes opening a heavy door exactly the same way they would open a lightweight cabinet. The performance lacks this.
What is specificity/physical detail?
One character confidently occupies space while another constantly moves out of their way. This communicates a difference in this.
What is status?
A director places an important character downstage center during a major revelation primarily to manipulate this theatrical element.
What is focus?
A director asks you to change a cross because the movement doesn't support the character, relationship, objective, or story. The director wants the blocking to become this.
What is motivated/intentional?
Four actors give individually strong performances, but none react to one another. This essential quality is missing
What is ensemble connection/interaction?
A strong pantomime allows the audience to understand not only WHAT the actor is doing but also the character-based reason behind the action.
What is motivation/intention?
A character begins confident but gradually becomes physically smaller, avoids eye contact, and gives up space. These choices communicate a change in this.
What is status/power?