ACTING TECHNIQUES (Stanislavski & Related)
This technique, central to the Stanislavski system, asks the actor: "What would I do if I were in this situation?"
magic if
The specific time an actor is required to arrive at the theatre or film set.
call time
A portion of a script, usually just a few pages, given to actors to prepare for an audition.
sides
To improvise dialogue or actions not written in the original script.
ad-lib
A brief remark addressed directly to the audience while other characters on stage "cannot hear" — usually just one or two sentences.
aside
In this technique, you use a personal memory from your own life to produce the emotion your character needs right now.
affective memory
A specific spot on the floor, usually marked with tape, where an actor must stand for the camera or lighting.
mark
The professional introduction at the start of a self-tape where the actor states their name, height, and agency directly to camera.
the slate
A negative term for when an actor "shows" the audience an emotion instead of actually experiencing it internally.
indicating
long speech by one character addressed TO someone — another character, a crowd, a jury — with a clear objective such as to persuade or inspire.
monologue
The character's ultimate, overarching goal across the entire story — bigger than any single scene objective.
super-objective
The planned movement of actors on a stage or set — for example, "walk to the window on this line."
blocking
An audition where two actors are paired together to test whether they have a believable connection on screen.
chemistry read
Acting in a way that seeks cheap approval from the audience rather than pursuing artistic truth.
playing to the gallery
A long speech spoken by a character who is alone on stage, thinking out loud, with no listener present.
soliloquy
The logical thread connecting a character's individual scene objectives to their super-objective.
through-line
A small movement made by one actor to rebalance the stage picture when another actor crosses.
counter-cross
An audition technique where the actor must perform a script with little or no preparation time.
cold reading
Dramatic overacting or being excessively emotional in a scene, often unintentionally comic.
chewing the scenery
The hidden meaning or intention behind the literal words spoken in dialogue — what the character really means but does not say.
subtext
The "who, what, where, and when" of a scene as provided by the script — the foundation of any Stanislavski-based scene analysis.
given circumstances
The process of dismantling the set and removing all props after the final performance or the wrap of a scene.
strike
A subsequent audition round where the director narrows down the final choices for a role.
callback
The ability to act with total spontaneity, responding only to what is happening right now rather than following a pre-planned emotional path.
moment-to-moment
The continuous stream of thoughts a character has that provides psychological depth even when they are completely silent on stage.
inner monologue