| A | B |
|---|
| focal point | the point of greatest interest on stage during the playing of a scene |
| method acting | an American school of acting which stresses internal development of the actor's resources to properly motivate his acting. It has grown from a system by Stanislavski, a Russian actor-director |
| improvisation | the performance of dialogue and/or pantomime without any determined plan from any source other than the actor's own creative spirit, often "on the spur of the moment" |
| cross | a movement on stage from one area to another |
| counter | a shifting of position to compensate for the movement of another actor in order to achieve a balanced and pleasing composition |
| monologue | a long speech by one character without any insterspersed dialogue by other characters |
| green room | traditionally the gathering place for actors while they await their call |
| call | the announcement that warns actors when they are to be ready for rehearsals, performances, or individual scenes |
| box set | interior setting consisting of three walls and often a ceiling as well; one of the most common of modern settings |
| extras | actors who appear in a play with no lines and little or no characterization, such as in a crowd scene |
| kill | to spoil the planned effectiveness of a line, a movement, a piece of business, or a technical effect, usually by a miscalculation in timing |
| open | to turn or adjust the body position so that the actor may play more directly to the audience |
| project | to make dialogue or movement clear to the audience by proper accentuation and intensification |
| pace | the over-all rate of production, including reading of lines, picking up of cues, movement, etc. |
| pantomime | the acting out of an incident or story without words |
| props | all the furniture, set pieces, and objects that are seen on stage |
| proscenium | the wall and arch that set off the stage area from the audience |
| sight lines | the visibility of the playing area from the audience |
| soliloquy | a monologue spoken by the actor as an extension of his thoughts, and not directed to , or by convention overheard by, any other actor. It is longer than an aside, and usually the actor delivering it is alone on stage |
| trap | an opening in the stage floor which may be used for the ascent or descent of characters or objects; usually covered by a hinged, removable door |
