| A | B |
|---|
| Bit part | A very small role with few lines. |
| Pause | A lull in the dialogue or action that helps sustain the scene's emotion. |
| Versatility | The ability to change character or style easily. |
| Character sketch | A brief biography an actor may write of his or her character. |
| Character Sketch | Marking things such as pauses, pitch levels, and speed of delivery on a script. |
 | The script-scoring symbol that indicates a slight pause. |
 | The script-scoring symbol that indicates a falling inflection |
| Building a character | The process of creating a fully developed character. |
| Primary Source | A person whom an actor observes firsthand to prepare for a role. |
| Secondary source | A book or tape used to help an actor prepare for a role. |
| Concentration | The ability to direct your thoughts, energies, and skills into what you are doing at any given point. |
| Projecting | Reaching out with your character to all members of the audience. |
| Body language | Another term for nonverbal communication. |
| Playing the objects | The way in which an actor uses props onstage to project character. |
| Playing the conditions | The way in which an actor uses elements such as time, place, and weather to meet his or her objectives. |
| Cross | A movement from one location onstage to any other, usually in a gentle S-shaped pattern. |
| Countercross | A movement in the opposite direction of a cross, used to preserve balance on the stage. |
| Master gesture | A repeated ation that is a clue to a character's prsonality. |
| Leading center | The part of the actor's body that emphasizes the character's major character trait. |
| Knap | A sliding or slapping sound used in stage combat. |
| Motivation | The "why" of characterization; a character's inner force. |
| "Cheating out" | The stage technique in which an actor turns at the waist with his or her face toward the audience. |
| "giving the scene" | The stage technique in which an actor crosses downstage, then turns partially upstage toward another actor. |
| "taking yourself out of a scene" | The stage technique in which an actor turns away from the audience, diverting attention from himself or herself. |
| "Sharing a scene" | The stage technique in which two actors sit or stand parallel to one another. |
