| A | B |
|---|
| ASIDE | Lines spoken by an actor directly to the audience, not meant to be heard by other characters. |
| CALL TIME (Call) | Notification of when the actors and crew are scheduled to begin a rehearsal or prepare for a performance. |
| BLACKOUT | A total, sometimes sudden, extinguishing of the stage lights. |
| BLOCKING | The movement of actors onstage. |
| STRIKE | To clear the stage of scenery and other materials. |
| TYPECAST | When an actor repeatedly is cast in the same kind of role. |
| UNDERSTUDY | An actor who learns and may have to perform the part of another actor. |
| UPSTAGING | Deliberately drawing focus onstage. |
| AD-LIB | Unrehearsed lines spoken during a performance. |
| PROMPT | To feed an actor his next line when he has forgotten it. |
| RUNTHROUGH | A rehearsal in which all elements of the production are put together in their correct order. |
| COMIC RELIEF | A comic character,scene, or line in a serious play that provides a temporary relief from tension for the audience. |
| "BREAK A LEG!" | A superstitious and widely accepted alternative to "good luck." |
| BREAKING CHARACTER | When an actor does or says something that is inconsistent with his or her character. |
| CALL BACK | An invitation to audition a second time after others have been eliminated. |
| CASTING | The process of choosing actors for a play. |
| BEAT | Short amount of time for a character to react, think, or pause; smallest division of action in a play. |
| CUE | Lines, action, or a lighting or sound event that occurs right before an actor speaks or does some action. |
| DRAMATIC STRUCTURE | Writing format used in writing plays. |
| PLAYWRIGHT | A person who writes plays. |
| "PLANT" | An idea or phrase said several times to help the audience understand something funny. |
| "STAGE TALK" | When actors look and act as if they are talking without making noise. |
| OBJECTIVE | The goal of a character. (I want... I need... I must have...) |
| OBSTACLE | What stands in the way of a character getting what he or she wants, needs, or must have. |
| TACTIC | An action or strategy planned to achieve a goal. (A way to get what you want.) |
| LINE RUN | A rehearsal where actors say lines only. |
| MARK | Specific place on stage where an actor stands. |
| DRESS REHEARSAL | Rehearsal with costumes, makeup, and all sound and lighting cues. |
| TECH(Technical) | Sound or lighting cues OR the stage crew responsible for operating sound and lighting. |
| OFF-BOOK | When an actor has lines memorized and no longer needs a script. |
| STAGE DIRECTIONS | Directions related to blocking, sound, or lights- usually in ( ) and/or italics. |
| TABLEAUX | A frozen picture on stage creating a scene with actor's bodies |
| PANTOMIME | Performing an action without using an actual prop. |
| SCRIPT (playscript) | Written text that makes up a play. |
| DIALOGUE | Conversation between two or more characters. |
| MONOLOGUE | A portion of text spoken by one actor while other actors are on stage. |
| SOLILOQUY | When an actor is alone on stage, sharing personal feelings with the audience |
| SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF | When the audience stops seeing a play as "false" and starts believing what is happening on stage |
| ILLUSION OF THE FIRST TIME | Acting out a story on stage as if it is the first time the events have occurred. |
| IMPROVISATION | When an actor speaks or acts without a script, usually not planned |
| (Acting) PLANES | The arrangement of actors to include a variety of levels with placement. (standing, sitting, on a ladder, kneeling, etc.) |
