| A | B |
|---|
| ad lib | To extemporize stage business or conversation |
| at rise | Who & what are on stage when the curtain opens |
| bit | An acting role with very few lines |
| blocking yourself | getting behind furniture or other actors so you cannot be seen by the audience |
| building a scene | using dramatic devices such as increased tempo, volume, and emphasis to bring a scene to climas. |
| business | Any specific action other than movement performed on the stage such as picking up a book or turning on a tv |
| C | The symbol used to identify the center of the stage |
| counter-cross | a shifting of position by two or more actors to balance the stage picture |
| cover | to obstruct the view of the audience |
| cross | the movement by an actor from one location to another on-stage |
| cue | the last words, action, or technical effect that immediately precedes any line or business; a stage signal |
| curtain | The drapery that shuts off the stage from the audience;when written in all capital letter in a script, it indicates that the curtain is to be closed. |
| cut | to stop action or to omit |
| cut in | to break into the speech of another character |
| downstage | the part of the stage closest to the audience |
| dressing the stage | Keeping the stage picture balanced during the action |
| exit | to leave the stage |
| feeding | giving lines and action in such a way that another actor can make a point or get a laugh. |
| foil | An acting role which is used for personality comparison, usually with the protagonist or main character |
| hand props | properties such as letter or luggage, carried on stage by an individual player |
| hit | to emphasize a word or line with extra force |
| holding for laughs | waiting for the audience to quiet down after a funny line or scene |
| left and right | terms used to refer to the stage from the actor's point of view, not that of the audenice |
| milk | to draw the maximum response from the audience from comic lines |
| off or offstage | off the visible on stage |
| on or onstage | on the visible stage |
| overlap | to speak when someone else is speaking |
| pace | the movement or sweep of the play as it progresses |
| personal props | small props that are usually carried in an actor's costume, such as money, matches, a pipe, or a pen |
| places | the positions of the actors at the opening of an act or scene |
| plot | to plan stage business, as to "plot" the action;to plan a speech by working out the phrasing, emphasis, and inflections. |
| pointing lines | emphasize an idea |
| principals | the main characters of a play |
| properties or props | all the stage furnishing,including furniture |
| ring up | to raise the curtain |
| role scoring | the analysis of a charater |
| script scoring or scripting | the marking of a script for one character, indicating interpretation,pauses, phrasing, stress, and so on. |
| set | the scenery for an act or a scene |
| set props | properties placed on stage for the use of actors |
| showmanship | a sense of theatre and the ability to present oneself effectively to the audience; stage charisma |
| stealing a scene | attracting attention from the person to whom the center of interest legitimately belongs. |
| subtext | character interpretations which are not in a script but are supplied by the actor |
| tag line | the last speech in an act or a play, usually humorous or clever |
| taking the stage | giving an actor the freedom to move over the entire stage area, usually during a lengthy speech. |
| tempo | the speed at which the action of a play moves along |
| timing | the execution of a line or piece of business at a specific moment to achieve the most telling effect |
| top | to build to a climax by speaking at a higher pitch, at a faster rate, or with more force and greater emphasis than in preceeding speeches |
| up or upstage | the area of the stage away from the audience, toward the backwall |
| upstaging | improperly taking attention from an actor who should be the focus of attention |
| walk-on | a small acting part which has no lines |
| warn | to notify of an upcoming action or cue |
