| 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 writer of his or her character |
| scoring a script | marking things such as puses, pitch levels, and speed of delivery on a script |
| plus sign | the script-scoring symbol that indicates a slight pause |
| backward check mark | the script-scoring symbol that indicates rising inflection |
| characterization | the process of creating and projecting the personality of a fully developed character |
| primary source | a person whom an actor observes firsthand to prepare for a role |
| secondary source | a book or tape an actor uses to prepare for a role |
| concentration | the ability to direct your thought, energies, and skills into what you are doing at any given moment |
| projecting | reaching out with your character to all members of the audience |
| body language | another term for nonverbal communication |
| playing the object | the way an actor uses props onstage to project character |
| playing the conditions | using 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 onstage |
| master gesture | a repeated action that is a clue to a charater's personality |
| leading center | the part of the actor's body that emphasizes the character's major personality 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 the scene" | the stage technique in which an actor turns away fromt he audience, diverting attention from himself or herself |
| "sharing a scene" | the stage technique in which two actors sit or stand parallel to one another |
| rising inflection | the voice modulation used when one is surprised, shocked, or asking questions |
| falling inflection | the voice modulation that signals the end of a statement |
| sustained inflection | the voice modulation that suggests calmness, decisiveness, or steadiness of purpose |
| circumflex inflection | the voice modulation in which a vowel is stressed to sound like two vowels to change the meaning of a word or to stres a particular meaning |
| whole-part memorization | the method for learning lines in which the actor begins by reading through the whole play several times |
| part-whole memorization | the method for learning lines in which the actor learns each line separately until the actor's entire part is learned |
| subtext | the hidden meaning that lies "between the lines" |
| "forgetting what you know" | purposefully appearing to be ignorant of any information from later in the play |
| fade-off lines | lines that actors trail off rather than finishing |
| cut-off lines | lines interrupted by another speaker |
| key lines | extremely important lines that everyone in the audience must hear |
| milk | to extract the maximum response from the audience |
| paraphrasing | stating the meaning of a line in your own words |
| topping | delivering a line that surpasses the hilarity of the line just spoken |
| laugh curve | the swelling and fading of the audience's laughter |
| dialect | Cockney is an example of this |
| arena stage | the type of stage completely surrounded by the audience |
| clock reference | ex: stand at 4oclock and cross to 9oclock |
| quadrants | ex:1,2,3,4 or ne, sw, se, nw |
| thrust stage | type of stage surrounded on three sides by the audience |
| "pitch up" character | the type of character that lacks confidence and tends to be fearful, intimidated, or confused |
| "pitch down" character | the type of character that is self-assured, dominating, authoritative, and overbearing |
| substitution | a technique in which an actor recalls a personal experience in order to capture the emotional response called for in a scene |
| improvisation | the impromtu portrayal of a character without any preparation |
| "cut-in" line | the line stated in order to silence the audience's laughter |
