TASC Theatre Performance flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Given circumstances

The fixed facts surrounding a character, including time period, location, relationships, social class, and past events, which justify every choice an actor makes in the scene.

Objective

The active want that drives a character through a scene, phrased as a verb such as to persuade or to protect, giving the actor something playable rather than an emotional state.

Obstacle

The force, person, or inner conflict that prevents a character from immediately achieving the objective, creating the tension the actor plays against.

Tactic

The specific action a character uses to overcome an obstacle, such as to charm, threaten, or bargain; tactics shift at beat changes and must be directed at the partner.

Beat

The smallest unit of a scene defined by a single objective or tactic; a new beat begins whenever the character changes how they pursue what they want.

Magic if

A rehearsal device that asks what the actor would do if the fictional circumstances were real, bridging personal experience and the script's demands.

Subtext

The unspoken meaning beneath a line of dialogue, revealed through tone, pause, and physical behaviour that may contradict the literal words.

Status transaction

The moment-by-moment negotiation of dominance and submission between characters, expressed through posture, eye contact, space, and vocal choices.

Stakes

What a character stands to gain or lose if the objective is not achieved; higher stakes increase dramatic pressure and audience investment.

Endowment

The actor's imaginative assignment of specific qualities to a prop, costume, or partner so that behaviour toward it becomes truthful and detailed.

Through-line

The character's overarching super-objective that connects individual scene objectives into a single spine running through the whole play.

Inner monologue

The continuous unspoken thought an actor maintains while another character speaks, keeping the performance reactive rather than merely waiting for a cue.

Listening and reacting

The discipline of responding to a partner's actual behaviour in the moment instead of anticipating a rehearsed line, which keeps timing alive.

Character physical life

A consistent pattern of posture, tempo, centre of gravity, and habitual gesture that distinguishes a character and shifts when circumstances change.

Units and objectives

The analysis method that divides a script into sections, assigns each an active objective, and links them upward toward the character's super-objective.

Emotional recall

A technique of drawing on a remembered personal experience to access an emotion, used cautiously and always in service of the scene's action.

Blocking

The recorded pattern of actor movement and stage positions in a scene, written into scripts so that staging can be repeated consistently across rehearsals and performances.

Stage right

The side of the stage to the actor's right when facing the audience, which appears as the audience's left; all positional notes use this convention.

Downstage

The area of the stage closest to the audience; moving downstage increases intimacy and visibility but can weaken the sense of dominance.

Upstage

The area farthest from the audience; an actor standing upstage of another forces that actor to turn away, which is the origin of the term upstaging.

Open position

A body orientation angled toward the audience so the face and chest are visible, allowing the actor to share the scene with spectators.

Closed position

A body orientation turned away from the audience, used deliberately to isolate a character or conceal reaction, but risky for sightlines.

Levels

The vertical arrangement of performers through standing, sitting, kneeling, or lying, used to create emphasis and visual variety in a scene.

Pace and rhythm

Pace is the overall speed of a scene; rhythm is the pattern of acceleration and pause within it, and contrast between them sustains audience attention.

Projection

The use of supported breath and resonant tone to carry voice to the back of the auditorium without shouting, preserving clarity and vocal health.

Articulation

Precise shaping of consonants and vowels so that words remain intelligible at distance and at speed, distinct from volume.

Sightlines

The lines of view from any seat in the auditorium; staging must be checked from extreme side and front rows to ensure no action is masked.

Cue call

The prompt sequence of standby followed by go, used to trigger lighting, sound, or fly cues at precise moments during a performance.

Prompt copy

The master script held by the stage manager, annotated with blocking, cue numbers, and timing notes that govern the running of the show.

Technical rehearsal

A rehearsal integrating lighting, sound, set changes, and costume with the actors, focused on cue timing rather than performance quality.

Dress rehearsal

A full run under performance conditions with costumes, makeup, and all technical elements, used to confirm timing and solve final problems.

Climax placement

The positioning of the scene's strongest vocal and visual emphasis at the moment of highest stakes, which may not be the final line.

Cheating out

A small adjustment of the actor's stance toward the audience, made without breaking the illusion of the scene, to preserve visibility.