TASC Theatre Performance key terms

The planned pattern of actors' movements and positions on stage, usually set by the director and recorded in the script or prompt book so it can be repeated in every performance.

The visual arrangement of performers, set, and props as seen by the audience at any moment, judged for balance, focus, and clarity of storytelling.

The area of the stage furthest from the audience. Moving upstage takes an actor away from the spectators and can weaken their prominence.

The area of the stage nearest the audience. Actors standing downstage are closer to spectators and generally more prominent.

The point on stage where the audience's attention is deliberately drawn, created through blocking, lighting, movement, or the actor's use of energy.

The unspoken thoughts and feelings beneath a character's lines, which an actor identifies to give dialogue meaning beyond its literal words.

The specific goal a character actively pursues in a scene, phrased as an action the other character can resist or satisfy, driving the actor's choices.

A particular strategy a character uses to pursue an objective, such as persuading, teasing, or threatening, often changing beat by beat within a scene.

A small unit of dramatic action in which a character pursues one objective until a change occurs, used to break a scene into playable sections.

The facts of a play and character that an actor cannot change, including time, place, relationships, history, and social conditions shaping behaviour.

The pattern of change a character undergoes across a play, from initial state through conflict to a final state, which the actor tracks scene by scene.

The reason a character behaves or speaks as they do, rooted in desire, fear, or need, which an actor supplies to make choices believable.

The controlled use of breath and resonance to make the voice carry to the back of an auditorium without shouting or straining the vocal folds.

The clear shaping of speech sounds by tongue, lips, teeth, and palate so that consonants and vowels are distinct and words remain intelligible.

The overall clarity and choice of words in spoken delivery, covering both precise pronunciation and the suitability of language to character and situation.

Breathing in which the diaphragm descends and the lower ribs expand, providing steady, deep support for sustained vocal sound on stage.

A short routine of stretches, breathing, humming, and articulation exercises done before performance to prepare the voice and reduce strain.

A regional or social variety of speech with distinct pronunciation, rhythm, and vocabulary that an actor may adopt to portray a specific character.

The pronunciation features of a speaker's speech that reveal regional or social origin, which an actor may study and reproduce for a role.

A deliberate movement of the hand, arm, or head that supports or contradicts spoken meaning, chosen by the actor to express character and intention.

The way a performer uses posture, weight, tempo, and movement quality to embody a character's age, health, status, and emotional state.

The company of performers working as a coordinated whole, supporting one another on stage so that no single actor disrupts the shared story.

Unscripted performance in which actors invent dialogue and action spontaneously, often used in rehearsal to explore character and relationships.

A short prepared performance in which a candidate demonstrates suitability for a role, typically including a monologue, cold reading, or movement call.

A sustained speech delivered by one character, either alone or to others on stage, used in auditions and scenes to reveal inner thought.

Performing from a script seen for the first time, with little preparation, testing an actor's quick grasp of text and instinct for character.

Reading aloud from unfamiliar text with accurate phrasing and expression, a skill tested in auditions and script-in-hand rehearsals.

A spoken line, sound, or light change that signals a performer or technician to begin an action, entrances and effects depending on it.

The stage manager's spoken warning and instruction that a cue is about to happen, given over headset to operators and crew.

The master copy of the script marked with blocking, cues, and technical notes, kept by the stage manager as the authoritative record of the production.

The person who runs rehearsals and performances, coordinating cues, calling the show, and maintaining communication between cast, crew, and creative team.

A full run-through in costume with all technical elements in place, held shortly before opening to test the production as a whole.

A rehearsal devoted to integrating lighting, sound, set changes, and props with the actors, often stopping and restarting to fix problems.

A performance given to an audience before the official opening, allowing the company to test the show and make adjustments.

Feedback given by the director or stage manager after a rehearsal or performance, identifying specific adjustments for individuals or the company.

The audience-facing side of a venue, covering box office, ushering, programmes, and the management of spectators before and after the show.

The person responsible for audience safety, seating, and comfort in the auditorium, liaising with the stage manager before the performance begins.

The time by which performers and crew must arrive at the venue, set earlier than the performance to allow for preparation.

The moment at the end of a performance when the cast returns to the stage to acknowledge the audience's applause.

A pre-performance test of microphones, levels, and playback so that all audible elements are balanced and working correctly.