WACE ATAR Drama key terms

The pressure or suspense an audience feels as conflicting forces in a scene push toward an uncertain outcome. Performers build it through pacing, pause, vocal control, physical proximity and withholding information.

The point of greatest intensity in a scene or whole play, where accumulated tension is released or resolved. It usually marks a decisive change in the fortunes or understanding of a character.

The speed and rhythm at which a performance unfolds, controlled through timing of lines, movement, scene changes and silence. Varied pacing shapes audience attention and emotional response.

The planned pattern of actors' movement and positions on stage, worked out in rehearsal. Good blocking makes relationships, status and focus visible and keeps performers open to the audience.

The visual composition created by performers' positions, levels, grouping and spacing at any moment. A strong stage picture communicates relationships and directs the audience's eye without words.

The use of different heights on stage, such as standing, sitting, kneeling or raised platforms, to create visual variety and signal status or power. Contrasting levels strengthen stage pictures.

A staging fault where one performer draws attention away from another who should hold the audience's focus, often by moving upstage or making unnecessary movements. It damages the clarity of a scene.

The performer, object or area the audience is directed to watch at a given moment. Performers create focus through eye lines, gesture, stillness, lighting and their own positioning.

The controlled use of breath and resonance to make the voice carry clearly to the back of an audience without shouting. It protects vocal health and keeps diction intelligible in large spaces.

The clarity with which consonants and vowels are shaped so spoken words are understood. Precise diction, especially at speed or in heightened language, keeps meaning available to the audience.

A routine of breathing, humming, articulation and range exercises done before performing to prepare the voice and reduce strain. It also settles nerves and sharpens ensemble listening.

The meaning or feeling lying beneath the words a character speaks, which the actor plays while saying something different on the surface. Playing subtext makes dialogue layered and believable.

The facts a performer establishes about a character's situation: time, place, relationships, history, social position and events of the play. They anchor choices in the script rather than guesswork.

What a character actively wants in a scene, expressed as a verb such as to persuade or to escape. A playable objective gives actions purpose and drives conflict with other characters.

The relative power a character holds or claims in an interaction, shown through posture, eye contact, space, vocal weight and timing. Status can shift moment to moment within a scene.

A company of performers who work as a coordinated whole, supporting one another and sharing responsibility for the production's effect. Ensemble playing depends on listening, generosity and consistent energy.

Performance created by a group from original material, images, research or improvisation rather than from a pre-existing script. The company generates, selects and shapes the work collaboratively.

Spontaneous performance in which performers create action and dialogue without a fixed script. In devising it is a tool for generating material and testing relationships, not usually an end product.

The improvisation principle of contributing an idea, action or detail (offer) and responding to another's contribution as if it were true (accept). Blocking an offer stalls the scene.

The work of shaping a production's structure, meaning and context, including research, script editing, sequencing and identifying the story's central questions. A dramaturg supports the director and company.

The unifying interpretation a director brings to a script, covering setting, style, casting, design and emphasis. It should be argued from the text and communicated consistently to the whole team.

The practical arrangement of a production in performance space, including blocking, entrances, use of set and audience relationship. Staging choices shape what the audience sees and how meaning lands.

A stage format in which the audience sits on one side, framed by an arch or opening, and watches the action as if through a window. It suits illusionistic scenery and strong front-on pictures.

A stage that projects into the auditorium with audience on three sides. It demands open blocking, careful sight lines and awareness that spectators see performers from several angles.

A staging format with audience on two opposite sides and the action in a central corridor between them. It creates intimacy and confrontation but limits large scenic elements and cross-stage movement.

A staging format with the audience surrounding the performance area on all sides. Performers must keep turning, vary levels and avoid long static groupings so every side stays engaged.

The lines of view from audience seats to the stage, used to check that no action or design element is hidden. Designers and directors test sight lines from extreme seats.

The planning of the physical environment for a production, including shape, levels, entrances, materials and colour. It should serve the play's world, support movement and suit the staging format.

A scaled overhead drawing showing the stage, set elements, entrances and furniture positions. It is the shared reference for directors, designers and technicians during construction and rehearsal.

The choice of clothing, fabric, colour and fit for each character, revealing period, status, personality and change over the story. Costume must also work practically for movement and quick changes.

A recorded combination of lighting levels, colour and direction held for a period of the performance. States are cued to script moments to shape mood, focus and the passage of time.

A coloured transparent sheet placed in front of a lantern to tint its light. Gel choice affects mood, time of day and skin tones, and gels fade or burn with heat over time.

A signal for a technical or performance action, such as a lighting change, sound effect or an actor's entrance. Cues are written into the prompt copy and called in sequence during performance.

The production script marked with blocking, cues, props and timing notes, kept by the stage manager. It is the authoritative record for running the show and for rehearsals.

The person who coordinates rehearsals and performances, calls cues, manages props and company communication, and keeps the production running to schedule. They are the link between stage and technical areas.

A designed layer of sound, music, ambience or effects that builds the world of a production and guides mood. It can be live, recorded or created by performers on stage.

The overall emotional quality or mood a production creates at a given moment, produced through acting, design, light, sound and pace working together. Audiences sense atmosphere before they analyse it.

The process of building a believable character through voice, movement, motivation, relationships and costume, supported by textual evidence. It is judged by consistency and truthfulness rather than display.

A reasoned judgement of a performance seen in the theatre, supported by specific observed moments and analysis of how performer, design and direction created meaning for the audience.

How spectators react during and after a performance, including laughter, silence, tension and applause. Reflecting on response helps evaluate whether the production's intended effects were achieved.