Theatre Vocabulary-
All vocabulary on this page was listed in the curriculum guide for Theater 1, 2, and 3
Some resources for those wishing to look up unfamiliar theater terms
https://www.ket.org/education/resources/drama-glossary/
ACTING terms
acting: use of face, body, and voice to portray character; Behaving truthfully in imaginary circumstances
spontaneous - said or done without having been planned or written in advance
subtext. Implied meaning beneath the words
believability - the quality of being believable or trustworthy
illusion of the first time- giving the impression, when saying your lines, or performing actions, that it is the first time your character is doing/saying them, despite having rehearsed them many times before as an actor
fourth wall - the imaginary wall between the actors and the audience
character-analysis - examining the elements of the character based on the text
character-development-The development and portrayal of a personality through thought, action, dialogue, costuming, and makeup. For actors -the process of taking a character from the page to the stage. For playwrights- the act of writing a character, developing them into a three dimensional “person”
empathy - understanding and entering into another's feelings
sympathy - an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion; sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish);
motivation - the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior; the act of motivating; providing incentive; the condition of being motivated
intent - the meaning of a communication; an anticipated outcome that guides your actions. As actors we are asked to stick to the "Author's intent, or playwright's intent" - meaning don't contradict what the author intended in the scene by doing something outlandish or out of character.
objective - the goal your character is pursuing.
tactics - a plan for attaining a particular goal
obstacle - something that stands in the way of you attaining your goal
characterization -the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features; acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture;
emoting-projecting or expressing an emotion; sometimes implies acting that is overly focused on the end result of assumed emotional expression (not genuine), rather than truthfully playing the scene that is actually happening- with emotions naturally resulting from being in the moment.
role - an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
play - dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; a theatrical performance of a drama; verb; pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity; play a role or part; perform on a stage or theater;
movement - stage blocking or the movements of the actors onstage during performance; also refers to the action of the play as it moves from event to event.
given-circumstances-the total set of environmental and situational conditions which influence the actions that a character in a drama undertakes
visualize - make visible; imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind; form a mental picture of something that is invisible or abstract;
subconscious - just below the level of consciousness; mental activity just below the level of awareness
focus - to direct one's attention on something; bring into focus or alignment;
observation - the act of observing; taking a patient look; the act of making and recording a measurement; facts learned by observing; a remark expressing careful consideration; the act of noticing or paying attention
VOCALterms
articulate - speak clearly
articulators - parts used to speak clearly: tongue, teeth, lips, hard palate, soft palate
diaphragm - shelf-like muscle under the lungs that help to control the release
hard palate - bony structure that is 2/3rds of the roof of the mouth
inflection- change in pitch or loudness of the voice.
pitch - the tune /melody of the voice whether speaking or singing
project - to speak loudly
projection- how well the voice carries to the audience.
rate - speed or pace - how fast or slow you speak
tone - the sound of your voice, which is a result of the vocal focus/breath compression, and vocal resonance, and vocal placement.
resonators -the chest, the trachael tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses.
tongue twisters - tricky short statements filled with alliteration, or repetition of sounds used to warm up the articulators. Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.
warm up - preparing your body and voice for performance to avoid injury and be primed to do your best
delivery - to present or speak a line. (Your delivery of that last line was spot on!)
PHYSICAL / MOVEMENT terms
blocking -the path formed by the actor’s movement on stage, usually determined by the director with assistance from the actor and often written down in a script using commonly accepted theatrical symbols.
blocking rehearsals - rehearsals that focus solely on the movement of the actors on stage
body language - inclusive category of all movements that communicate something onstage through posture, gestures, facial expressions, etc.
stage business - actions or behavior of an actor on stage used to give information, enhance character, define focus, or establish importance. (makes the character appear busy - brushing hair, folding laundry, etc.))
cross (X= to cross) - the movement of an actor from one spot to another
counter (counter cross) - to cross the opposite direction of another actor who has crossed in front of you and is blocking you from the audience's view, and to achieve visual balance.
gestures - any movement of the actor’s head, shoulder, arm, hand, leg, or foot to convey meaning.
hand props - properties such as tools, weapons, or luggage that are carried on stage by an individual actor.
mannerisms - physical or vocal movements that are either the character's habits or actor's habits
posture - the holding and positioning of one's shoulders and spine that can indicate age, health, mood, etc.
upstaging - (verb) to deliberately draw the audience’s attention away from another actor or actors by overacting, using flashy bits of business, or other means; term originated from an actor purposefully positioning himself upstage of the other actors so that they must turn their backs on the audience to deliver their lines to him.
TEAMWORK terms
Accountability - an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions
active listening - truly listening to others - being present in the moment - not thinking what to say back
ensemble - the team that works together to perform (also known as the cast, or sometimes the chorus)
collaboration - teamwork/working together with others
THE PROCESS /BUSINESS/BASIC TERMS
Auditions - trying out for a play
Actors - the performers that portray characters in a play
thespian - actors, the name given to actors based on the very first actor, Thespis
rehearse - to practice
rehearsal - the practice session
rehearsal journal - a diary kept by an actor to track their own progress
designer - can be lighting, sound, costume designer. One who designs / creates.
social media - tiktok, facebook, twitter - online platforms that are often used for promotion of a show, or a performer
role - a part that is played
IMPROVISATION terms
improvisation - acting without a script
long form improv Long form is a style of improvisation that bases its entertainment on very few and possibly a single ask for from the audience. Because it involves the audience less, long form relies more heavily on acting skills and ensemble memory, that can entertain for an entire 45 minute set
short form improv Television shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” or MTV’s “Wild ’n Out” feature a specific style of improv known as “short-form,” in which actors create spontaneous comedy with the help of preset scenarios or “games.” If you’ve ever played charades or made up a song, congratulations—you’ve done short-form improv comedy.
ad lib - unscripted lines made up spontaneously.
spontaneous - unplanned
environment - the surrounding conditions and location of a scene
setting - the time and place that the play takes place
offer - to give information or conditions in improvisation through statement or action.
“Yes…and” method - SOMETIMES uses the actual words YES, AND
1.the act of listening to the other actors on stage so that you can...
2. agree with the circumstances and conditions they offer in the scene and then...
3. add your own coordinating offers to help the story move forward.
(This can be done by saying YES, and...)
CHARACTERIZATION terms
external traits - physical characteristics, i.e. tall, short,
internal traits - personality traits, i.e. mean, nice,
mannerisms - habits - can be physical or vocal - but are established by being repeated.
COMEDY terms
clipping - the act of cutting of another person's line by speaking too soon
timing - the relative pace including pauses that can improve or worsen a performance
comedy - a performance that is intended to be funny
DIRECTING terms
atmosphere - the general feeling of the enviroment in the theatre itself; created by lighting, sound, set, good acting, good backstage work, and good house management
balance - Balance is an overarching term about how the light, movement, and sound all work together within a single scene. A visual balance is the sense that a design is equally weighted on both sides of its vertical center. A balanced design feels completed and comfortable where a lack of balance feels unfinished and disconcerting. There are instances where you may want an unbalanced feeling. Balance is a principle of design.
stage picture - the positioning of actors that aides in the story telling. Actors move through stage pictures.
focal point - where you want the audience to look; the feature of a work of art that is the most interesting or important or the most strongly emphasized. Lighting and the stage picture can help create a focal point.
aesthetic distance - (also known as SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF)) refers to the gap between a viewer's conscious reality and the fictional reality presented in a work of art. When a reader becomes fully engrossed in the illusory narrative world of a book, the author has achieved a close aesthetic distance. If the author then jars the reader from the reality of the story, essentially reminding the reader they are reading a book, the author is said to have "violated the aesthetic distance.
tableau - frozen picture created by actor's in a position on stage; unmoving.
CRITIQUES terms
criteria - traits or standards by which something is judged/measured
critic - one who's job it is to evaluate performances and write an article, broadcast, or podcast about the play/musical etc. that they've seen.
peer evaluation - judging a fellow actor's performance
SCRIPT / Script ANALYSIS /PLAY STRUCTURE terms
cue - (for actors) a signal to a performer to begin an action or line
(for technical theatre) the next change that needs to happen in lighting or the set
context clues - familiar bits of information in the text that provide clues to understanding something unfamiliar.
dialogue - what the characters say
conflict - a problem
character - the 'who', THE PEOPLE in the scene
drama - the art of composing, writing, acting, or producing plays; a literary composition intended to portray life or character or enact a story, usually involving conflicts and emotions exhibited through action and dialogue, designed for theatrical performance.
dramatist - a playwright
dramatization - a play
given circumstances - information provided by the playwright about the world of the play - can be embedded in the play itself - not just at the beginning.
plot - the story
monologue - one character speaking without interruption from anyone else
mood - a distinctive atmosphere or context (the mood is quiet and sleepy)
fiction - not real
soliloquy - monologue in which the character speaks about their feelings - speaking to themselves/the audience
subtext - the true meaning beneath the words, the implied meaning/truth
stakes - high or low stakes in the scene (high stakes =life or death, low stakes = doesn't matter)
universal theme - a message that is relatable to all cultures and time periods.
scene - part of a script that usually occurs in one location and has a beginning, middle, end
script - the book that is the play, contains the words, stage directions etc.
straight plays - non-musical plays
narrative-The telling of a story in the grammatical first person, i.e. from the perspective of an "I," for example Moby Dick, including its famous opening: "Call me Ishmael."
setting - the location and time period
theme - the message
plot structure - Inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement
MUSICAL THEATER terms
musical theatre - acting, singing, and dancing for the purpose of telling a story
playwright - an author who writes plays
Rodgers and Hammerstein - two most famous American Musical Theatre Composers/Lyricists
genre - a category
lyricist - writes the words (lyrics) to a song
choreographer - creates the dance steps for a dance
chorus - group of singers, sometimes the ensemble of a show
composer - writes the music of a song
Some resources for those wishing to look up unfamiliar theater terms
https://www.ket.org/education/resources/drama-glossary/
ACTING terms
acting: use of face, body, and voice to portray character; Behaving truthfully in imaginary circumstances
spontaneous - said or done without having been planned or written in advance
subtext. Implied meaning beneath the words
believability - the quality of being believable or trustworthy
illusion of the first time- giving the impression, when saying your lines, or performing actions, that it is the first time your character is doing/saying them, despite having rehearsed them many times before as an actor
fourth wall - the imaginary wall between the actors and the audience
character-analysis - examining the elements of the character based on the text
character-development-The development and portrayal of a personality through thought, action, dialogue, costuming, and makeup. For actors -the process of taking a character from the page to the stage. For playwrights- the act of writing a character, developing them into a three dimensional “person”
empathy - understanding and entering into another's feelings
sympathy - an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion; sharing the feelings of others (especially feelings of sorrow or anguish);
motivation - the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior; the act of motivating; providing incentive; the condition of being motivated
intent - the meaning of a communication; an anticipated outcome that guides your actions. As actors we are asked to stick to the "Author's intent, or playwright's intent" - meaning don't contradict what the author intended in the scene by doing something outlandish or out of character.
objective - the goal your character is pursuing.
tactics - a plan for attaining a particular goal
obstacle - something that stands in the way of you attaining your goal
characterization -the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features; acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture;
emoting-projecting or expressing an emotion; sometimes implies acting that is overly focused on the end result of assumed emotional expression (not genuine), rather than truthfully playing the scene that is actually happening- with emotions naturally resulting from being in the moment.
role - an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
play - dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; a theatrical performance of a drama; verb; pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity; play a role or part; perform on a stage or theater;
movement - stage blocking or the movements of the actors onstage during performance; also refers to the action of the play as it moves from event to event.
given-circumstances-the total set of environmental and situational conditions which influence the actions that a character in a drama undertakes
visualize - make visible; imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind; form a mental picture of something that is invisible or abstract;
subconscious - just below the level of consciousness; mental activity just below the level of awareness
focus - to direct one's attention on something; bring into focus or alignment;
observation - the act of observing; taking a patient look; the act of making and recording a measurement; facts learned by observing; a remark expressing careful consideration; the act of noticing or paying attention
VOCALterms
articulate - speak clearly
articulators - parts used to speak clearly: tongue, teeth, lips, hard palate, soft palate
diaphragm - shelf-like muscle under the lungs that help to control the release
hard palate - bony structure that is 2/3rds of the roof of the mouth
inflection- change in pitch or loudness of the voice.
pitch - the tune /melody of the voice whether speaking or singing
project - to speak loudly
projection- how well the voice carries to the audience.
rate - speed or pace - how fast or slow you speak
tone - the sound of your voice, which is a result of the vocal focus/breath compression, and vocal resonance, and vocal placement.
resonators -the chest, the trachael tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses.
- Explanation: The voice, like all acoustic instruments such as the guitar, trumpet, piano, or violin, has its own special chambers for resonating the tone. Once the tone is produced by the vibrating vocal cords, it vibrates in and through the open resonating ducts and chambers. These open spaces are called RESONATORS, examples of resonators are the chest, the tracheal tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses.
tongue twisters - tricky short statements filled with alliteration, or repetition of sounds used to warm up the articulators. Example: She sells seashells by the seashore.
warm up - preparing your body and voice for performance to avoid injury and be primed to do your best
delivery - to present or speak a line. (Your delivery of that last line was spot on!)
PHYSICAL / MOVEMENT terms
blocking -the path formed by the actor’s movement on stage, usually determined by the director with assistance from the actor and often written down in a script using commonly accepted theatrical symbols.
blocking rehearsals - rehearsals that focus solely on the movement of the actors on stage
body language - inclusive category of all movements that communicate something onstage through posture, gestures, facial expressions, etc.
stage business - actions or behavior of an actor on stage used to give information, enhance character, define focus, or establish importance. (makes the character appear busy - brushing hair, folding laundry, etc.))
cross (X= to cross) - the movement of an actor from one spot to another
counter (counter cross) - to cross the opposite direction of another actor who has crossed in front of you and is blocking you from the audience's view, and to achieve visual balance.
gestures - any movement of the actor’s head, shoulder, arm, hand, leg, or foot to convey meaning.
hand props - properties such as tools, weapons, or luggage that are carried on stage by an individual actor.
mannerisms - physical or vocal movements that are either the character's habits or actor's habits
posture - the holding and positioning of one's shoulders and spine that can indicate age, health, mood, etc.
upstaging - (verb) to deliberately draw the audience’s attention away from another actor or actors by overacting, using flashy bits of business, or other means; term originated from an actor purposefully positioning himself upstage of the other actors so that they must turn their backs on the audience to deliver their lines to him.
TEAMWORK terms
Accountability - an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions
active listening - truly listening to others - being present in the moment - not thinking what to say back
ensemble - the team that works together to perform (also known as the cast, or sometimes the chorus)
collaboration - teamwork/working together with others
THE PROCESS /BUSINESS/BASIC TERMS
Auditions - trying out for a play
Actors - the performers that portray characters in a play
thespian - actors, the name given to actors based on the very first actor, Thespis
rehearse - to practice
rehearsal - the practice session
rehearsal journal - a diary kept by an actor to track their own progress
designer - can be lighting, sound, costume designer. One who designs / creates.
social media - tiktok, facebook, twitter - online platforms that are often used for promotion of a show, or a performer
role - a part that is played
IMPROVISATION terms
improvisation - acting without a script
long form improv Long form is a style of improvisation that bases its entertainment on very few and possibly a single ask for from the audience. Because it involves the audience less, long form relies more heavily on acting skills and ensemble memory, that can entertain for an entire 45 minute set
short form improv Television shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” or MTV’s “Wild ’n Out” feature a specific style of improv known as “short-form,” in which actors create spontaneous comedy with the help of preset scenarios or “games.” If you’ve ever played charades or made up a song, congratulations—you’ve done short-form improv comedy.
ad lib - unscripted lines made up spontaneously.
spontaneous - unplanned
environment - the surrounding conditions and location of a scene
setting - the time and place that the play takes place
offer - to give information or conditions in improvisation through statement or action.
“Yes…and” method - SOMETIMES uses the actual words YES, AND
1.the act of listening to the other actors on stage so that you can...
2. agree with the circumstances and conditions they offer in the scene and then...
3. add your own coordinating offers to help the story move forward.
(This can be done by saying YES, and...)
- Example: Your scene partner says, 'Welcome to the Alabama Visitor's Center - we're so happy you decided to pull off the highway to see our welcome center - do you need a map?'
- You have to agree the conditions of being in Alabama, at a welcome center, and having been on the highway right before pulling into the visitor's center. Then, add your own coordinating offer to the scene - building on what was just said.
- You could reply, "YES! I could use a map to Mobile AND I'm headed to my sister's wedding and we're already late for the rehearsal dinner, my phone died and the GPS keeps telling me to U-turn so I do need a map - Thank you so much!"
CHARACTERIZATION terms
external traits - physical characteristics, i.e. tall, short,
internal traits - personality traits, i.e. mean, nice,
mannerisms - habits - can be physical or vocal - but are established by being repeated.
COMEDY terms
clipping - the act of cutting of another person's line by speaking too soon
timing - the relative pace including pauses that can improve or worsen a performance
comedy - a performance that is intended to be funny
DIRECTING terms
atmosphere - the general feeling of the enviroment in the theatre itself; created by lighting, sound, set, good acting, good backstage work, and good house management
balance - Balance is an overarching term about how the light, movement, and sound all work together within a single scene. A visual balance is the sense that a design is equally weighted on both sides of its vertical center. A balanced design feels completed and comfortable where a lack of balance feels unfinished and disconcerting. There are instances where you may want an unbalanced feeling. Balance is a principle of design.
stage picture - the positioning of actors that aides in the story telling. Actors move through stage pictures.
focal point - where you want the audience to look; the feature of a work of art that is the most interesting or important or the most strongly emphasized. Lighting and the stage picture can help create a focal point.
aesthetic distance - (also known as SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF)) refers to the gap between a viewer's conscious reality and the fictional reality presented in a work of art. When a reader becomes fully engrossed in the illusory narrative world of a book, the author has achieved a close aesthetic distance. If the author then jars the reader from the reality of the story, essentially reminding the reader they are reading a book, the author is said to have "violated the aesthetic distance.
tableau - frozen picture created by actor's in a position on stage; unmoving.
CRITIQUES terms
criteria - traits or standards by which something is judged/measured
critic - one who's job it is to evaluate performances and write an article, broadcast, or podcast about the play/musical etc. that they've seen.
peer evaluation - judging a fellow actor's performance
SCRIPT / Script ANALYSIS /PLAY STRUCTURE terms
cue - (for actors) a signal to a performer to begin an action or line
(for technical theatre) the next change that needs to happen in lighting or the set
context clues - familiar bits of information in the text that provide clues to understanding something unfamiliar.
dialogue - what the characters say
conflict - a problem
character - the 'who', THE PEOPLE in the scene
drama - the art of composing, writing, acting, or producing plays; a literary composition intended to portray life or character or enact a story, usually involving conflicts and emotions exhibited through action and dialogue, designed for theatrical performance.
dramatist - a playwright
dramatization - a play
given circumstances - information provided by the playwright about the world of the play - can be embedded in the play itself - not just at the beginning.
plot - the story
monologue - one character speaking without interruption from anyone else
mood - a distinctive atmosphere or context (the mood is quiet and sleepy)
fiction - not real
soliloquy - monologue in which the character speaks about their feelings - speaking to themselves/the audience
subtext - the true meaning beneath the words, the implied meaning/truth
stakes - high or low stakes in the scene (high stakes =life or death, low stakes = doesn't matter)
universal theme - a message that is relatable to all cultures and time periods.
scene - part of a script that usually occurs in one location and has a beginning, middle, end
script - the book that is the play, contains the words, stage directions etc.
straight plays - non-musical plays
narrative-The telling of a story in the grammatical first person, i.e. from the perspective of an "I," for example Moby Dick, including its famous opening: "Call me Ishmael."
setting - the location and time period
theme - the message
plot structure - Inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement
MUSICAL THEATER terms
musical theatre - acting, singing, and dancing for the purpose of telling a story
playwright - an author who writes plays
Rodgers and Hammerstein - two most famous American Musical Theatre Composers/Lyricists
genre - a category
lyricist - writes the words (lyrics) to a song
choreographer - creates the dance steps for a dance
chorus - group of singers, sometimes the ensemble of a show
composer - writes the music of a song