8th Grade - Theatre roles, Stage directions Flashcards
Actor/Actress
A person who performs a role in a play, work of theatre, or movie.
Antagonist
A person or a situation that opposes another character’s goals or desires.
Blocking
The planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage.
Center stage
The center of the area defined as the stage.
Characterization
The development and portrayal of a personality through thought, action, dialogue, costuming, and makeup.
Choreography
the art of creating dances for performance
Climax
The point of greatest dramatic tension or transition in a theatrical work.
Cold reading
A reading of a script done by actors who have not previously reviewed the play.
Conflict
Conflict Opposition of persons or forces giving rise to dramatic action.
Costume
Clothing worn by an actor on stage during a performance
Cue
A signal, either verbal or physical, that indicates something else, such as a line of dialogue or an entrance, is to happen.
Denouement
The final resolution of the conflict in a plot.
Dialogue
The conversation between actors on stage.
Diction
The pronunciation of words, the choice of words, and the manner in which a person expresses themself
Director
The person who oversees the entire process of staging a production.
Downstage
The stage area toward the audience.
Dress rehearsals
The final few rehearsals just prior to opening night in which the show is run with full technical elements. Full costumes and makeup are worn.
Ensemble
A group of theatrical artists working together to create a theatrical production.
Exposition
Detailed information revealing the facts of a plot.
Gesture
An expressive movement of the body or limbs.
Improvisation
A spontaneous style of theatre through which scenes are created without advance rehearsal or a script.
Level
The height of an actor’s head as determined by his or her body position (e.g., sitting, lying, standing, or elevated by an artificial means).
Monologue
A long speech by a single character.
Motivation
A character’s reason for doing or saying things in a play.
Objective
A character’s goal or intention
Pacing
The tempo (or speed) of an entire theatrical performance.
Pantomime
Acting without words through facial expression, gesture, and movement.
Play
The stage representation of an action or a story; a dramatic composition.
Protagonist
The main character of a play and the character with whom the audience identifies most strongly.
Playwright
A person who writes plays
Rising action
The part of a plot consisting of complications and discoveries that create conflict.
Protagonist
The main character of a play and the character with whom the audience identifies most strongly.
Props
Items carried on stage by an actor; small items on the set used by the actors.
Projection
Volume, clarity, and distinctness of voice that communicates clearly to an audience.
Script
The written text of a play.
Stage
The area where actors perform.
Stage left
The left side of the stage from the perspective of an actor facing the audience.
Stage left
The left side of the stage from the perspective of an actor facing the audience.
Stage manager
Person responsible for the smooth running of each performance; usually positioned backstage.
Stage right
The right side of the stage from the perspective of an actor facing the audience.
Tableau
A silent and motionless depiction of a scene created by actors, often from a picture
Tragedy
A form of drama in which the main character suffers disaster.
Upstage
The area of the stage furthest from the audience
