Acting Terminology #1 Flashcards
Moment Before
the time and events prior to the beginning of a play or scene
Opposites
contradictions and ambivalence within your character’s desires
Discovery
something that happens or is understood for the first time
Competition
Rivalry within a relationship
Place
the character’s environment and feelings associated with it
Conflict
the clash that results when two opposing objectives meet
Importance/ (stakes)
emotional significance of the outcome to your character
Mystery & Secret
things your character cannot understand or explain
Relationship
the shared bond of history, facts, and feelings between characters
Objectives
What your character wants to do to or get from others ( “ I want..”)
Tactic
What your character does to get what they want
Humor
Making light of a serious line or moment as a coping mechanism
Game Playing
playful or childish exchanges between characters
Business
blocking that involves the specific, necessary use of a prop
Motivation
Why your character does what they do
Text
the words spoken by the characters
Subtext
the meaning and unspoken undercurrents under the words
Action Verb
type of word stating objective and tactics
Climax
moment when your character wins or loses their objectives
Beat
change of subject, action, mood, or motivation within a scene
Super Objective
character’s overall want in the play; remains consistent while objectives vary from scene: “ I want control.”
Spine
one sentence that states the overall objective for every character in the play: “To escape the confines of small-town life”
Spine Line
a single line stated by or about the character that makes the super objective clear
Obstacle
The barrier that makes gaining the objective difficult. Maybe a person, an object, or a feeling
