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Interpreting the Drama
Chapter 4 Vocab
102
Fine Art
9th Grade
04/13/2009
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Term
emotional or subjective acting
 Definition
when actors play their parts in such a way that they actually weep, suffer, or struggle emotionally in front of the audience
Term
technical or objective acting
 Definition
performance is based on acting technique
Term
leading roles
 Definition
main characters in the play
Term
protagonist
 Definition
person who must solve the problem that arises in the play or be defeated in the conflict
Term
antagonist
 Definition
person who opposes the goals of the protagonist
Term
supporting roles
 Definition
characters who act as contrasts to others with whom other characters, usually the protagonist, are compared
Term
foil
 Definition
a character with whom another character, usually the protagonist, is compared
Term
character parts
 Definition
almost alwas include some distinguishing trait, idiosyncrasy, or personality type
Term
typecasting
 Definition
casting someone over and over again in the same kind of role
Term
versatility
 Definition
the ability to change style or character with ease
Term
secondary sources
 Definition
the books that you read to help shed light on your character
Term
body language
 Definition
communication that uses gestures, postures, and facial expresstions instead of words
Term
master gesture
 Definition
a distinctive action that serves as a clue to a character's personality
Term
leading center
 Definition
the part of the body that appears to lead gestures, such as the chest as a leading center for a brave character
Term
straight parts
 Definition
usually resemble in appearance and personality the characters the playwright had in mind
Term
characterization
 Definition
putting together all facets of a character to bring life and interest to that character
Term
primary source
 Definition
an individual whose posture, movements, habits, voice inflections, and manerisms are observed in order to build character
Term
cross
 Definition
movement from one stage postition to another
Term
"cheat out"
 Definition
when he or she pivots the torso and turns the face toward the audience
Term
"share a scene"
 Definition
stand or sit parallel to another actor
Term
"giving the scene"
 Definition
when he or she crosses downstage and then turns slightly upstage toward the other actor
Term
"turning the scene in"
 Definition
when they shift the angle of their bodies upstage and look directly at the scene's key character
Term
"taking yourself out of a scene"
 Definition
an actor who turns away from the audience into a three-quarter back or full position draws attention away from himself or herself.
Term
inflections
 Definition
rising, falling, sustained, and circumflex
Term
rising inflection
 Definition
used to indicate questioning, surprise, or shock
Term
falling inflection
 Definition
usually signals the end of a statement also used to express depresstion, finality, or firmness
Term
sustained inflection
 Definition
staying on the same note which suggests calmness, decisivness, or steadiness or purpose
Term
circumflex inflection
 Definition
the intonation of two or more vowel sounds for a what ordinarily is a single vowel sound
Term
subtext
 Definition
what your character thinks but does not say
Term
substitution
 Definition
the  use by an actor of a personal experience to relate to the experience of a character within a play
Term
improvisation
 Definition
the impromptu portrayal of a character without preparation or rehersal
Term
cut-off lines
 Definition
lines that are interrupted by another speaker
Term
fade-off lines
 Definition
the speaker trails off rather than finishing the line
Term
pointing lines
 Definition
placing the emphasis on exactly the right word and timing the rate and pauses so that the audience gets the full emotional impact
Term
paraphrasing
 Definition
figuring out the meaning of the line and stating it in your own words
Term
laugh curve
 Definition
the audience's reaction that actors listen for in order to anticipate the length of time the audience will laugh
Term
ad-lib
 Definition
to improvise stage buisness or conversation
Term
at rise
 Definition
who and what are onstage when the curtain opens
Term
back or backstage
 Definition
the area behind the set or that part of the stage that is not visible to the audience, including dressing rooms, shops and offices
Term
bit part
 Definition
an acting role with very few lines, a piece of stage buisness in one scene
Term
blocking yourself
 Definition
getting behind furniture or other actors so that you cannot be seen by the audience
Term
building a scene
 Definition
using dramatic devices, such as increased tempo, volume, and emphasis, to bring a scene to climax
Term
buisness
 Definition
any specific action (other than changing location) preformed on the stage, such as picking up a book or turning on a television set
Term
C
 Definition
the symbol used to identify the center of the stage
Term
countercross
 Definition
a movement in a direction opposite to a cross to balance the stage picture
Term
cover
 Definition
to obstruct the view of the audience; use of ad-lib to cover an unexpected, unwanted event during a performance
Term
cue
 Definition
the last words, action, or technical effect that immediatley precedes any line or buisness; a stage signal
Term
curtain
 Definition
the curtain or drapery that shuts off the stage from the audience; when written in all capital letters in a script, it indicates that the curtain is to be closed
Term
cut
 Definition
to stop action; to omit
Term
cut in
 Definition
to break into the speech of another character
Term
down or downstage
 Definition
the part of the stage toward the audience
Term
dressing the stage
 Definition
as a technical term, placing furnishings, pictures, and similar items to complete and balance a set; keeping the stage picture balanced during the action
Term
enter
 Definition
to move onto the stage
Term
exit or exeunt
 Definition
to leave the stage
Term
feeding
 Definition
giving lines and action in such a way that another actor can make a point or get a laugh 
Term
foil
 Definition
an acting role that is used for personality comparison, usually with the main character
Term
hand props
 Definition
items (properties) such as tools, weapons, or luggage carried onstage by an individual player
Term
hit
 Definition
to emphasize a word or line with extra force
Term
holding for laughs
 Definition
waiting for the audience to quiet down after a funny line or scene
Term
left and right
 Definition
terms used to refer to the stage from an actor's point of view, not from that of the audience
Term
milk
 Definition
to draw the maximum response from the audience from comic lines or action
Term
off or offstage
 Definition
off the visible stage
Term
on or onstage
 Definition
on the visible stage
Term
overlap
 Definition
to speak when someone else is speaking
Term
pace
 Definition
the movement or sweep of the play as it progresses
Term
personal props
 Definition
the small props that are usually carried in an actor's costume, such as money, matches, a pipe, or a pen
Term
places
 Definition
the stage command for actors to take their positions at the opening of an act or scene
Term
principals
 Definition
the main characters in a play or the named characters in a musical
Term
properties or props
 Definition
all the stage furnishings, including furniture and those items brought onstage by the actors
Term
ring up
 Definition
to raise the curtain
Term
role scoring
 Definition
the analysis of a character
Term
script scoring or scripting
 Definition
the marking of a script for one character, indicating interpretation, pauses, phrasing, stress, and so on
Term
set
 Definition
the scenery for an act or a scene
Term
set props
 Definition
properties placed onstage for the use of actors
Term
sides
 Definition
half-sheet pages of a script that contains the lines, cues, and buisness for one character
Term
stealing a scene
 Definition
attracting attention from the person to whom the audience's interest legitimately belongs
Term
subtext
 Definition
the unstated or "between the lines" meaning that an actor must draw from the script
Term
tag line
 Definition
the last speech in an act or play, usually humorous or clever
Term
taking the stage
 Definition
giving an actor the freedom to move over the entire stage area, usually during a lengthy speech
Term
tempo
 Definition
the speed at which the action of a play moves along
Term
timing
 Definition
the execution of a line or a piece of business at a specific moment to achieve the most telling effect
Term
top
 Definition
to make a line stronger that the line or lines preceding it by speaking at a higher pitch, at a faster rate, or with greater volume and emphasis
Term
up or upstage
 Definition
the area toward the rear of the stage away from the audience
Term
upstaging
 Definition
improperly taking attention from an actor who should be the focus of interest
Term
walk-on
 Definition
a small acting part that has no lines
Term
warn cue
 Definition
notification of an upcoming action or cue; usually indicating the promptbook
Term
1.) Internalizing
 Definition
when actors internalize a character, they develope a deep personal understanding of what the character is really like
Term
2.) Externalizing
 Definition
the process by which the true personalitly of a character is made visible to an audience
Term
3.) Concentrating
 Definition
the ability to direct all your thoughts, energies, and skills into what you are doing at any single moment
Term
4.) observing
 Definition
observing people carefully, noting how they communicate fine shades of emotion
Term
5.)  Emotional Memory
 Definition
recalling of specific emotions that you have experienced or observed
Term
6.) Projecting
 Definition
once inner feelings are externilized, they  must be projected to the audience
Term
7.) Motiviating
 Definition
the why of charaverization, to be believable your character's behavior must be driven by an inner force
Term
8.) Stretching a Character
 Definition
the process of making a role unique, individual, and interesting
Term
9.) The Consistent Inconsistency
 Definition
a special personality trait of a character that the actor chooses to emphasize
Term
10.) Playing the Conditions
 Definition
conditions are the elements of time, place, weather, objects, and the state of the individual
Term
11.) Playing the Objectives
 Definition
includes all the ways and means that a character uses to reach a goal
Term
12.) Playing the Obstacles
 Definition
facing each crisis or obstacle that stands in the way of an objective as the character would face it
Term
13.) Playing the Object
 Definition
how an actor uses objects onstage to project character
Term
14.) Energy
 Definition
the fuel that drives acting, both individual preformance and group performance
Term
15.) Focus
 Definition
directs the actor's attention, action, emotion, or line delivery to a definite target
Term
16.) Unigueness
 Definition
every actor who plays a character should be unique in that role, not merely a close copy of someone else
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