Theater Terms Defined (D-F)

D

Dialogue: The words spoken by the actors in a play.

Downstage: The stage area nearest to the audience.

What Does It Take To Be A Good Actor?

 When the stage lights come on and it’s time to say that first line, what do you do when you forget what that line is?  You may be a sight to look at, but the audience wants more than that.  You may have gone to all of the acting classes or seminars, but did they prepare you for this moment? 

The average person would think that all it would take to be a good actor is good looks and talent.  Although, the two can play a big part in acting, there are much more attributes that are needed to be on top of your game.  Make-up can only take you so far.  Auditions can earn you a ticket on the stage, but

Theater Terms Defined (A-C)

  

Hello guys, before I really get further into the study of theater, I want to define a few terms.  This will help you move along quicker and will allow you to refer back to something.  I will make sure that I constantly update this list.

A

Above:  The area farther away from the audience.  (Ex. Upstage is above the downstage area.)

Action:  Progress made in a play that the audience can see, which includes dialogue, movement, character development, and the relationship between characters. 

Why Do People Act?

Kids doing role-play

Good question.  I'm glad you asked.  There are several reasons why people act or want to act.  While some people feel acting is just a waste of time, others do it because it's the next paycheck.  In this post, I will discuss why people choose, or not choose, to act.  Maybe it will change your mindset about acting or just confirm some of your own reasons for acting. 

Regardless of the reason why people act, pretty much everyone on earth was given a God-given desire to role-play.  Now, don't act like it

A Brief History of Acting

You know the old cliche, you won't know where you're going until you know where you've been.  Well, it's the same for acting.  Of course, like anything, when you talk about history, it's always a little fuzzy.  It's been passed down through history and in many theater classrooms that the first actor was Thespis of Icaria.  Thespis was a part of a dithyrambic chorus that sang in honor of Dionysus, a Greek god of wine and