OCR Drama and Theatre Studies A Level Key terms

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ASIDE (Acting)
Lines spoken by an actor to the audience and not supposed to be overheard by other characters on stage.
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BLOCKING (Acting)
The process of arranging moves to be made by the actors during the play, recorded by stage management in the prompt script.
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CHARACTERISATION (Acting)
The art of creating a character. Within the text, characters may be presented by means of description within stage directions or character descriptions which the actor must try to convey or through their actions, speech, or spoken thoughts within the
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CORPSING (Acting)
An actor who collapses into uncontrollable laughter during a rehearsal or performance is said to be “corpsing”.
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DICTION (Acting)
The quality or style of speaking of a character within the play, consisting of components such as accent, inflection, intonation and enunciation.
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GESTURE (Acting)
Body or facial movements of a character during a play. Gesture can be described by the author, or suggested by the director or actor.
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INFLECTION (Acting)
Pronouncing a word to stress its meaning.
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MIME (Acting)
Communicating emotion, meaning or an idea without words, using only gesture, expression and movement.
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PACE (Acting)
The speed the dialogue and/or action is delivered to the audience.
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PITCH (Acting)
The highness or lowness of the tone of voice. Generally male voices are lower pitched and female voices are higher pitched.
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PROJECTION (Acting)
Using the voice loudly and clearly to ensure the dialogue is heard by the audience.
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RAPPORT (Acting)
The feeling created by an ensemble or cast working together during a performance.
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READ THROUGH (Acting)
A meeting with all cast and (sometimes all) creative team members to read through the script. Usually happens at the start of the rehearsal process, to help the cast get to know each other and the text.
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STILLNESS (Acting)
Using a quiet voice and a subtle body language to create a calm atmosphere on stage.
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TONE (Acting)
The way the words are spoken to demonstrate the emotion behind their meaning.
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Posture (Acting)
How an actor holds themselves
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Status (Acting)
The power a character has
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Stance (Acting)
How an actor stands onstage
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Gait (Acting)
Walk
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Characterisation (Acting)
Age, class, style - Shown through acting
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Gestures (Acting)
Moving to express an idea or meaning
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Proxemics (Acting)
Distance between actors showing relationship
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Facial Expression (Acting)
Emotion shown through face
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DRESSING ROOMS (Costume)
Rooms containing clothes rails and mirrors (often surrounded with lights) in which actors change into their costumes and apply makeup.
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GREASEPAINT (Costume)
Name refers to makeup supplied in stick form, for application to the face or body. Needs special removing cream.
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MAKEUP (Costume)
Products applied to the face or body of an actor to change or enhance their appearance.
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MASK (Costume)
Form of theatre where actors’ faces are covered with masks.
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QUICK CHANGE (Costume)
A change of costume that needs to happen very quickly and takes place close to the side of the stage.
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WARDROBE (Costume)
The general name for the costume department, its staff and the accommodation they occupy.
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Pitch (Voice)
High/Low
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Tone (Voice)
Emotion put into voice
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Volume (Voice)
Loud/quiet
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Accent (Voice)
Scouse/Scottish
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Dynamics (Voice)
Force or energy put into voice
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Pauses (Voice)
Silence used for dramatic effect
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Innotation (Voice)
Variety in pitch
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Pace (Voice)
How fast/slow
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Texture (Voice)
Grizzle/Smooth
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Stresses (Voice)
Emphasising certain words
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ACT (Feature of performance text)
Subdivision between sections of a play. Acts are subdivided further into Scenes.
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ANTAGONIST (Feature of performance text)
The opposite of the PROTAGONIST in a drama. See also PROTAGONIST
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ANTI-CLIMAX (Feature of performance text)
A climax is where everything comes together as a conclusion. An anti-climax, conversely, is incomplete so can be disappointing or unsatisfying.
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CHORUS (Feature of performance text)
In Greek theatre, a character (or group) representing an element in the drama which comments on the action, and advances the plot.
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CLIMAX (Feature of performance text)
The significant moment in the plot of a play, when things change, or reach a crisis point.
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COMIC RELIEF (Feature of performance text)
A comic scene (or line) included in an otherwise straight-faced play to provide a relief from tension for the audience.
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DRAMATIC IRONY (Feature of performance text)
Where the audience knows more about a situation on stage than one of the characters in the drama.
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DRAMATIC TENSION (Feature of performance text)
Moments in a drama where the audience feels a heightened sense of anticipation about what is going to happen next.
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EPILOGUE (Feature of performance text)
Scene or speech which follows the main action of the play and provides some insight or comment on the action.
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EXPOSITION (Feature of performance text)
The section of plot at the start of a play which provides essential background information about the characters, their situation, and their relationships to each other.
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FLASHBACK (Feature of performance text)
A moment during the action of a play when the natural flow of time is interrupted so that a moment from the past can be presented.
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INTERIOR MONOLOGUE (Feature of performance text)
The interior (or internal) monologue is the stream of consciousness discussion a character has with her/himself while working through problems or issues confronting them. It can be delivered as a recorded voiceover, or possibly as an aside spoken dir
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PROLOGUE (Feature of performance text)
Short scene or speech before the main action of the play to put it into context or set the scene.
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RISING ACTION (Feature of performance text)
 The events that build up the pace and perhaps the excitement in a plot/drama.
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SOLILOQUY (Feature of performance text)
Lines delivered by an actor on stage as if to her/himself.
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SUBTEXT (Feature of performance text)
In acting and character analysis, it refers to the idea that there are other meanings below the surface of what is actually said and done.
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BACKLIGHT (lighting)
Light coming from upstage, behind scenery or actors, to sculpt and separate them from the background.
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BARNDOORS (lighting)
An attachment which is fixed to the front of a lantern to cut off the lighting beam in a particular direction(s).
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BLACKOUT (lighting)
The act of turning off (or fading out) stage lighting.
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CROSS FADE (lighting)
Bringing another lighting state up to completely replace the current lighting state. Also applies to sound effects/music. Sometimes abbreviated to Xfade or XF.
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FLOOD (lighting)
A lensless lantern that produces a broad non-variable spread of light.
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FOLLOWSPOT (lighting)
Usually, a powerful profile lantern fitted with its own dimmer, iris, colour magazine and shutters mounted in or above the auditorium, used with an operator so that the light beam can be moved around the stage to follow an actor.
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GOBO (lighting)
A thin metal plate etched to produce a design which can then be projected by a profile spotlight. There are hundreds of gobo designs available – common examples are breakup (foliage), windows and scenic (neon signs, city scapes etc.).
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Intensity (lighting)
The brightness of the light.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

The process of arranging moves to be made by the actors during the play, recorded by stage management in the prompt script.

Back

BLOCKING (Acting)

Card 3

Front

The art of creating a character. Within the text, characters may be presented by means of description within stage directions or character descriptions which the actor must try to convey or through their actions, speech, or spoken thoughts within the

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

An actor who collapses into uncontrollable laughter during a rehearsal or performance is said to be “corpsing”.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

The quality or style of speaking of a character within the play, consisting of components such as accent, inflection, intonation and enunciation.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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