The acting glossary.

220 terms from the rehearsal room, the audition, the film set and the business of acting, each in a sentence or two. Where a term has a full answer, it links to it.

Updated October 5, 2026

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8x10 Also: 10x8 (UK): The standard US headshot print size, in inches, with your resume attached to the back. In the UK the same print is usually called a 10x8, though most submissions are now digital. The full answer

A

Abby Singer: The second-to-last shot of the shooting day, announced so the crew can start preparing to wrap. It is named after Abby Singer, a production manager and assistant director known for calling the last couple of setups. The full answer
Action Also: Tactic, playable action: Two meanings. On set, it is the director's call to begin the take, and you come in carrying your moment before. In technique, an action is the playable verb you do to your partner on a line or beat, such as to flatter, warn or test. The full answer
Actioning: A rehearsal method, strongly associated with British training, where every line or thought is given a transitive verb: I comfort you, I needle you. It makes intention specific and gives the scene variety. The full answer
Actors' Equity Association Also: AEA, Equity (US): The US labor union for professional stage actors and stage managers. It negotiates contracts for theater work, sets minimums and working conditions, and runs Equity principal auditions and chorus calls.
ACTRA: The Canadian union representing performers in recorded media: film, television, radio, commercials and digital work. Stage actors in Canada are represented separately by Canadian Actors' Equity Association.
Ad-lib Also: Improvised line: Words an actor says that are not in the script, usually improvised in the moment. Some directors welcome them; on many shows, especially multi-camera comedy, you stick to the text unless invited to play.
ADR Also: Looping, dubbing: Automated dialogue replacement: rerecording your lines in a studio after the shoot, synced to the picture, to fix noise, change a line or add breaths and off-screen dialogue. You match your own performance to the playback. The full answer
Affective memory Also: Emotional memory, emotional recall: Lee Strasberg's term for recalling a specific past experience in sensory detail to reawaken a real emotion for a scene. It developed from Stanislavski's early work on emotion memory and remains debated among teachers. The full answer
Alexander Technique: A method developed by F. M. Alexander for noticing and releasing habitual tension, especially in the neck, head and back. Many drama schools teach it to free the voice and help actors move with less effort.
Alternate: A performer who plays a role on a fixed schedule, such as certain performances each week, sharing it with the principal. Common for physically or vocally punishing roles in long-running shows. The full answer
Apron Also: Forestage: The part of the stage floor that extends in front of the proscenium arch, toward the audience. Scenes played on the apron feel closer and more intimate, and are often played in front of a closed curtain.
Aside: A short line spoken to the audience, or to oneself, that the other characters onstage are understood not to hear. A common device in Shakespeare and in comedies of manners.
ASM Also: Assistant stage manager: Assistant stage manager. In rehearsal and performance they help the stage manager run the show: setting props, managing entrances, running the wings and often holding the book while actors are getting off it.
Avail Also: Avail check: A check from production or casting asking whether you are free for the shoot dates. It means you are in consideration, with no commitment on either side, and it is not a booking. The full answer

B

Back to one: Called on set after a take to send actors and camera back to their starting positions for the next take. Hit your first mark, find the moment before and be ready to go again. The full answer
Background Also: Extras, background actors, supporting artists (UK): Performers who populate the world of a scene without lines, such as diners, commuters or crowd. They take direction from the second assistant director and are expected not to look into the lens. The full answer
Beat: Two meanings. In analysis, a beat is a unit of a scene where one thing is pursued one way; a new beat starts when the tactic, topic or power shifts. Written as (beat) in a script, it is a brief pause that should be filled with thought. The full answer
Beginners Also: Beginners please: In UK theater, the call telling the actors who appear at the top of the show to go to the stage, usually about five minutes before curtain. The US equivalent is places.
Black box Also: Studio theater: A plain, flexible studio theater, usually a square room painted black, where seating and stage can be arranged in many configurations. Intimate and common for new work and drama school shows.
Blackout: Every stage light going out at once, often to end a scene or the play. Know exactly where you are and where you exit in the dark, and hold still until the lights are fully down.
Blocking: The planned movement and positions of actors in a scene: where you enter, cross, sit and stand. In theater the director sets it in rehearsal; on set it is worked out with camera in the blocking rehearsal. The full answer
Book Also: On book: The script, especially in theater. Being on book means holding the script; the stage manager on book follows the text and gives lines. In musicals, the book also means the spoken scenes as opposed to the songs. The full answer
Booking Also: Booked: Getting the job. Once you are booked, you have a confirmed role and dates, and your agent negotiates and confirms the deal. Until that point, holds and avails are not bookings. The full answer
Breakdown Also: Casting breakdown: A casting notice describing a project and its roles: character names, ages, descriptions, shoot dates, union status and pay terms. Agents submit actors against it, and many are posted for self-submission. The full answer
Breakdown Services: A US company that distributes casting breakdowns to agents and managers and runs related casting platforms. Much of the represented US casting flow for film, TV and theater passes through it.
Breaking Also: Breaking character, corpsing (UK): Losing character during a scene, usually by laughing, so the scene stops working. On set it means another take; on stage, actors try to cover and stay in it.
Button: A short final beat, line or look that ends a scene with a snap. Comedy often lives or dies on the button, and directors may ask you to find a better one.
Buyout: A single upfront payment for the use of your performance, typically in commercials, in place of ongoing usage payments such as residuals. Terms of what the buyout covers vary by contract, so read them.

C

Caesura: A pause or break in the middle of a line of verse, often marked by punctuation. Verse speakers use it to find where a thought turns or a breath belongs.
Call sheet: The daily schedule for a film or TV shoot, sent the night before. It lists the scenes, the cast called, each person's call time, the location, and key contacts. Read all of it. The full answer
Call time Also: Call: The time you are due to arrive on set or at the theater. Arriving early is normal; late is a real problem, since everything downstream is scheduled around it. The full answer
Callback Also: Recall (UK): A second or later audition for the same role after the first read. You usually meet more of the decision makers, so bring the same choices that got you called back, plus any adjustments you were given. The full answer
Casting associate: A member of a casting office who works under the casting director, often running sessions, sorting submissions and pre-reading actors. A strong relationship with an associate is worth a great deal over a career.
Casting director Also: CD: The person hired by producers to find and present actors for a project's roles. They read breakdown submissions, run auditions, bring options to the director and producers, and often negotiate the deal with agents.
Center stage: The middle of the stage area, between stage left and right and between upstage and downstage. It is a strong position because the audience's eye goes there first. The full answer
Cheat out Also: Cheat: To angle your body or face more toward the audience or camera while still appearing to play to your scene partner. A director might ask you to cheat out a quarter turn so your face reads. The full answer
Check the gate: A call after a good take on a film camera to inspect the aperture gate for hair or debris that might ruin the shot. Digital sets often keep the phrase out of habit as a signal the setup is done. The full answer
Chekhov technique Also: Michael Chekhov technique: Michael Chekhov's approach to acting, built on imagination, the body and atmosphere. It includes the psychological gesture, imaginary centers and qualities of movement, and suits actors who work from the outside in. The full answer
Chemistry read Also: Chemistry test: An audition where actors being considered for connected roles, such as romantic leads or siblings, read together so the director and producers can see how they play off each other. The full answer
Chewing the scenery Also: Hamming it up: Overacting broadly and loudly, with more size than the moment or medium can carry. Sometimes it is what a heightened comedy or melodrama asks for; usually it is a note.
Close-up Also: CU: A shot framing a single actor's face, from roughly the chin to the top of the head. Small thoughts read here, so the job is to think clearly and let the camera find it. The full answer
Co-op agency Also: Cooperative agency: In the UK, an agency run by its actor clients, who share the office work between them. It gives represented actors more say in their careers, in exchange for time spent working the desk.
Co-star: A small speaking role in US television, usually a few lines in one or two scenes, often serving the plot. Co-star is a billing and contract category under SAG-AFTRA, and a common first TV credit. The full answer
Cold open Also: Teaser: The scene or scenes that start a TV episode before the opening titles. It is built to hook viewers fast, so it often lands with a punchline or reveal.
Cold read Also: Cold reading: Reading a script out loud with little or no preparation, often at an audition. You are judged on how well you can make specific choices and stay connected to your partner while reading off the page. The full answer
Commercial agent: An agent who submits actors for television, radio and online commercials. Many actors have separate agents for commercial and theatrical work, though some agencies cover both.
Comp card Also: Composite card, zed card: A printed card with several photos and basic stats such as height and sizes, used mainly in modeling and some commercial work. Actors usually use headshots instead.
Conflict: A booking or commitment that clashes with a job you are being considered for. Disclose conflicts early to your agent and casting; for commercials, a conflict can also mean a competing brand you have already shot for.
Continuity: Keeping actions, props, wardrobe and positions consistent across takes and angles so the edit matches. If you pick up the cup on that word in the wide, pick it up on that word in the close-up. The full answer
Corpsing Also: Breaking: British slang for breaking into laughter during a scene, onstage or on camera. Everyone does it eventually; the skill is in covering it and not doing it in the same spot every night.
Coverage: All the shots taken of a scene beyond the master, such as singles, over-the-shoulders and close-ups, so the editor has options. Your performance needs to stay consistent across it. The full answer
Crafty Also: Craft services: Craft services: the snack and drink table on a film set, separate from catered meals. Usually run by a dedicated crew member. The full answer
Cue: The line, action, sound or light change that triggers your next line or move. In technical theater, cues also refer to lighting and sound changes called by the stage manager.
Cue line Also: Cue: The last line, or last few words, of the speech before yours. Learning your cue lines as carefully as your own lines is what lets you come in on time.
Cue-to-cue Also: Q2Q: A technical rehearsal that skips the dialogue between technical cues, jumping from one light, sound or scene change to the next. Actors stand in their positions and give a few lines to trigger each cue.
Curtain call Also: Bows: The bows at the end of a performance. Curtain calls are rehearsed like any other part of the show, with set positions and order.
Cut: The director's call to stop the take. Keep playing until you hear it, even if something goes wrong, because the moment after a mistake is sometimes the one that ends up in the film. The full answer

D

Day player: An actor hired on a daily basis for a small role in film or TV, often a few lines. In SAG-AFTRA contracts the term refers to the daily rate category; co-star roles are usually booked as day players. The full answer
Demo reel Also: Reel, showreel (UK): A short video of your best on-camera work, edited to show casting what you look and sound like on screen and what roles you play. Strongest material goes first. The full answer
Dialect coach Also: Accent coach: A specialist who teaches actors an accent or dialect for a role, and may be on set or in rehearsals to keep it consistent. They work on sounds, rhythm and the culture behind a voice.
Downstage: The part of the stage nearest the audience. The term comes from raked stages, where the floor sloped down toward the house, so walking toward the audience meant walking downhill. The full answer
Dramaturg: A theater professional who researches the world of a play, advises the director and writer on text, history and structure, and helps develop new work. Actors can bring them context questions about the period or references.
Dramaturgy: The craft of how a play is built and how its story, structure and world work, and the research and development work that supports a production. Also used loosely for the structural logic of any piece.
Dress rehearsal Also: Dress: A full run of the show in costume, with lights, sound and set, as close to a performance as possible. Usually the last stage before previews or opening.
Drying Also: Going up, blanking: Forgetting your lines mid-performance. A UK term; in the US, actors say they went up. Staying in the scene and pursuing what your character wants is the best way through it. The full answer

E

ECC Also: Equity chorus call: Equity Chorus Call: an audition for singing and dancing ensemble roles on US Equity productions. Members are seen first, and non-members may be seen if time allows, so expect long waits.
ECU Also: Extreme close-up: Extreme close-up: a very tight shot on part of the face, often just the eyes or mouth, or on a detail like a hand. Even tiny movements read as huge. The full answer
Emotional recall Also: Emotion memory, affective memory: Using a real memory from your own life to bring up an emotion the scene needs. It is powerful and divisive, and many teachers prefer working through imagination and the given circumstances. The full answer
Endowment: Giving an object, place or person qualities they do not literally have, such as a cold prop cup that is scalding, or a fellow actor who frightens you. Associated with Uta Hagen's teaching.
EPA Also: Equity principal audition: Equity Principal Audition: an audition held for principal roles on a US Equity production, which many Equity contracts require. Members can usually sign up without an agent. The full answer
Equity Also: British Equity: The UK trade union for performers and creative workers in theater, film, TV and more. In the US, Equity usually means Actors' Equity Association, the stage union. Context tells you which.
Eyeline: Where your eyes are pointed when looking at another character off camera. On a self-tape, it usually sits just beside the lens, at the reader. Moving it carelessly makes you look as if you are talking to someone else. The full answer

F

Fi-core Also: Financial core: Financial core status: a US union member resigns full membership but continues to pay a portion of dues, which allows taking non-union work. Members lose voting rights and union membership benefits. SAG-AFTRA treats it as leaving the union, and the choice is controversial among actors.
First refusal: A commitment from production to come back to you before offering the role to anyone else. You are not booked; if you take another job in the meantime, you should tell your agent at once. The full answer
First team: The actors in a scene, as opposed to their stand-ins. When the AD calls first team, the actors go to set for rehearsal or shooting. The full answer
Flies Also: Fly loft, fly tower: The space above the stage where scenery, lights and curtains hang and can be raised or lowered. Flying a piece in means lowering it into view.
Fourth wall: The imaginary wall between the stage and the audience, through which the audience watches. Breaking the fourth wall means acknowledging or addressing the audience directly.

G

General meeting Also: General: A meeting with a casting director, producer or agent not tied to a specific role. It is a chance for them to get to know you, and for you to show who you are without a scene.
Ghost light: A single lamp left burning on an empty stage when the theater is dark. Its practical job is to stop someone falling into the pit. Theater folklore says it keeps the ghosts company.
Given circumstances: The facts of a scene that the writer gives you: who you are, where and when it happens, what just happened, and your relationships. Everything you play is built on them. The full answer
Going up Also: Drying: US phrase for forgetting your lines in performance. The UK says drying. Keep going after what your character wants, and the words usually follow. The full answer
Green room: The backstage lounge where actors wait, warm up or relax before and between scenes. TV studios use the term for the guest waiting room too. Despite the name, it is rarely green.
Guest star: A substantial role in a single episode of a US TV series, larger than a co-star, often driving that episode's story. It is also a billing and pay category in SAG-AFTRA contracts. The full answer

H

Half hour Also: The half: The call to all actors that the performance starts in 30 minutes. In US Equity theater you must be signed in by half hour. In the UK, the half is called 35 minutes before curtain, so the calls end with beginners at five minutes before.
Headshot: A professional photo of your face, used by casting to call you in. It should look exactly like you on a good day and suggest the roles you play. The most important marketing piece you own. The full answer
Hold Also: Pin, pencil (UK): A commitment from production that they want you for the dates and are asking you to keep them free. Stronger than an avail, still not a booking. Usage varies by market, so ask your agent. The full answer
Hold the roll Also: Hold: A call to keep camera and sound recording while a quick problem is fixed, such as a plane passing overhead, so the next take can start without a full reset. Stay in the scene and wait for action. The full answer
Holding fee: A payment made in commercial work to keep the right to air a commercial for a set period, and to keep you from shooting for a competing brand. Rules and amounts are set by the contract.
Honeywagon: A trailer on a film location with small dressing rooms and toilets, used by cast and crew. Day players often change in a honeywagon room. The full answer
House Also: Front of house, auditorium: The audience, or the part of the theater where they sit. The house opening means the audience is being let in, so no more crossing the stage.
House left: The audience's left as they face the stage, which is the actor's stage right. House right is the audience's right. Directors use it to give directions from the audience's point of view. The full answer

I

Improv Also: Improvisation: Improvisation: making up a scene, lines or action on the spot. Used as its own performance form, as a rehearsal tool for exploring a character, and on some film and TV sets that encourage it.
In the round Also: Arena stage: A stage the audience surrounds on all sides. You will always have your back to someone, so directors keep actors moving and rely on clear, full-bodied playing.
Indicating Also: Signaling, telegraphing: Showing the audience a feeling or idea instead of experiencing it and letting it show. Shaking your head to tell us you disagree, while your partner is still talking, is indicating.
Inner monologue Also: Interior monologue: The running stream of thoughts your character has while speaking and listening. Working one out keeps you alive between lines and keeps the camera interested.
Insert Also: Insert shot: A close shot of a detail, such as a hand on a doorknob or a phone screen, cut into the scene. Your hands may need to match the master exactly. The full answer
Intimacy coordinator Also: Intimacy director (stage): A professional who choreographs scenes involving nudity, simulated sex or physical intimacy, and advocates for the actors' consent and safety. Now standard on many productions.
Italian run Also: Italian, speed-through: A rehearsal where the cast runs the lines as fast as possible, sometimes with blocking at speed. Great for tightening cues and testing memory. Sometimes used interchangeably with speed-through. The full answer

L

Laban efforts Also: Laban movement analysis: Eight movement qualities from Rudolf Laban's analysis, combining weight, time and space: float, punch, glide, slash, dab, wring, flick and press. Actors use them to find a character's physical life.
Line Also: Calling for line: What an actor calls out in rehearsal when they have forgotten what comes next, so the stage manager or prompter can give it. Say it, take it, and keep going in character. The full answer
Line reading: How an actor says a line: the stress, pace and tone. When a director gives you a line reading, they say it the way they want it. Translate it into an action so it does not sound copied. The full answer
Linklater Also: Linklater voice: A voice method from Kristin Linklater, aimed at freeing the natural voice by releasing tension and connecting breath, sound and thought. Taught widely in drama schools.

M

Magic if: Stanislavski's tool of asking what you would do if you were in this character's circumstances. It invites imagination to do the work, so the scene becomes real for you. The full answer
Manager Also: Personal manager: A personal manager guides an actor's career, helps with materials and strategy, and often finds or works alongside an agent. In the US, managers usually have fewer clients and are not licensed agents. The full answer
Mark Also: Hitting your mark: A spot on the floor, usually a small piece of tape, where you need to land so you are in focus and in frame. Hitting your mark without looking down is a core on-camera skill. The full answer
Martini shot: The last shot of the shooting day. The usual joke explanation, which is set folklore, is that the next shot will be in a glass. The full answer
Master shot Also: Master: A wide shot that covers the whole scene from start to finish, establishing the space and blocking. Coverage is cut into it, so what you do here sets the continuity. The full answer
MCU Also: Medium close-up: Medium close-up: a shot framing an actor from about the chest up. Common for dialogue in TV, it reads both face and some body language. The full answer
Meisner technique Also: Meisner: An approach created by Sanford Meisner, built on truthful listening and responding to your partner in the moment. Its training starts with the repetition exercise and works up to scene work. The full answer
Method acting Also: The Method: An American approach developed mainly by Lee Strasberg from Stanislavski's early work, using personal memory and sense work to create real feeling. Commonly confused with staying in character all shoot, which is a personal choice. The full answer
Moment before: What happened to your character right before the scene begins. Knowing it lets you enter mid-life, with somewhere to come from, instead of starting from zero. The full answer
Monologue Also: Monolog: A long speech by one character, addressed to another character or to an audience. Also the piece an actor prepares to perform alone at a general audition. The full answer
Moving on: Called on set when the director is happy with a setup and the crew moves to the next. You can relax that piece of the scene, but stay ready if another setup follows. The full answer
Mugging: Pulling exaggerated faces for effect, often to milk a laugh or to show a reaction. Usually reads as fake, especially on camera.

N

Nine questions Also: Uta Hagen's nine questions: Uta Hagen's set of questions for building a character, covering who you are, when and where you are, your relationships, what you want, what is in your way and what you do to get it. The full answer
Non-union: Work, productions or actors not covered by a performers' union contract. Non-union jobs can build experience and footage, but come without union protections on pay, hours and safety.
Notes: Feedback from the director or other creatives after a rehearsal or performance. Write them down, ask questions if one is unclear, and try them in the next run.

O

Objective Also: Intention, want, goal: What your character wants from the other person in a scene, phrased so you can tell if you are getting it. Good objectives are active and specific: to get her to admit she lied. The full answer
Obstacle: Whatever stands between your character and the objective: the other person, a situation, or something internal like shame. Without an obstacle, there is no scene. The full answer
Off book Also: Off-book: Knowing your lines well enough to rehearse without the script in hand. Theater companies set an off-book date by which actors are expected to be memorized. The full answer
Offer only Also: Straight offer: A role offered directly to an actor without an audition, usually because of their profile or past work. Casting breakdowns will mark these roles so agents do not submit for them.
Open call Also: Cattle call, open audition: An audition open to anyone who fits the breakdown, without an agent or appointment. Expect lines, waiting and very little time in the room. The full answer
Operative word Also: Key word: The word in a line that carries its meaning, the one you need to land. Finding operative words stops you hitting every word with the same weight.
OTS Also: Over-the-shoulder: Over-the-shoulder: a shot looking past one actor's shoulder at the actor facing them. Both of you are in it, so the actor whose back is to camera still has to match. The full answer
Overlap Also: Overlapping dialogue: Speaking while your scene partner is still finishing their line, as people do in real talk. On camera, overlaps can cause editing problems, so ask before doing them in coverage.
Overtime: Pay for work beyond the hours set in a contract, typically at a higher rate defined by the union agreement. Track your own hours on set.

P

Pause: A silence in the dialogue, either written in or found by the actor. A good pause has a thought in it; an empty one feels like you dropped a line.
Pick up your cues Also: Pick up the cues, tighten the cues: A note to come in faster after your cue line, without dead air between speeches. Usually means thinking during the other person's line, not after it.
Pickups Also: Pickup shots, pickup day: Shooting part of a scene from a point partway through, without starting from the top. Also shots added after principal photography to fill gaps. The full answer
Pilot season: Traditionally the US period from about January to April when networks cast and shoot pilot episodes for new series. Streaming has spread casting across the year, so the rush is less concentrated than it was.
Pin Also: Hold, pencil: A commercial term for being chosen for a role pending final client approval. You are close but not booked. Usage varies by market, so confirm with your agent what it means for you. The full answer
Places Also: Places please: The US call for actors to take their positions for the start of the show or an act. In the UK, the equivalent call is beginners.
Playing the end Also: Playing the result: Letting your knowledge of how the scene or story turns out color your performance from the start. Your character does not know the ending, so you should not play it.
Playing the opposite: Choosing to fight against the obvious emotion of a scene, such as trying hard to stay cheerful through bad news. Often more truthful and interesting than playing the emotion directly.
Pre-read Also: Prescreen: An early audition with a casting director or associate, before you are seen by the director or producers. Doing well at a pre-read moves you to the next round.
Preview Also: Previews: Performances of a play before official opening night, in front of paying audiences. The creative team keeps working and changing the show during this period.
Producer session: A callback where the director and producers are present. It is often the last round or close to it, and the stakes are higher. The full answer
Prompt Also: Prompter: To feed a forgotten line to an actor. In UK theater, the prompt is a role, often the deputy stage manager on the book. Prompt corner is the traditional spot from which the show is run.
Prompt book Also: Prompt script, the book: The stage manager's master script, holding all blocking, cues and notes. It is used to run every performance and to rehearse replacements.
Proscenium Also: Proscenium stage, pros: A stage framed by an arch, with the audience sitting in front. The most traditional theater layout, and the source of the term proscenium arch.
Psychological gesture Also: PG: A tool from Michael Chekhov: a full-body movement that captures the character's core want or energy. Actors repeat it in rehearsal and then let it live inside them. The full answer
Put-in: A rehearsal to place a replacement actor into a running production. It may include the full cast or just stage management and a few key actors.

R

Raising the stakes: Making what your character stands to win or lose bigger and more urgent. Higher stakes make choices sharper and scenes more watchable. The full answer
Raked stage Also: Rake: A stage floor that slopes upward away from the audience, improving sightlines. It is the origin of the terms upstage and downstage, and it takes practice to move on.
Reaction shot: A shot of an actor listening or responding without speaking. Often what the editor uses most, so listening on camera is as important as talking. The full answer
Reader: The person reading the other character's lines at an audition or on a self-tape. A good reader is clear, steady and lets the actor lead without performing. The full answer
Recurring Also: Recurring guest star: A TV character who appears in several episodes but is not contracted as a series regular. Recurring roles are booked episode by episode, with options for more.
Reel Also: Showreel, demo reel: Short for demo reel: an edited sample of your screen work for casting and agents. Lead with your best scene and keep it short. The full answer
Release Also: Released: Being let go from a hold or avail, or from a shoot day once your work is done. It means you are free for other work. The full answer
Repetition exercise Also: Repetition: The foundational Meisner drill, where two actors repeat a phrase about each other back and forth, changing only as their behavior shifts. It trains listening and impulse. The full answer
Reset: Called on set to put everything back to the start of the shot, such as props and positions, for another take. Usually comes with back to one. The full answer
Residuals: Payments to actors for reuse of their work, such as reruns, streaming and international sales, under a union contract. Rules are set by contract and medium.
Resume Also: CV (UK): A one-page list of your credits, training and special skills, stapled or printed to the back of your headshot in the US. Keep it honest and current. The full answer
Rolling Also: Roll camera: Called on set to confirm that the camera is recording. Followed by speed for sound, then marker, then action. The full answer
Room tone: A short recording of silence on a location, with everyone still, used by sound editors to fill gaps. Stay still and silent until the sound mixer calls it. The full answer
Run Also: Run-through: A full or partial rehearsal of a show without stopping. Runs build confidence and show what still needs work.
Run lines Also: Running lines: Practicing dialogue aloud with someone reading the other parts. Running lines is the main way actors check their memory and timing outside rehearsals. The full answer

S

SAG-AFTRA Also: Screen Actors Guild, SAG: The US union for screen actors, broadcasters, voice performers, recording artists and others. It covers film, TV, commercials, audiobooks, games and new media, and negotiates minimum pay and working conditions. Check sagaftra.org for joining rules. The full answer
Scale Also: Union scale: The minimum pay rate set by a union contract for a given kind of work. Agents may negotiate above scale; many co-star and day player roles pay scale, sometimes with an extra amount on top to cover the agent's commission.
Scoring Also: Marking up a script: Marking up a script, in pencil, with your analysis: beat changes, objectives, actions, operative words, pauses and discoveries. A scored script is your private map of the performance. The full answer
Script supervisor Also: Scripty, continuity supervisor: The crew member who tracks continuity and records how each take differs from the script, down to which hand held the glass. If you change a line, they will notice, and may quietly tell you before the next take. The full answer
Second team: The stand-ins who take the actors' places while lighting and camera are set up. When the assistant director calls second team in, the actors are free to step away until first team is called back. The full answer
Self-submission: Submitting yourself for a role directly through a casting platform, without an agent. A common way to get auditions early in a career, especially for independent and student work.
Self-tape Also: Taped audition: An audition you record yourself, usually at home with a reader, and send to casting. It is now the most common first-round audition for film and TV in many markets, and it is judged on framing, sound, eyeline and the reading. The full answer
Sense memory Also: Sensory work: Recreating the physical sensations of an experience, such as heat, a taste or the weight of an object, through concentrated recall. A staple of Method training, and useful on its own for making imaginary props and weather believable. The full answer
Series regular Also: Regular: An actor contracted to appear in all or most episodes of a TV series, usually for multiple seasons with options. For pilots, the deal is often negotiated before the final network test, so the actor is already signed if chosen.
Session director: In US commercial casting, the person who runs the audition session and the camera, often on behalf of the casting director. They slate you, give you the direction and may be the only person in the room.
Showcase: A performance of short scenes, usually by graduating drama students, presented to agents and casting directors. Many actors find representation through a showcase.
Sides: Pages excerpted from a script for an audition, or the day's scenes printed in a small booklet on set. You only get your scenes, so read the full script whenever it is available. The full answer
Sightline: The line of view from audience seats to the stage. If you are out of a sightline, part of the house cannot see you, so directors and stage managers note them during tech.
Single: A shot framing just one actor, usually for dialogue. Most coverage is built from singles, so when the camera turns around to your partner, keep giving them the same performance off camera. The full answer
Sixteen bars Also: 16 bars: A short excerpt of a song, roughly sixteen measures, used for musical theater auditions. Mark it clearly in your sheet music for the accompanist, and choose a cut that tells a small story.
Slate: The short introduction at the start of an audition or self-tape: your name and anything the brief asks for, such as height or location. On set, slate also means the clapperboard that marks each take. The full answer
Soliloquy: A speech in which a character alone onstage speaks their thoughts aloud, often to the audience. It shows the character thinking, so it works best played as a real argument with yourself or the house.
Speed Also: Sound speed: The call from the sound mixer that recording is running at speed. It follows rolling and tells the camera assistant to mark the take, after which the director calls action. The full answer
Speed-through Also: Speed run, Italian run: A run of the lines at fast pace with no attempt at performance. It tests memory and tightens cue pickups, and is a good way to find which lines you still do not know. The full answer
Spike Also: Spike mark: Small pieces of tape on a theater stage floor marking where furniture and set pieces go, and sometimes where actors stand. Not to be moved by actors.
Spine Also: Through-line: A character's core drive across the whole play or film, one simple active phrase that connects every scene. Group Theatre directors such as Harold Clurman and Elia Kazan made the term popular in American rehearsal rooms. The full answer
Spotlight: The UK's main casting directory, used by agents and casting directors to find and submit actors. Membership is widely treated as a must for working actors in the UK and Ireland.
Stage left: The actor's left when facing the audience, which is the audience's right (house right). Directions are given from the actor's point of view onstage unless someone says house left or house right. The full answer
Stage manager Also: SM: The person who runs rehearsals and then every performance. They call the cues, keep the prompt book, manage the schedule and are the link between the actors and the creative team once the director leaves.
Stage right: The actor's right when facing the audience, which is the audience's left (house left). Mixing this up with house right is the most common blocking confusion in a first rehearsal. The full answer
Stagger-through Also: Stumble-through: An early run of the whole play, with stops and restarts, while actors are still unsure of lines and blocking. It shows everyone the shape of the piece before the proper runs begin.
Stakes: What your character stands to win or lose in a scene. Clear, high stakes make your choices urgent and specific; low stakes make a scene feel like chat. The full answer
Stand-in: A crew member who takes an actor's place during lighting and camera setup, roughly matching height and coloring. They watch the rehearsal so they can reproduce your blocking while the shot is lit. The full answer
Standby: A performer who covers one or more principal roles but does not appear in the show nightly. They wait nearby, often offstage or within a set distance of the theater, ready to go on. The full answer
Stanislavski system Also: System: Konstantin Stanislavski's method of training and rehearsal, developed at the Moscow Art Theatre. It gave actors objectives, given circumstances, the magic if and much of the vocabulary used in rehearsal rooms today. The full answer
Status: The degree of power one character holds over another in a given moment, shown through behavior such as eye contact, stillness and space. Keith Johnstone's improv teaching made status play a common rehearsal tool.
Sticks Also: Clapperboard, marker: The clapperboard, or the clap that syncs sound and picture at the top of each take. A tail slate is done at the end of the take with the board held upside down. The full answer
Substitution: Replacing something in the scene with something from your own life to make it real for you, such as imagining a person you love in the place of your scene partner. Associated with Uta Hagen.
Subtext: The meaning beneath the words: what a character really thinks, feels or wants while saying something else. Playing subtext well gives dialogue its life, and most good writing depends on it. The full answer
Super-objective Also: Superobjective, spine: A character's overarching want across the entire story, which every scene objective serves. A term from Stanislavski's system, often translated or adapted as the spine. The full answer
Suzuki Also: Suzuki method: A rigorous physical training method developed by director Tadashi Suzuki, built on stamping, low centered walks and stillness under strain. It builds stage presence, breath control and power from the lower body.
Swing: A performer, usually in musicals, who learns several ensemble tracks and goes on when anyone in them is out. Swings do not perform nightly and often learn the whole show from offstage. The full answer

T

Table read Also: Read-through: A reading of the full script aloud by the cast, usually seated around a table, at the start of rehearsals or before a TV episode shoots. Writers and producers listen for what works. The full answer
Tactic: The specific way a character goes after their objective, such as charming, threatening or pleading. When one stops working, a character changes tactic, which often marks a new beat. The full answer
Taft-Hartley: The process by which a non-union performer is hired on a SAG-AFTRA production, named after the 1947 federal law. Being Taft-Hartleyed usually makes the performer eligible to join the union. The full answer
Tail slate: A slate done at the end of a take, with the clapperboard held upside down, usually when the start could not be marked. On a self-tape, a closing slate requested by casting. The full answer
Tech Also: Tech rehearsal: Technical rehearsal, where lights, sound, scenery and effects are added to the show. It is slow and full of stops, and the actors' job is to be patient, quiet and ready.
Theatrical agent: An agent who submits actors for film, TV and theater roles, as opposed to commercials. Agents are typically paid a commission on your work, and rates and licensing rules vary by country and state. The full answer
Through-line Also: Spine, through-line of action: The unbroken line of a character's want running through a scene, act or story. Finding it connects your beats into one journey instead of separate moments. The full answer
Thrust Also: Thrust stage: A stage that juts out into the audience, which sits on three sides. Actors on a thrust have to keep opening to all three sides and use movement to share the scene.
Traverse Also: Alley stage: A stage with the audience seated on two facing sides, like a runway or a street. Actors play to both banks at once, so profile and movement matter more than on a proscenium.
Turnaround: The minimum rest period required between your wrap one day and your call the next, set by union contract. Productions that break it usually owe a penalty payment. The full answer
Two-shot: A shot framing two actors together, often from the waist or chest up. It shows the relationship, so both of you need to stay alive even when the line belongs to your partner. The full answer
Typed out Also: Typing out: Being dismissed at an audition because of your look, height or age before you read. It happens most at open calls and says nothing about your acting.

U

Under-five Also: U/5: A SAG-AFTRA role category for performers with five lines or fewer, used mainly on daytime serials and some other TV programs. It sits below a day player or co-star in billing. The full answer
Understudy: An actor who learns another role so they can go on if the principal is out. In many productions understudies also perform a smaller role nightly, which is the main difference from a standby. The full answer
Upfronts: The presentations US TV networks give to advertisers each spring, announcing new series and fall schedules. For actors, they are when pickups of pilots tend to become public.
Upstage: The part of the stage farthest from the audience. The term comes from raked stages, where the back was literally higher, so moving away from the audience meant walking uphill. The full answer
Upstaging: Drawing attention away from another actor, deliberately or by accident. Literally, it means moving upstage so your partner has to turn away from the audience to talk to you. The full answer

V

Video village: The area on set where the director, producers and others watch the shot on monitors. Treat it as quiet ground and do not look for feedback there between takes. The full answer
Viewpoints: An improvisational method for training ensemble awareness, space, time and movement. It grew out of choreographer Mary Overlie's Six Viewpoints and was expanded for actors by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau.
Voice reel Also: Voice demo: A short audio sample of your voice work, such as commercials, narration, animation or games, used by voice agents and casting. Keep it short and specific to one genre if you can.

W

Walk-through: A slow rehearsal of blocking, scene changes or technical moments without full performance. Used to orient actors in a new space or to set safety on stage combat and lifts.
Wide Also: Wide shot: A shot showing the whole scene or space, often used as the master. You need to keep your physical life clear here, since your face will be small. The full answer
Wings: The offstage spaces at the sides of the stage, hidden from the audience by masking. It is where actors wait for entrances, so they need to stay quiet and out of sightlines.
Wrap: The end of shooting for the day, or the end of an actor's work on a production. A series or film wrap often comes with a short announcement and applause on set. The full answer

Y

Yes, and: The core improv principle: accept what your partner offers and build on it. It is also good scene-work discipline in general, since a refused offer usually kills the scene.