Glossary

Act: A major division in a play, often consisting of multiple scenes.

Antagonist: The character who opposes the main character, or protagonist.

Beat: A small pause or change in direction during a scene, typically indicating a shift in emotion or tactic.

Blocking: The positioning and movement of characters on stage.

Climax: The point of greatest tension in a play.

Denouement: The final resolution or conclusion of the narrative.

Dialogue: The spoken conversational exchange between two or more characters.

Duologue: A scene or a portion of a play with speech between two characters.

Dramaturg: A theatre specialist who aids in play development, script editing, and research.

Exposition: Information that provides background on the characters, setting, and previous events.

Farce: A comedic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay, often employing crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.

Genre: The category a play falls into, based on its tone, style, and subject matter (e.g., comedy, tragedy, drama).

Monologue: An extended speech by one actor.

Motivation: What drives a character’s decisions and actions.

Protagonist: The main character in a play.

Satire: A genre of play that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, follies, and social institutions.

Soliloquy: A monologue in which a character expresses their inner thoughts aloud, usually alone on stage.

Stage Directions: Instructions in the script that indicate movement, position, or tone.

Subtext: The underlying or implicit meaning in dialogue or action.

Theme: The central topic, subject, or message within the play.