Blocking refers to the arrangement and movements of actors on stage during a performance. It includes actors' entrances and exits, where they walk, sit, and move on stage. Stage business are smaller rehearsed actions that enhance actors' lines, like setting a table or playing cards. The stage is divided into areas like downstage near the audience, upstage by the back wall, and offstage out of view. Blocking uses specific vocabulary to describe actors' positions and movements on stage.

1. STAGE DIRECTIONS

2. BLOCKING
Blocking is the theater term for the actors’ movements on stage during the
performance of the play or musical. Every move that an actor makes falls under
the larger term “blocking”. The traffic patterns of actors. The director’s
arrangement of the actors onstage.
Blocking consists of:
• entering (coming onstage) & exiting
(moving offstage)
• walking across the stage (crossing)
• climbing stairs
• sitting in a chair
• falling to the floor
• getting down on bended knee

3. stage business
The smaller actions which the actors use to enhance their lines. This requires
rehearsal to practice the timing of using your props and/or costumes.
Some examples of stage business include:
• Setting the table.
• Eating
• Pouring coffee or tea or mixing drinks
• Playing cards
• Telephoning
• Getting dressed
• Smoking
• Solving a Rubik's cube

4. Acting areas onstage
The stage is broken down into
areas:
• Downstage is toward the
audience
• Upstage is toward the back wall.
• Stage left is the actor’s left
• Stage right is the actor’s right.
Downstage: toward the audience
Blocking is given to actors using a
specific theater vocabulary.
Upstage: toward the back wall of the stage

5. areas onstage & OFFSTAGE
• Onstage is in view of the
audience
• Offstage out of the audience
view. In the wings or
crossover, etc
• Center stage is the strongest
actor position
• Center line is an imaginary
line on floor from upstage to
downstage.
• Wings are offstage left or
right
• Crossover in back of the set
so actors can get from one side
of the stage to the other
without being seen by the
audience.
The stage is broken down into areas: CENTER LINE

6. areas onstage & OFFSTAGE
Proscenium Arch
• Frames the stage like a picture
frame.
Proscenium line
• The imaginary line on the
floor that goes from the
proscenium arch on stage left
(SL) to the proscenium arch
on stage right (SR).
The stage is broken down into areas:
PROSCENIUM ARCH
PRPROS
PROCENIUM
CENIUM
OSCENIUMPro
PROSCENIUM LINE
areas onstage & OFFSTAGE

7. stage directions ACTORS make an:
• Entrance - coming onto
the stage where the
audience can see you
• Exit - leaving the stage &
moving out of the audience
view
SCENERY is flown:
• In to the audience view
(towards the floor of the
stage)
• Out of the audience view
(towards the ceiling)

8. stage directions
This curtain is
being flown “In”:
• into the audience
view (towards the
floor of the stage)

9. BODY POSITIONS & MOVEMENT

10. Actor’s movements
Cross
• an actor’s move onstage from one
point to another. This is marked by
the actor in their script with the
symbol “X” as they are learning their
blocking.
Above
• Upstage of a prop, set piece or actor
Below
• Downstage of a prop, set piece or actor

11. Actor’s movements

12. Actor’s movements
You may be asked to
“cheat out”.
“Cheating” in the
theater is not a bad
thing. It means to
figure out how to shift
your body position
slightly so as to make
yourself more open to
the audience. We also
call it “sharing the
stage”

13. Actor’s open &
closed
positions onstage

14. Actor’s open & closed positions onstage
Full front and ¼ right or left
are considered OPEN
positions. These are the
strongest positions onstage.
Full back and ¾ right or left
are considered CLOSED
position. These positions are
the weakest.
Profile Left and Right are
neutral.

15. UPSTAGING

16. UPSTAGING

17. FOCUS
Remember: your director blocks the show by creating
focus. They will use various techniques to direct the
audience where to focus their attention.