Modeling & Acting Acting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'cold reading' mean in an audition setting?
- Performing a memorized monologue with no emotion
- Reading and performing a script you have not seen before (Correct answer)
- Delivering lines in a flat, neutral tone
- Reading lines while facing away from the casting director
Correct answer: Reading and performing a script you have not seen before
A cold reading is when an actor performs sides or a script they have not had time to memorize or fully prepare.
Question 2: Which acting technique emphasizes physical actions as the foundation of truthful performance?
- Meisner Technique
- Method Acting
- Physical Actions Method (Stanislavski's late work) (Correct answer)
- Brechtian Acting
Correct answer: Physical Actions Method (Stanislavski's late work)
Stanislavski's Method of Physical Actions argues that truthful physical behavior unlocks genuine emotion rather than the reverse.
Question 3: In Viola Spolin's improvisational work, what are her foundational exercises called?
- Beats
- Theater Games (Correct answer)
- Sense Memory Drills
- Emotional Recalls
Correct answer: Theater Games
Viola Spolin developed Theater Games to help actors discover spontaneity and presence through structured play.
Question 4: What is a 'callback' in the audition process?
- A phone call confirming you did not get the role
- A second or subsequent audition after an initial screening (Correct answer)
- The final dress rehearsal before opening night
- A director's note given after a performance
Correct answer: A second or subsequent audition after an initial screening
A callback is an invitation to return for another round of auditions, indicating serious interest from casting.
Question 5: What does 'upstaging' another actor mean?
- Speaking louder than your scene partner
- Moving to a position behind your scene partner, forcing them to turn away from the audience (Correct answer)
- Stealing focus with exaggerated gestures
- Blocking another actor's sightline to a prop
Correct answer: Moving to a position behind your scene partner, forcing them to turn away from the audience
Upstaging occurs when an actor moves upstage of a scene partner, compelling that partner to turn their back to the audience.
Question 6: Which element best describes 'subtext' in a dramatic scene?
- The stage directions written below the dialogue
- The underlying meaning or intention beneath the spoken words (Correct answer)
- The subtitle track provided for the audience
- The backstory written by the playwright
Correct answer: The underlying meaning or intention beneath the spoken words
Subtext is what a character truly thinks or wants, communicated through tone, behavior, and pauses rather than literal words.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a 'table read' early in a production?
- To block all stage movements for the show
- To have the cast read through the script together aloud before rehearsals begin (Correct answer)
- To audition replacement actors for key roles
- To review the set design with the production team
Correct answer: To have the cast read through the script together aloud before rehearsals begin
A table read gathers the cast to read the script aloud, helping everyone understand the material and hear the full piece together.
Modeling & Acting Acting 2
What does 'cold reading' mean in an audition setting?