Rehearsal Exercises for Actors: Using ‘Actions’

For actors, the hardest part of preparing a scene can be figuring out exactly how to rehearse. Getting the words off the page and into your body can feel surprisingly difficult. For many actors, once they finish their script analysis and it comes time to get the scene on its feet, they feel stuck. Frozen on the spot or aimlessly wandering the rehearsal space, they repeat the words sounding as wooden – and looking as stiff – as a floorboard!

Luckily, there are plenty of exercises to break out of a rehearsal rut. In this article, we’ll explore how to use acting actions to unlock fresh exciting performance possibilities as you rehearse a scene or monologue.

What are ‘actions’ for actors?

Whether you’re brand new to the concept, or already familiar with the excellent book Actions: the Actor’s Thesaurus, this section covers the basics

Acting ‘actions’ are the building blocks of performance. However, they aren’t just regular actions, like run, swim, or laugh. Instead, acting ‘actions’ are transitive verbs. 

In simple terms, an acting action is a verb that fits this format:

I ____ you.

“I tease you.” Works.

“I swim you.” Doesn’t.

Actions are essentially intention in verb form. Just as musical notes build a song or dance steps create choreography, actions drive every moment of a scene. They answer the question: How am I trying to affect the other person right now to get what I want?

(If you need help choosing actions that serve your character’s objectives, check out our guide on plotting actions for objectives.)

Choosing Your ‘Actions’ in a Scene

Your completed script analysis gives you the foundation for choosing your actions. Once you understand context and given circumstances, you can assign strong actins to each thought in the scene.

How to do it practically:

1. Divide your lines into individual thoughts (this might be one sentence or several lines grouped together).
2. Assign a transitive verb to each thought that captures the intended effect on the other character.

Key tips:

• Avoid neutral verbs like ‘inform’. They give you almost no guidance on how to deliver the line. For example, the action ‘to inform’ is unhelpful because no matter how one says the text, the listener will be ‘informed’.
• Remember: the action verb is about what you’re trying to do, not what actually happens.
• There’s no one “correct” verb. Acting is creative, and your interpretation is part of the creativity!
• When you rehearse, commit fully to one action at a time.

Finally, when choosing an action, don’t feel bound to your choice forever. It is not a formulaic process. There are many possibilities, interpretations and choices that you can make as an actress.

Rehearsing with Actions: Vocal and Physical Tools

Once you’ve chosen your actions, bring your full vocal and physical toolkit to them. The goal is to explore how each verb changes the way you speak and move.

Vocal Considerations for Using Actions in Rehearsal

In rehearsal, you can explore different vocal qualities. There are several levers the actor can pull to vary their vocal dynamics and match the energy of the chosen action:

Pitch -high or low
Volume – loud or soft
Pace – fast or slow
Resonance – different places in the body like chest, head, mask, or back.

Practicing adjusting these levers can help unlock new layers of performance depending on the verb.

For example:

• ‘To tease’ might call for a playful, singsong upwards inflection with lengthened vowels.
• ‘To convince’ often needs a lower in pitch, with shorter vowels and strong consonants to inspire confidence.

Push the extremes in rehearsal, allowing yourself to stretch the limits of vocal expression beyond their typical daily use. Exploring your full range helps you discover new colours and textures in the vocal delivery.

Physical Considerations for Using Actions in Rehearsal

Actions naturally suggest movement. They influence how you use the space, how close or far you get from your scene partner, and what gestures feel right. Whenever you are experimenting with actions, consider the environment, given circumstances and subtext.

Ask yourself:

• Does this verb make me want to move toward or away from the other person?
• Does it suggest standing, sitting, leaning in, or turning away?
• Is there an impulse for physical contact?
• How does the action change my relationship to objects or other characters in the space?

Play it with the intensity that is appropriate for the moment. Movement is a key expression of character intention. Let the verb guide the physical life of the scene.

Rehearsal Exercises for Actors: Using Actions

Here are three practical exercises to help you bring actions to life. Begin big and playful, it’s easy to pull back a choice that’s too extreme, but hard to bring more out of a small performance. Don’t underplay your choices early on.!

Exercise 1: Physicalising the Action (10–20 mins)

Great for solo rehearsal. This helps unlock both physical and vocal freedom. Work in a space that allows you to be vocally and physically free.

1. Choose a section of text and go through it thought by thought.
2. For each action verb, fully physicalise it in the space.
   Example: For “I beg.” get down on your hands and knees. Beg with your whole body.
3. Speak the line while performing the physical action, infusing the text with the matching vocal quality.
4. Then drop the overt movement but keep the energy and intention.
   Deliver the line again with all the urgency and commitment you just built.

This exercise will help you find freedom in your expression and break habitual patterns. It’s a great way of removing discovering new layers!

Rehearsal Exercise 2: Testing Opposite Actions (20–30 mins)

This exercise reveals how much power your verb choices have. Best done with a partner, but possible alone.

1. Print two blank copies of the scene.
2. On the first, assign one set of actions.
3. On the second, assign a completely different set (for extra challenge, use opposite verbs e.g., “to seduce” vs. “to reject”).
   
4. Rehearse the scene fully with the first set of actions.
5. Then rehearse it again with the second set.
6. Discuss or note what changed in the scene, your performance, and the relationship.

You’ll often discover surprising new layers and possibilities.

Rehearsal Exercise 3: Making the Action Stick (10–15 mins)

Best done with a scene partner. This builds a strong link between verb, text, and physical response.

1. Replace the scripted lines with your action verbs.
2. Speak only the verb aloud (“I interrogate… I dismiss…”).
3. While speaking the verb, perform a physical move that matches the action.
4. React to your partner’s physical moves before moving on to the next verb.

Example:

• Actor 1 (Action: to interrogate): “I interrogate.” (Steps into eye line to demand attention)
• Actor 2 (Action: to dismiss): “I dismiss.” (Turns away and waves the question off)

Once you have completed the above exercises, you will no doubt have found some exciting new depth in the scene. Fantastic work!

Before you move on, one important warning. After a great rehearsal, it’s tempting to try to recreate the exact sound or feeling you liked (“I loved how angry I got there, and the way my intonation went up at the end!”). Resist that urge. Instead of chasing a result, always return to playing the action itself. By doing so you keep each performance fresh and alive in the moment.

Final Thoughts on Rehearsing with Actions

These exercises aren’t about setting your blocking or deciding on a final performance. Instead, rehearsing in this way allows you to explore possibilities and discover the physical and vocal journeys that best serve the story. Your map of actions remains your north star. It gives you clarity. Also, it’s a great way to evaluate new ideas: Does this choice add depth and truth, or does it muddy the character’s intention?

Using actions in your rehearsal brings what was once black ink on a white page to glorious life! They also provide a slid basis from which your creativity can flow. Now, enjoy your rehearsal, and go get ’em, tiger!