• Introduction
• Spaces
• Drama
• Acting
• Directing
• Theatrical Design

Tempo

The “tempo” of a play refers to the speed or pace of the action. The director and actors must have a sense of an underlying beat of the production, and they must be sure the tempo is consistent with the desired affect on the audience. If the pace is too slow, an audience will loose the train of the plot; too fast and the audience might miss important nuances.

Directors can vary the tempo within a play to evoke different emotions, emphasize certain scenes, or downplay others. The tempo of a production is one of the most changeable factors of a play, and a skilled director has to make the most of it.