Scene Work · 3 min read
Scene Tactics: A Working Actor’s Glossary
Tactics - the verbs you use to pursue an objective - explained with examples and how to choose them.
Published June 22, 2025
Tactics are the colors of acting. The more you have, the bigger your palette.
Actors with thin tactic vocabularies repeat themselves. The fix is a glossary you can draw from on a moment’s notice.
The work, step by step
- Soft tactics. Charm, flatter, comfort, soothe, plead.
- Hard tactics. Demand, threaten, dismiss, command, warn.
- Indirect tactics. Confuse, mislead, deflect, mock, embarrass.
- Build a personal glossary. Write 50 verbs you can play. Refresh every six months.
- Match tactic to beat. Each beat takes a new tactic when the previous fails.
Common pitfalls
- One tactic for the whole scene.
- Tactics that don’t involve the partner.
- Adjective-tactics ("be sad").
How Actry fits in
Run a scene in Actry switching tactics each take. Compare which lands. The line ratings will surprise you.
Frequently asked questions
Where do tactics come from?
Stanislavski-derived. Most contemporary techniques use them.
Tactic vs objective?
Objective is the goal. Tactic is how you’re going for it right now.
How many in a scene?
As many as the scene has beats - usually 3–8.
Filed under Scene Work. Tagged: tactics, verbs, scene-work.