Theatrical cold reading is reading aloud from a script or other text with little or no

rehearsal A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of Practice (learning metho ...

, practice or study in advance. Sometimes also referred to as sight reading, it is a technique used by actors and other performers in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

performance fields. Cold readings are common in performance classes, and are employed frequently in actor

audition An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece gi ...

s to allow the producer or

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

to get a general idea of the actors' performing capabilities. They are also employed by playwrights who need to hear their play read aloud for the first time by actors, and as such they form an initial integral component of the collaborative creative theatrical process, which may or may not include the eventual production of the play itself. (Public performances of cold readings also serve as entertainment in their own right, particularly in the context of

community theater Community theatre refers to any Theatre, theatrical performance made in relation to particular Community, communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a communit ...

, and less public readings can serve as creative incubators for more established playwright and theatrical talent during the course of play development.Way, way off Broadway, stars work without reviews
/ref>) Many actors and other performers and public speakers take classes and practice at length to improve the quality of their cold readings. Cold reading can also be used in conjunction with

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

s to gauge a performer's ability to perform new works. A good dramatic cold reader is able to communicate with fluency and clarity and to project speech rhythms and rhymes well. The reader should also be able to bring out the intent, mood and characterization of a piece through appropriate articulation and

body language Body language is a type of nonverbal communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use o ...

References

Drama {{drama-stub

See also

References