Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus
A practical reference tool for finding precise, playable actions for scene work
Overview
Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus by Marina Caldarone and Maggie Lloyd-Williams is a compact reference book that provides actors with an extensive vocabulary of playable actions organized by category. It helps actors move beyond vague emotional states to specific, active verbs.
The book is organized as a thesaurus, allowing actors to look up general feelings or intentions and find precise, actable verbs. This transforms abstract direction into concrete, playable choices that energize scene work.
How It Works
An invaluable tool for actors, directors, and teachers who work with action-based approaches to acting. It is particularly useful during rehearsal when an actor needs to find a more specific or effective tactic.
Available in a compact paperback format, typically priced between $12-15. Small enough to carry in your bag and pull out during rehearsals.
Who Uses It
Highly recommended as a practical tool that every actor should own. It is one of those books that may seem simple but becomes indispensable once you start using it in your daily work. The thesaurus format means it is not a book you sit down and read cover to cover; rather, it is a working tool you reach for during rehearsal, script analysis, or self-tape preparation whenever you need to find a more specific or dynamic action to play. Many professional actors keep a copy in their rehearsal bag alongside their script and pencil. Directors and acting teachers have also adopted it as a standard reference, using it to communicate more precisely with actors about what they want in a scene. The book has become particularly popular in the UK theater community and is increasingly used in American training programs as well.
Pricing & Plans
Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus is available in a compact paperback format from Nick Hern Books, typically priced between $12 and $15 for a new copy. Digital editions are available for Kindle and other e-readers at approximately $8 to $12. The book's small format — roughly the size of a pocket dictionary — is intentional, designed to be portable enough to carry in a bag or keep on a rehearsal table without taking up significant space. Used copies are available for under $8, though the book's compact size means it tends to hold its value well. At under $15, this is one of the most cost-effective investments an actor can make — a tool that will be used hundreds of times over the course of a career. Some actors buy multiple copies, keeping one at home and one in their rehearsal bag.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
The book's greatest practical value is that it immediately upgrades an actor's vocabulary of playable actions, replacing vague, emotion-based choices with specific, active verbs that create dynamic, engaging performances. The thesaurus organization is intuitive and fast to use — you can find what you need in seconds, which makes it genuinely practical during the time pressure of rehearsal. By expanding an actor's action vocabulary, the book naturally diversifies their performance choices, preventing them from defaulting to the same handful of tactics in every scene. The compact format makes it one of the few acting books that is truly designed for the rehearsal room rather than the classroom, which increases the likelihood that actors will actually use it regularly. The book is technique-agnostic — it works equally well for actors trained in Meisner, Stanislavski, Practical Aesthetics, or any other action-based approach. The quality and specificity of the verbs selected are excellent, avoiding overly obscure or literary words in favor of terms that are immediately playable.
What Could Be Better
The book is a reference tool, not a teaching text — it does not explain the theory behind action-based acting or teach actors how to identify and play actions, which means actors who are unfamiliar with the concept of playable actions will need supplementary instruction. The thesaurus format means there is no narrative, no exercises, and no context for how to apply the verbs effectively, which can leave less experienced actors uncertain about how to actually use the book in practice. Some actors find the categorization system idiosyncratic and not always intuitive — a particular verb might appear under a category heading they would not have thought to check. The book draws primarily from a British theatrical vocabulary, and some of the verb choices may feel slightly unfamiliar or carry different connotations for American actors. At roughly 150 pages of word lists, the content could arguably be replicated with a good general thesaurus and some imagination, which may make some actors feel the purchase is not essential. Additionally, the book focuses exclusively on transitive actions directed at a scene partner and does not address other types of acting choices like objectives, obstacles, or given circumstances.
Our Recommendation
Every actor who works with actions — which includes anyone trained in Meisner, Practical Aesthetics, Stanislavski, or most contemporary acting methodologies — should own a copy of Actions: The Actors' Thesaurus. It is particularly valuable for actors who find themselves falling into repetitive patterns or who feel stuck when analyzing a scene and need fresh tactical options. Directors and acting teachers will find it equally useful as a communication tool for giving precise, actionable direction. If you are new to action-based acting and do not yet understand what a playable action is, start with a text like David Mamet's True and False or the Atlantic Theater Company's A Practical Handbook for the Actor to learn the theory, then use this thesaurus as your ongoing practical reference. The book pairs especially well with Sanford Meisner on Acting and The Actors Art and Craft for a comprehensive Meisner-based toolkit.
Pro Tips
Keep this book in your rehearsal bag or on your desk during script preparation — its value comes from regular, habitual use, not from a single read-through. When analyzing a script, look up several possible action verbs for each beat and try each one on its feet before committing to a choice — the variety of options will open up interpretations you would not have considered otherwise. Create a personal shortlist of your favorite action verbs from the book and practice using them in everyday scene work to build your working vocabulary. When a director gives you a vague note like 'be more intense' or 'softer,' use the thesaurus to translate that into a specific, playable action that you can actually execute. Challenge yourself to never play the same action twice in consecutive rehearsals of the same scene — the thesaurus makes this kind of experimentation practical and fun. Recommend it to your scene partners and directors so you develop a shared vocabulary that makes rehearsal more efficient and precise.