act break
Theatrical structural pause
An act break is the pause or transition point between acts in a television show, film, or play.
In TV writing, act breaks are strategic moments—typically cliffhangers or dramatic beats—designed to hold audience attention through commercial interruptions: We need a stronger act break before the third ad.
The term is most common in screenwriting and production contexts.
- intermissionScheduled performance pause
- pauseTemporary cessation of activity
- dramatic pauseIntentional silence for emphasis
- sceneDramatic unit or locale
- scene changeTheatrical location shift
curtain · curtain call · interval · theater · drama · climax · cliffhanger · tension · blackout · stage · stage direction · playwright · script · halftime · recess · suspense · plot twist · finale
- plotplot, storyline, subplot, climax, narrative
- breakscrack, pause, fracture, shatter, rupture
- scriptscene, line, stage directions, prologue, epilogue
- story structureclimax, exposition, denouement, prologue, epilogue
- stage interludesintermission, entr'acte, intermezzo, musical interlude, interval
- dramaturgydramaturgy, dramaturg, dramatic structure, dramatic technique, dramatic form