Question

Pop culture what term describes what an actor breaks when he addresses the audience directly from stage, like in hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy?

Answer 1

When an actor addresses the audience directly, she is said to be “breaking the Fourth Wall”. This term has an intuitive sense to it. The front of the stage is seen as a wall that the actors do not see past (the actors generally seem to be unaware of the audience). When the actor addresses the audience, she breaks through this wall to interact directly with the audience.