blocking

In the theatre, Blocking refers to the process of working out the moves the actors will make on the stage, the precise places they will stand, the actions they will perform. The director, in blocking a play, works not only from the stage directions already indicated in the script, but considers the emotional impact the actor’s movements and gestures need to make, the balance on the stage, the logistics of movement and a myriad other things. There is a good, basic explanation of blocking on How To Do Things.