Fool: Top & Build

Within each beat (broken down section of a scene) there's a mini journey in the action between the characters that needs to build up to a climax before the next beat switches intentions or the situation between them. With each line and each new idea or emotion from every character in the scene, the actors need to keep building on and topping each others' stakes within the beat to climb toward the end point.

Without spoiling anything about the play, I'm including a small beat from the play as an example and will break down the thought process between each line to explain (overly simplified).

MAY: How many times have you done this to me?
          (May starts frustrated and tired of Eddie's empty promises)
EDDIE: What.
MAY: Suckered me into some dumb little fantasy and then dropped me like a hot rock. How many times has that happened?
          (May is upset with Eddie for hurting her in the past and never changing. She's fed up.)
EDDIE: It's no fantasy.
          (Denial from Eddie)
MAY: It's all a fantasy.
          (This line tops the previous one from Eddie, shooting him down.)
EDDIE: And I never dropped you either.
          (More denial piles on as he tries to justify his past, especially having just been stifled by May's line.)
MAY: No, you just disappeared!
          (Her pain is still fresh, and she feels his claim doesn't hold water, so her frustration builds.)
EDDIE: Well I'm here now aren't I?
          (Eddie fights back, trying to prove that he's changed.)
MAY: Well, praise Jesus God!
          (She resorts to sarcasm to cut down Eddie for his past mistakes.)
EDDIE: I'm gonna' take care of you May. I am. I'm gonna' stick with you no matter what. I promise.
          (Eddie continues to fight harder to convince her and get her back...)
MAY: Get outa' here.
          (She's heard enough! She's done believing his false promises by now, even if she still loves him.)

The "Top and Build" philosophy doesn't mean get louder and louder in a shouting match, it has more depth to it. It means to layer on the intensity of emotion and intention within each line. Why does your character say those words? There's always an inner thought process underlying the situation.