Post on 24-Feb-2016
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NRHS – THEATRE IDR. NEIGHBOURS
Common Theatre Language
~ Let’s all talk the same, and know what one another means ~
Theatre
USE THIS TERM
(Dr. N’s pet peeve)
This means the “entity” of
theatre; theatre as art; the job
of theatre; the essence of
theatre
THEATRE / THEATER
Theater
A building
Movie theatre
i.e. Harborview
Do not ever misuse this word
INVISIBLE FOURTH WALL
This is the imaginary wall between
actors and the audience
Illusion of the First Time - An
actor’s tool to make everything new
and fresh
Script - The text the playwright
gives the actor to work from
Side – A portion of the script;
usually used for auditions or when
the script is large and the actor only
has a bit part.
16 Bars - In music, this is the usual
amount that an actor will sing at the
audition
Counter - A type of blocking move
where an actor moves to open a
window for other actors
Counter Cross - A blocking move
across the stage to another position
Windows - Creating pockets on actors
onstage so that every actor can be seen
Open Up - Physically turn your body
so the audience can see you
3 MAIN STAGESProscenium -Type of stage that
is shaped like a picture frame
Arena or “In the Round” - Type
of stage where the audience
surrounds the actors and the
action taking place onstage
Thrust - Type of stage that juts
out from the proscenium arch
Black Box - Type of theatre (usually
used for experimental theatre) where
the stage and audience positions can be
changed
Prop - Anything the actor picks up
with his hands and moves around the
stage
Set - The scenery, furniture, etc.
that make up what the audience sees
onstage; doesn’t move
BASIC STAGE DIRECTIONSUpstage - The part of the stage farthest
from the audience
Downstage - The part of the stage
closest to the audience
Center Stage - The centermost part of
the stage
Stage Right - Part of the stage to the
actors’ right and the audience’s left
Stage Left - Part of the stage to the
actors’ left and the audience’s right
Improvisation - No set script; make it up as
you go along
Motivation - Why your character does
what they do
Pantomime - Using the body to tell a story
without words
Reacting - What the actor who is not
speaking does while other actors are
speaking
Exposition - What we know about each
character at the beginning of the action
Protagonist - The hero of the show; main
character
Antagonist - Whoever is against the
hero/main character
Chorus - (Usually in Greek theatre) the
characters without names that move and
speak together
Ensemble - All the actors that are not
principal players
Climax - The highest point of the action –
the turning point
CONTEXTTHE SETTING
TEXTTHE ACTUAL LANGUAGE
WHAT IS GIVEN
SUBTEXTWHAT IS MEANT
THE MEANING AND INTERPRETATION