Theatre Terminology and Stage Directions. Ad-Lib To improvise stage business or conversation,...
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Transcript of Theatre Terminology and Stage Directions. Ad-Lib To improvise stage business or conversation,...
Theatre Terminologyand Stage Directions
Ad-Lib
To improvise stage business or conversation, especially when an actor has missed or forgotten lines and other actors must supply the missing information
Amphitheater
An oval or round structure with no roof that has tiers of seats rising from the center, used for public performances of plays and other productions
Apron
The section of the stage in front of the curtain
Arena Theater
A stage without a proscenium arch and with seats on three or four sides, allowing close association between actors and spectators
Aside
A line spoken directly to the audience
Backdrop
A large piece of cloth, on which scenery is painted, that is fastened to battens and hung at the back of the stage setting Also called a
drop
Backstage
The area behind the set that is not visible to the audience, including dressing rooms, the greenroom, etc.
Black Box Theater
A large square room with black walls and a flat floor seating is typically loose chairs on platforms,
which can be easily moved or removed to allow the entire space to be adapted to the artistic elements of a production
Blackout
Stage direction to turn off all stage lights suddenly
Blocking
Movement and groupings on the stage
Business
Any specific action, other than a change of location, performed on the stage, such as picking up a book or pouring tea Used to establish atmosphere, reveal
character, or explain a situation
Cheat
A stage technique in which an actor who is facing sideways pivots the torso and turns the face toward the audience
Closed Audition
A tryout open only to union members
Cold Reading
A tryout during which an actor uses material never seen before
Cross
To move from one position to another on stage
Cue
The last words, action, or technical effect that immediately precedes any line or business A stage signal
Curtain Calls
The appearance of a play’s cast in response to an audience’s applause Bows at the end of the play
Cut
To stop action To Omit
Cyclorama (Cyc)
A white background curtain on which lights or other effects can be projected
Dress Rehearsal
An uninterrupted rehearsal with costumes and props The final rehearsal before the first performance
Flat
A wooden frame covered with cloth used as the basic unit of structure of a box set
Fly
The area above the stage where scenery is hung when not in use A system for
hanging drops Verb: to raise or
lower scenery
Follow Spot
A long range lighting instrument capable of picking up or following a person moving on the stage
Fourth Wall
The imaginary wall through which the audience watches the action of the play
Gel
A transparent color medium placed on lighting instruments to produce different colors
Gobo
A stencil placed in the gel holder of a spotlight to project a pattern
Grand Drape
The curtain hung just upstage of the proscenium that opens and closes at each act or scene Also called an act curtain
Greenroom
A waiting area offstage used by actors We use the
choir room
Holding for Laughs
Waiting for an audience to quiet down after a humorous line or scene
Improvisation
The impromptu portrayal of a character or a scene without any rehearsal or preparation
Legs
Narrow drapes, usually hung in pairs, stage left and stage right, to mask the backstage area
Monologue
A speech by a single actor
Motivation
The reason behind a character’s behavior
Objectives
The goal of a character; what the character wants or is striving for in a scene
Off Book
Rehearsal without scripts
Off Stage
Off the visible stage Also called “off”
Open Audition
Tryout open to nonunion actors
Periaktoi (Prisms)
Sets made up of three flats, shaped as triangles mounted on a wheeled carriage that can be pivoted
Pit
The front part of the auditorium where the orchestra might be located – often below stage level
Projection
The control of the volume and quality of the voice so that it can be heard clearly by everyone in an audience
Proscenium Arch
The arch opening between the stage and the auditorium
Readers’ Theatre
A form of theater in which plays are read to an audience from a script and brought to life by the readers’ voices, facial expressions, and controlled movement
Scrim
A drop made of fabric that seems almost opaque when lit from the front and semitransparent when lit from behind
Stealing a Scene
Attracting attention from the person to whom the center of interest legitimately belongs
Strike
To remove an object or objects from the stage
To take down the set
Tableau
A scene presented by silent, unmoving actors For more info, see
Pageant of the Masters
Thespian
An actor
Understudy
A person who learns a role and who can perform it in the absence of the actor
Wings
The offstage areas to the right and left of the set
Stage Directions
Audience
Center
C
Up Right
URUp Center
UCUp Left
UL
Right Center
RCLeft Center
LC
Down Right
DRDown Center
DCDown Left
DL
UP
RIGHT
LEFT
DOWN