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THE SHORT LIST for performers
This abridged list below has removed the most
technical terms not necessary to most performing talent. For glossary of
technical theater terms click above links above links. Many detailed technical
and slang terms for lighting, sound, staging and more.
Above Upstage or away from the
audience. Actors crossing above a prop or piece of set are keeping it between
them and the audience.
Acoustics 1) The science of sound.
2) The factors and characteristics of a room or space that determine the sound
capabilities and properties of that room.
Act 1) What an actor does. 2)
Segments of a performance, usually separated by an interval. So the first part
is Act 1, the second Act 2, and so on.
Acting
Area
The area of the stage setting within which the actor performs. It may include
areas off the normal stage.(UK) Usually split into theoretical portions for
ease of reference.
Acting
Versions
Published scripts which include notes from previous productions of the show -
first appeared in England in the 18th century.
Actor's
Equity
The union for actors. The English version was founded in 1920 after an actors'
strike. The Australian version is now a part of the Media Entertainment and
Arts Alliance.
Actor
Manager
An actor who rents a theatre and runs their own company.
Ad
Lib A
departure from the script in order to cover an unexpected situation or hide a
lapse of memory.
After
Piece A
brief one act play, usually a nonsense piece, staged after the main performance
has concluded. Originated as a comic antidote to the main play in England in
the early 18th century. It was designed for people who arrived late due to an
early curtain time (because they relied on natural light, many plays started
quite early), or pressures of business.
Ambience The mix of background
noise and other reflected sounds that make up a room's acoustic character. More
recently, a generic description of new age music.
Amphitheatre An outdoor theatrical
setting, usually with a large semi-circular seating area sloping down to the
stage. Sometimes a very large indoor venue. The amphitheatre was developed by
the Romans to provide convenient accommodation for large numbers of spectators at
exhibitions of gladiatorial combats and beast hunts. The amphitheatre was one
of the earliest examples of reserved ticketing. Tickets noted which arch to
enter through, and the section, row, and seat numbers. They were also big. The
amphitheatre at Pompeii, built 80BC sat 20,000, while the Colosseum in Rome,
built 29BC by Statilus Tauros, held an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 spectators.
Amplifier An electronic device that
amplifies sound signals to a point where they great enough to be heard through
a speaker.
Angels Financial backers of a
production.
Antagonist The chief opponent of the
protagonist in a drama.
Apotheosis Final scene or tableau in
which the characters are elevated to immortality.
Apron A part of the stage
projecting towards or into the auditorium. In proscenium stages, the part of
the stage in front of the curtain. (UK) See Forestage.
Arena
Theatre
A theatre in which the audience sits on all sides of an acting area. Originates
in Roman times, when the arena was the oval space in a Roman amphitheatre where
the combats and other entertainment took place.
ARX Australian audio equipment
manufacturer
.Assistant
Stage Manager Abbrev. to ASM. According the size of the show, there may
be one or more ASM's who assist the Stage Manager with properties and other
activities on stage.
ASM See Assistant Stage
Manager.
At
Rise
The action occurring on the stage when the curtain opens.
Auditorium The part of the theatre
designed to accommodate the audience. Auditorium can also describe the entire
theatre, and has been in use as a word since the 18th century, although there
were other words with the same meaning before that. Incidentally, the plural
can be either auditoriums or auditoria. Also House.
Backstage In proscenium theatres,
the area behind the proscenium arch. The term also refers to such areas in
non-proscenium theatres and to any part of the stage not in the acting area
during a performance.
Ballad
Opera A
musical with songs based on popular melodies or tunes e.g. THE BEGGARS OPERA.
Band
Call
Any orchestral rehearsal but particularly a musical rehearsal with cast and
musicians without the acting movements. (UK)
Barre
The bar
running around the wall of a dance rehearsal room used by the dancers to hold
on to during some exercises in a dance class.
Baroque
Theatre
A sumptuous, spectacular form of theatre popular in the 17th and 18th
centuries. Noted for its ability to extend beyond the confines of the stage and
involving elaborate changeable scenery.
Basic
Situation
The fundamental premise or story line on which a play is based.
Bass The lowest end of the
audible audio frequency spectrum.
Beginners A call given by the stage
manager to bring those actors who appear at the beginning of the play or act to
the stage. Traditionally given five minutes before curtain time. Also Places
Please (US).
Blackout A total, sometimes sudden,
extinguishing of the stage lights, often at the end of a scene or act.
Blocking The process of roughing
out the moves to be made by the actors. Also Grouping.
Book 1) Noun - Alternative term
for the scripts. 2) Noun - The prompt copy. 3) Noun - The part of a musical
show conducted in dialogue. 4) Verb - To arrange the services of actors and
musicians.
Border Flown scenic piece or
curtain designed to conceal the upper part of the stage and its machinery or
lighting equipment. (UK)
Bounce 1) To bring in the House
Curtain fast, then take it out again immediately. 2) Lighting term describing
light beams reflected off the stage or set.
Box
Set
Setting which encloses the acting area on three sides. Conventionally in
imitation of a room from which the fourth wall has been removed. (UK).
Break
A Leg
Traditional good luck greeting between cast and crew before a performance. Also
Chookas, Fall Down Backward.
Breaking
Character
When actors do or say something which is inconsistent with the character they
are working session e.g.
Business Movements or activity used
by the actors to reinforce their character.
Bus
And Truck
Tour designed for short stops, usually 1 to 4 nights. (US)
Call 1) A notification of a
rehearsal call. (UK) 2) A request for an actor to come to the stage as his
entrance is imminent, formerly by call boy, now by loudspeaker system in the
dressing rooms. (UK) 3) An acknowledgment of applause .e.g. Curtain Call. (UK)
Camera
Left
The right hand side of the stage as viewed by the cast facing the audience.
Also Stage Right, Opposite Prompt.
Camera
Right
The left hand side of the stage as viewed by the cast facing the audience. Also
Stage Left, Prompt Side.
Centre
Line An
imaginary line running from the front to the back of the stage through the
exact centre of the proscenium arch. (UK)
Centre
Stage The
middle of the acting area. Abbrev. CS.
Charonian
Steps
Steps used in ancient Greek theatre by actors to emerge from below stage to
symbolise their appearance from the underworld.
Chookas Traditional good luck
greeting between cast and crew before a performance. Also Break A Leg, Fall
Down Backward.
Choreographer Designs and creates the dance
elements and arrangements for a show.
Chorus Set of performers who
speak, sing and/or dance as a group rather than individually.
Company
Manager
In charge of the overall welfare of all technical and acting staff, including
paying wages, organising accommodation, and liaising with the venue.
Complication A twist introduced into a
play which heightens tension and prolongs the climax of the story.
Concert
Pitch
The common tuning standard for musical instruments, agreed in 1960, where the
note A = 440 Hz (or vibrations per second).
Conflict The struggle between two
or more actors leading to a climax.
Corpse (Verb) To laugh
uncontrollably on stage.
Cover A term used particularly
in opera for a stand-by or understudy actor. (UK)
Crash
Box Box
used for creating sound effects.
Cressets Lengths of rope dipped in
pitch and lit in small open cages and used as stage lighting in the 17th
century. (From Latin 'Crassus' = fat or grease)
Crew Loose term covering all
those who work on a show backstage.
Cross The movement of an actor
across the stage in any direction.
Cue The signal that initiates
a change of any kind during a performance. (UK)
Cued
script
A cut down version of the full script, prepared especially for a particular
actor, showing only that actor's speeches with a few lines either side for
cues. Usually on a smaller paper size such as quarto so it can be kept easily
in a bag or pocket.
Cue-to-cue A technical rehearsal
specifically for the technical crew to work fully through the cues, often by
skipping parts of the script. Also Top And Tail Rehearsal.
Curtain 1) The drapery which hides
the stage from the audience. See House Curtain. 2) The action of the House
Curtain coming down at the end of an Act or the play. 3) The last piece of
action on the stage before the House Curtain comes down.
Curtain
Line 1)
The final line of a scene or act which gives the cue for the curtain to come
down. In a tradition dating from Elizabethan times it is considered unlucky to
speak the curtain line in rehearsal. 2) The imaginary line across the stage
where the curtain falls.
Curtain
Raiser
Similar to the after piece, developed in France in the late 18th century as a
short play to bridge the gap between the beginning of the performance and the
arrival of late audience members. Generally the curtain raiser had nothing to
do with the main performance.
Curtain
Speech
Address to the audience by an actor, without the persona of the character the
actor is supposed to be portraying.
Curtain
Time or
Curtain Up The beginning of the show. Also
Curtain Time.
Cut
And Run
Term used towards the end of the 18th century when actors cut their lines and
left the stage, for one reason or another.
Cyclorama A perfectly plain screen
with a uniform surface extending around and above the stage to give a feeling
of infinite space. It can also be used for the projection of designs and
shadows. In English repertory theatres it was traditionally made of concrete
and thus the back wall of the stage. (UK) Also Sky-cloth. (From Greek 'Kuklos'
= circle and 'Horama' = view).
Dark A theatre which is
temporarily or permanently closed to the public. (UK)
Denouement The process during which
all tensions and conflicts generated in the performance are resolved.(From the
French = unknotting, the unravelling of plot or complications in a story.)
Deputy
Stage Manager On larger shows a Deputy Stage Manager is employed to lighten the load
on the Stage Manager. This can include running some rehearsals, and calling
cues from the Prompt Book during the performance.
Designer Responsible for the
conception and supervision of the execution of the visual aspects of the
production. Separate designers may be employed for scenery, costumes, lighting
etc. (UK)
Deus
ex machina The event or person that saves a situation in the nick of time. (from
Latin = god from the machinery - a device by which gods were suspended above
the stage in ancient theatre).
Dialogue The lines or words spoken
by the cast in a show.
Diorama A spectacular 3
dimensional effect was created by a specially painted cloth and carefully
focussed lighting. Invented by Louis Daguerre in Paris 1822, the man who is
also credited with inventing photography. (From Greek, 'Dia' = through, and
'Horama' = view).
Director Has the ultimate
responsibility for the interpretation of the script through his control of the
actors and supporting production team.
Discovered
At Rise
Actors present on stage when the curtain rises or the lights come up.
Dock Area at the rear or side
of the stage where scenery is stored when not in use or where materials are
loaded to and from the trucks or vehicles. (UK) Also Scene Dock.
Dolly 1) A small trolley or
truck used to move set or props. 2) As for 1) but on which a film camera is
mounted to allow action to be filmed while the camera is moving. (TV)
Downstage The part of the stage
closest to the audience. Abbrev. D/S.
Dress
Parade
Prior to the first stage dress rehearsal the actors put on each of their
costumes in sequence so that the director and designer can check the state of
preparedness of the wardrobe. (US)
Dress
Rehearsal
Also known simply as the 'dress', the final rehearsal before the performance.
The actors are in costume and all technical problems should have been sorted
out.
Dresser Crew member who assists
actors with costume care and costume changing during the performance.
Dry When cast members forget
their lines and cannot continue they have 'dried'.
DSM See Deputy Stage Manager.
Dumb
show
The precursor to the speechless character of Harlequin. The dumb show was a feature
of English Tudor era pageantry.
Ensemble
Acting
Actors working as a group on stage rather than individual characters.
Entrance 1) Place on a set through
which the actor may appear. 2) Point in the script at which an actor appears on
stage.
Epilogue A speech to the audience
by an actor after the formal action of the play is concluded.
Exit 1) The process of leaving
the stage. 2) Point in the script at which an actor leaves the stage.
Exposition Background knowledge
required by an audience to understand the play. The information is sometimes
not in the script, but more often is conveyed in early speeches by subordinate
characters.
Exterior A setting depicting an
outdoor scene.
Extra See Supernumerary.
False
Proscenium An inner frame which narrows down the opening of the proscenium arch.
It may help to hide lanterns or may be required by the design of the show.
False
Stage A
special stage floor laid a few inches above the real stage, to allow the
running of steel cables to pull trucks across the stage. (UK)
Feedback High pitched squeal when a
microphone picks up acoustically from a speaker to which it is connected. Also
Howl Round.
Flat A basic unit of scenery, a
wooden frame covered with either canvas or plywood, and painted with the
required picture.
Floorcloth A canvas covering for the
floor of the stage. The cloth can be painted to resemble some surface, but be
easily removed to reveal another cloth, or the stage floor below.
Focus 1) That items and objects
on the set are consistent with the theme envisaged by the director. 2) Pulling
focus - when an actor deliberately tries to draw the audience's attention away
from another cast member to themselves.
Forestage The area in front of the
house curtain in a proscenium arch theatre.
Fourth
Wall
The imaginary wall which separates the audience from the stage in a proscenium
theatre.
Freeze To stop all action and
movement on stage, usually during applause or just before a lighting cue.
Fribble A 17th century word used
to describe ad libbing to cover lapses of memory.
Front
of House
Abbrev. to FOH. Any part of the theatre in front of the proscenium arch.
Front
of House Manager The staff member in a Theatre responsible for the audience
and Front of House facilities, such as the bars, concessions, programs, and
ticket selling.
Gopher General dogsbody who is
sent to 'go for' things for the cast and crew. (US)
Green The part of the stage area
visible to the audience.portraying.
Green
Baize
Until the mid 19th century it was common practice to lay a green carpet on
stage when a tragedy was to be performed. Practically it was to protect the
costumes when the cast collapsed in death, but became a tool to raise an
audience's expectations when the carpet was laid during interval.
Green
Room
Room adjacent to the stage (.i.e. the Green) for the actors to meet and relax.
One explanation for 'green' is that in medieval days, when strolling players
gave performances on the village green (hence 'Green'), a tent would be set-up
for them to change costumes in (hence 'Green Room'). Perhaps the best known
Green Room is at Drury Lane Theatre in London, and it is possible that it was
once draped or painted in green, and this is the origin. Another possible
theory is because of the Green Baize as described above. Green, the colour, is
also known to be psychologically soothing.
Ground
Plan A
scale drawing which shows the exact position of the openings, wall and windows,
and other details on in a stage set as seen from above.
Grouping The arrangement of actors
in and around the set at a particular time. See Blocking.
Half
Half hour call. Warning to the company given thirty-five minutes before performance
(thirty minutes before beginners).
Half
Price
Custom originating in the 18th century of admitting privileged patrons free of
charge after the third act of the play.
Hall
Keeper
Staff person who works at the Stage Door taking messages and deliveries (UK).
Also Stage Door Keeper, Stage Door Man.
Hand
Prop
Any prop handled by an actor.
Hard
Edged A
light beam on stage that has a clearly defined edge or side. Opposite to Soft
Edged.
Harmonics
The
separate tones that are multiples of the original sound frequency.
Head
Electrician The permanent staff member in a theatre who runs the electrics
department.
Hot
Spot An
area on the stage on which the lighting is unintentionally more intense than
the other areas.
House 1) The audience. 2) The
auditorium.
House
Curtain
The main front curtain in a proscenium theatre.
House
Manager
See Front of House Manager.
House
Lights The
decorative fixtures that light the auditorium whilst the audience is entering
or leaving, usually they are dimmed or switched off during the performance.
Inner
Stage A
part of the acting area which can be masked off and revealed only during
certain scenes.
Irish
Acting
Acting term coined earlier this century to describe a lack of gestures but
confident delivery of lines.
Irony Contained in much theatre.
When a word or action implies or conveys the opposite meaning to that we
expect.
Kabuki Traditional form of
Japanese theatre still practised today by a select group of male actors in
Japan.
Legit Short for Legitimate - a
play with no music. Originates from the Letters Patent issued by Charles II in
1662 giving two men a monopoly over the performance of all plays in the City of
Westminster - the legal theatres became known as Patent Theatres. Some clever
entrepreneurs got around this decree by deciding musicals were not plays and
staged them defiantly. So musicals became illegitimate, and plays legitimate.
Legitimate
Actor
An actor trained for legit theatre.
Legs Vertical strips of fabric,
usually black, used mainly for masking the sides of the stage.
Libretto The part of a musical
score containing the sung and spoken words.
Lift To add life to a line or
scene.
Lines
Set Down
Lines committed to memory.
Listen
In An
actor must 'listen in' to the others on stage to gather the nuances of the
language and action. It is too easy for an actor to reply automatically without
considering the import of what they are saying.
M****th The play that it is
unlucky to speak the name of, or to quote from, in a theatre. Instead it is
known as by euphemisms such as 'The Scottish Play' or 'The Unmentionable'. This
tradition dates from the first opening night of the play in 1606 when the boy
actor playing Lady M****th died backstage during the show. Since then the play
has apparently been dogged by bad luck.
Marking 1) Indicating the position
of scenery or props on the stage floor, usually with different colour tapes to
avoid confusion. Also spiking. 2) In singing, a means of using the voice with
reduced volume and without vocalising extremes of register.
Marking
Out The
process of marking the position of scenery and props with coloured tape on the
rehearsal room floor.
Mask 1) Verb - To hide or
conceal unwanted areas or machinery. 2) One actor obscuring another
unintentionally. 3) Noun - A mould or prop used to conceal an actor's face.
Musical
Director
Abbrev. to MD. The person in charge of the musical content of a show.
Method
Acting
A style of teaching acting formulated by Stanislavsky.
Mugging
It
Playing Out Front too much.
Noh
Theatre
Traditional form of Japanese drama.
Notes Similar to a Post Mortem,
but particularly where the director gives notes to the cast and crew after a
show about the good and bad points of the show.
Objective The end towards which a
character urgently strives.
Offstage Backstage area outside the
performance area.
One
Play Actors Actors who, for various reasons, have become associated with a single
part. An actor in this position may be known as over-exposed.
One
Play Authors One hit wonders, or authors who are remembered only for one work.
Onion
At The End Old English music hall term, the moment or action that makes the audience
cry at the end of the show.
Onstage 1) Inside the acting area.
2) Towards the centre line.
Open To turn or face more
towards the audience.
Orchestra 1) The musicians who
provide the musical backing to a show. 2) The ground floor seating in an auditorium.
Also Stalls.
Orchestra
Pit The
sunken area in front of the stage where the orchestra play during a
performance. Also The Pit.
Out Flying term for up. In is
down - which prevents confusion with Up and Down Stage.
Out
Front 1)
The audience. 2) Towards the audience. 3) See Front of House.
Overture The music which begins a
performance.
Pace The speed at which the
story and action in a play runs.
Pancake Basic make-up item,
available in a range of shades, used the world over.
Part An actor's part of the play
is his or her lines and directions, the whole performance of an individual,
Peacocks In some parts of theatre
these birds are considered harbingers of evil.
Pepper's
Ghost
The effect of a ghost on stage created in the 1860s by J. Pepper using glass as
a reflector. Pepper's ghost was such a success that several plays were written
especially to use the effect.
Period When all the facets of a
production are carefully aimed towards representing a specific period in
history.
Piano
Rehearsal
Rehearsal for a musical show where the music is provided only by a pianist, to
save calling the orchestra and incurring the additional cost.
Platform
Stage
An elevated acting area that does not use a proscenium arch.
Plot 1) Any list of cues for
effects used in the play. 2) The fundamental thread that runs through a story,
providing the reason for the actions of the characters.
PM See Production Manager.
Point
Of Attack
The moment in the story at which the writer decides to start the play's action.
Pong To speak in blank verse
after drying.
Post
Mortem
The session attended by cast and crew after a show to discuss problems. See
Notes.
Practical Any object which must do
onstage the same job that it would do in real life e.g. lamp post or telephone.
Preparation The activities used by
actors to prepare themselves for a performance.
Preset 1) Used to describe any
article placed in its working area before the performance. 2) A basic lighting
state that the audience sees before the action starts.
Preview A performance given before
the official opening night, sometimes it is in fact the final full dress
rehearsal. Tickets, if sold, are often cheaper as a way of building audience
interest in the show.
Principals The actors in a show with
the lead or speaking roles.
Producer The person responsible for
raising the finance to stage a show and then generally running the business
side.
Production
Manager
Abbrev. to PM. The senior member of the technical team, in control of staffing,
budgets, and liaison with venues whilst on tour.
Prologue Speech given to the
audience by an actor before the start of the play.
Prompt The person who, during the
performance, feeds actors lines if they 'dry'. Usually from the down stage
stage left position - hence Prompt Corner. In opera it was traditional for the
prompt to be positioned with the head projecting through a small slit cut in
the stage floor down stage centre, with a wooden hood or cover to mask the
prompt person from the audience.
Prompt
Book
See Prompt Copy.
Prompt
Copy
Fully annotated copy of the play with all of the various production details,
used by the Stage Manager during the performance to co-ordinate all the various
technical and staging departments. Also Prompt Book.
Prompt
Corner
The down stage stage left corner of the stage. Known as Prompt Corner because
that is the area where the Prompt, or Stage Manager, usually sits.
Prompt
Side
Abbrev. to PS. The left hand side of the stage as viewed by the cast facing the
audience. Also Stage Left, Camera Right.
Properties
Abbrev.
to Props. Any item or article used by the actors other than scenery and
costumes.
Props
Table
Table in convenient offstage area on which all props are left prior to use.
Proscenium
Arch
Abbrev. to Pros. The archway which separates the stage and the auditorium.
Proscenium
Theatre
Any theatre that has a proscenium arch.
Protagonist The main character in a
play around whom most of the action is based.
Proximity
Effect
The difference in sound characteristics as a microphone is moved towards or away
from a sound source. Generally a loss in bass response is experienced as the
microphone is moved away. Often used by vocalists to add emphasis to their
songs.
PS See Prompt Side.
Pulling
Focus
See Focus.
Quarter Backstage pre-show call
given 20 minutes before curtain up (15 minutes before beginners).
Rake The incline of a stage
floor or seating area away from the horizontal. Originally introduced as a way
of improving sightlines to the stage under poor lighting conditions last
century.
Readers
Theatre
Similar to a workshop piece, but without the analysis, where the cast read the
play aloud with the script in hand and without gestures. (US).
Rehearsal The learning of the show
by the cast and crew before public performance.
Repertory Abbrev. to Rep. A form of
theatre production company, usually with a permanent company of actors, where
each production has a run of limited length. At any time there is normally one
production in performance, one in rehearsal, and several in varying degrees of
planning.
Reserved
Ticketing
Ticketing for a performance in which the precise seat to be occupied by the
patron is defined by row and number. The opposite is unreserved seating.
Return A flat or curtain leading
off from another at right angles.
Reveal A small return surrounding
an arch, window, or doorway to suggest depth and thickness.
Reversal A sudden about change in
the plot or action on stage leading to an unexpected outcome.
Reverberation Abbrev. to Reverb. The
effect of multiple sound waves reflecting off surfaces in a room.
Revolving
Stage A
Revolve. A large turntable which turns the set so that, even though two or more
scenes may be on the revolve, only one need be visible to the audience at a
time.
Ride
It A
technique of pacing and timing employed by an actor to handle laughter from the
audience.
Riser 1) See Rostrum. 2) The
vertical part of a step. 3) The vertical parts of the concentric rings of a
fresnel lens.
Rostrum A portable platform
usually in the form of a collapsible hinged framework (gate rostrum) with a
separate top. Used to raise specific parts of the action or scene.
Royalty The performance fee paid
to the author of a script.
Run 1) A sequence of
performances of the same show. 2) Horizontal width of a step. 3) See Run
Through.
Run
Through
A rehearsal at which all the elements of the production are put together in
their correct sequence. Sometimes shortened to 'Run'.
Runners A pair of curtains parting
at the centre and moving horizontally.
Scene 1) A stage setting. 2) The
blocks or parts into which a play is divided. 3) A particular setting of stage
lighting that can be reproduced on demand. Al
Scrim Finely woven fabric which
can be translucent or opaque using lighting from different angles. Small pieces
of a scrim material is often used in front of lanterns to soften the light
beam.
Script The text of the show, also
containing information about settings, characters, costumes etc. to aid the
cast and crew.
Segue Originally a musical term
for an immediate follow on, now used more generally for any immediate follow
on.
Set 1) Verb - To set is to
prepare the stage for the coming scene by placing everything in its correct
position. 2) Noun - The set is all the scenery, furniture and props used to
create a particular scene. 3) When an actor has learnt their lines and stage
directions they are 'set'.
Set
Dressing
1) The process of putting all sets, props and so on in their correct positions
on the stage. 2) Props used to create atmosphere rather than having a function.
Set
Piece A
piece of scenery which stands alone.
Setting
Line
Line normally parallel to the front of the stage and just upstage of the house
curtain, from which the positions of the scenery are measured.
Side A page of script.
Sightlines Lines indicating the
limits of what an audience can see. The sightlines can be drawn on a plan or
determined by someone in the auditorium.
Sit
In A
director may invite a group of the actors' friends to 'sit in' on a rehearsal.
Slapstick Slightly manic but
physical comedy that relies on often violent behaviour to elicit laughter.
Special A lantern performing a
particular function, such as a fire 'special' or a window 'special'.
Spiking Marking the position of a
set piece on the stage. See Marking.Spill
Unwanted light which is normally due to a poorly focused lantern.
Spine The dominant desire or
motive of a character.
Spit
and Dribble The cheapest seats in the highest balcony in the auditorium.
Stage 1) The part of the theatre
on which the actor performs. 2) The acting profession - an actor is said to be
'On The Stage'.
Stage
Conventions Certain devices used within a performance that are accepted as
portraying an event or style without necessarily being realistic.
Stage
Directions Directions in the script about how the playwright intends actions or
arrangements to be carried out.
Stage
Door
The door to the theatre through which the cast and crew enter and exit the
theatre. Not the public entrance to the building.
Stage
Door Keeper See Hall Keeper.Stage Fever A desire to
be on the stage.
Stage
House
The stage and everything up to the grid.
Stage
Left
Abbrev. to SL. The left side of the stage as viewed by the cast facing the
audience. Also Prompt Side, Camera Right.
Stage
Manager
The member of the production team responsible for the smooth running of a performance.
Before a production opens the Stage Manager attends rehearsals and meetings
with other members of the production, and in smaller companies is often the
coordinator of all of the various aspects of the production. During the
performance the Stage Manager, using a copy of the script annotated during
rehearsals, cues the actors and the various technical departments. On larger
shows this last function will be performed by the Deputy Stage Manager.
Stage
Right Abbrev.
to SR. The right hand stage as viewed by the cast facing the audience. Also
Opposite Prompt, Camera Left.
Sticky If a scene or paragraph is
proving difficult to play, it is said to be sticky.
Standing
Room Only
All seats having been sold the only positions left for the audience require
standing for the show.
Stock
Characters Type cast characters such as 'The Villain', 'The Hero', etc.
Stock
Plots
As for Stock Characters.
Stock
Scenery
Scenery able to be used for a number of different plays.
Strike To clear the stage of
scenery and other materials, or to remove a specific article.
Subtext The meaning beneath the
superficial surface of a play's story, often more important then the latter.
Summer
Stock
Theatre Companies that operate in regional areas, outside the usual theatrical
centres, during the summer months, and who produce an intensive season of
plays.
Surround
Sound
An extra audio track now added to many films often used for atmospheric or
special effects sounds. The surround speakers are place at the side and/or rear
of the audience so that the patrons appear 'surrounded' by the film's
soundtrack. When first developed was predominantly used for sudden special
effects sounds such as explosions, and so was first know as the effects
soundtrack.
Tabs A pair of curtains which
over-lap at centre, and together are the full width and height of the stage.
Front tabs are the House Curtain.
Supernumerary An actor with a
non-speaking role, employed, for example, to swell a crowd scene. Also Extra.
Tableau A finishing arrangement or
placement of cast at the end of a scene or act that is achieved, then held as
the lights fade down or the curtain falls.
Tableau
Vivant
Almost the reverse of a tableau, but where supposedly inanimate images come to
life.
Teaser 1) Originally the border
of scenery behind the front curtain for masking the flys, now the term refers
to any short drop used as masking. 2) A small press or short radio or TV
advertisement designed to titillate the public while giving almost no detail.
Technical The functions essential to
a play other than those of the cast's actual interpretation of the script, in
particular the set, lighting etc.
Technical
Director
See Technical Stage Manager.
Technical
Rehearsal
Abbrev. to Tech. A rehearsal at which all of the technical elements are
rehearsed and integrated into the show.
Technical
Stage Manager Sometimes known as Technical Director. In charge of the technical
activities and staff on stage, particularly during bump-in and out.
Theatre
In The Round A stage in which the audience sits on all sides of the stage.
Theme The central idea of a
play.
The
Old Complaint Euphemism for habitual drunkenness among actors.
Thrust
Stage
Type of stage which projects into the auditorium so the audience can sit on at
least two sides.
Top
And Tail See
Cue To Cue.
Tragic
Flaw The
fundamental error in a character that often leads to a climax for the character
within a play.
Trap A trap door opening into
the area below stage which can be used for special effects.
Traps
Case
Roadcase in which a drummer stores the various stands and attachments that hold
up their drum kit.
Treads Steps or stairs used on
stage.
Tree A rigging stand that sits
on the floor that can lift a bar of lights up to a certain height. Also known as
'winch ups' due to the fact the stand is usually telescoped up by operating a
hand winch attached to the side of the tree.
Truck A low platform with wheels
or castors on which a piece of scenery can be moved. Also Wagon.
Tune 1) Aligning a musical
instrument to a standard pitch, or adjusting musical instruments for playing
together. 2) Adjusting the equalisation of a sound system to suit the acoustic
characteristics of a specific room and/or style of performance.
Understudy An actor who learns the
part of another ready to step into their shoes should they not be able to
perform due to illness or other reasons. Also Cover.
Upstage Abbrev. to US. The part of
the stage furthest away from the audience.
Upstaging To deliberately draw focus
on stage.
U.V. See Ultra Violet Light.
Walk
Through
Rehearsals at which the actors go through entrances, moves and exits to make
clear any changes or alterations that made be necessary.
Wardrobe General name for the
costume department, its staff, and the accommodation they occupy.
Wardrobe
Plot
Actor-by-actor, scene-by-scene inventory of all the costumes in a production,
giving a detailed breakdown of each separate item in each costume.
Warm
Up A
session usually a short time before a performance in which the actors prepare
their bodies through a number of physical, mental, and musical exercises.
Warning
Bells
See Bells.
Wings The sides of the stage
concealed from the audiences' view.
Wing
Curtains
See Legs.
Working
Lights
Stage lights independent of the main dimming system used while the crew work on
stage during Bump-in etc.
Workshop Any non-performing
backstage area of the theatre.
Workshop
Performance A performance in which maximum effort goes towards acting and interpretation
of the script rather than sets or costumes, or the visual performance.
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