Copy of `Costume SuperCenter - Theater Terms`

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Costume SuperCenter - Theater Terms Category: Arts > Theater Date & country: 05/08/2009, USA Words: 31

Act
A collection of scenes in a play. A theater production is split into a certain number of acts.

Ad-lib
When an actor invents lines during a play. An actor might ad-lib when he or she forgets lines in the script or as a reaction to an onstage mishap.

Audition
This is an opportunity for an actor to try out for the role of a character in a play or musical, in the presence of the production's director.

Backstage
The area in a theater that is located beyond the stage where behind-the-scenes activity takes place.

Booth
The room where the stage manager and the lighting/sound crews can be found during a play.

Call Board
This is a bulletin board in a theater where members of a production sign in to work and other important posts can be found.

Call Time
The assigned time when all the members of a production (crew and cast) should report to the theater each day.

Curtain Call
This takes place after a play is finished and all of the actors appear on stage together to take their well-earned bows.

Curtain Warmers
These are the lights that illuminate the curtains that are closed across a theater stage. They help to create a sense of anticipation for the audience before the play begins or during an intermission.

Director
The person who has overall control of a theatrical production. Some of the director's responsibilities include communicating a role to an actor, organizing onstage activity, and working with the playwright on the lines of a play.

Down Stage
The area of a theater stage that is nearest to the audience. It is described this way because many times a stage will gradually slope in the direction of a theater's gathering of seats.

Dry Tech
A block of time set aside for the technical crew to rehearse the lighting, sound, and other technical aspects of a play. No actors are present at this rehearsal.

Fire Curtain
A type of curtain that will drop in the event of an onstage fire. This curtain prevents the fire from spreading into the audience area.

Fourth Wall
An imaginary barrier between the actors who are onstage and the audience who is watching them.

Glowing Tape
A special sort of glow-in-the-dark tape that is placed on stairs and in other places backstage to allow actors to safely navigate around in the dark during a production.

Green Room
The room where various members of a theater production relax between the scenes of a play.

House
The area in the theater where the audience members sit.

Lead Character
The main character in a theatrical production. The storyline usually centers around this particular character.

Line
A sentence of the dialogue that an actor speaks during a play.

Off Book
When an actor has successfully memorized his or her dialogue in a play. In other words, the actor no longer needs to consult the script book for help on lines.

Ovation
A tremendous applause given by an audience in response to a play or the cast members of a play.

Pit
The sunken area where the orchestra sits and plays during a production.

Places
The particular areas on the stage where the actors are to be standing and ready in preparation for the beginning of a scene in a production.

Prop
An object that an actor uses during a play. For example, a tea cup that an actor drinks from as part of the action onstage would be considered a prop. Costumes are not considered props.

Running Crew
Workers who move furniture, heavy props, or other sections of the set to different locations. This crew tries to stay out of sight of the audience.

Set Dressing
The background on a theater stage that sets the atmosphere of a scene.

Stage Left
This is the left side of the stage from the perspective of an actor who is standing on the stage looking out in the audience area.

Stage Right
The right side of the stage from the perspective of an actor who is peering out at the audience from onstage.

Thespian
Another name for a person who is an actor.

Troupe
A name for a group of actors who perform a particular play.

Upstage
The section of the stage that is nearest to the backstage area.