THEATRE VOCABULARY Well Explained And
Rated A++
Ad-Lib
To make up words or dialogue on the spot, to speak at liberty.
Aside
For an actor to speak directly to the audience (not always meant to be heard).
Arena
Type of performance space with audience surrounding all sides of the stage.
Apron
Front part or area of the stage extending past the main act curtain, also called lip.
Backdrop
Painted cloth or set wall built to serve as a background for the setting on stage.
Black Box
Type of performance space that is small, created out of a room, painted all black.
Blocking precise
Stage directions and movements given to an actor by the script or the director.
Box Set
A type of setting that is built on the stage to look like the interior of a house or room,
having three walls and no ceiling.
Build
Rising intensity or climbing action that develops within a scene or entire play.
Business
Busy work for the actor while playing on the stage to establish character, setting, and
situation.
Call
The time one must be at the Theatre or ready to go onto to stage.
Callback
A second, more specific audition where a director looks closer at given actors.
, Catharsis
For an audience to have an emotional reaction while watching a performance where
they purge themselves of their pity and fears.
Center Stage
The middle point of the performance space, symbolized by CS in blocking notes.
Cheat Out
A body position for the stage wherein the actor faces more towards the audience.
Chorus
A group of performers that make up the community of characters within a play, having
few lines individually, and seen on stage as one entity.
Climax
The high point of action or conflict within a scene or a play.
Cold Reading
1. A first look at a script, seeking an actors interpretation of the text, without rehearsing
first; used at an audition.
Cross
1. To move from one point of the stage to another. Symbolized by an X in blocking
notation.
Cue
1. A signal or line that prompts the next action or stage business during a performance.
Downstage
The area of the performance space that is closest to the audience.
Dramatic irony
1. Happens when the audience knows more information about the plot and situations in
a play than certain characters do.
Dress Rehearsal
1. The final rehearsal(s) of a play before it opens to the public; utilizing all costumes,
props, lighting, sound, and set changes.
Dry Tech
1. A rehearsal that is run without the actors, bringing together all the technical aspects
of a show, following the cues in the order that they are executed.
Rated A++
Ad-Lib
To make up words or dialogue on the spot, to speak at liberty.
Aside
For an actor to speak directly to the audience (not always meant to be heard).
Arena
Type of performance space with audience surrounding all sides of the stage.
Apron
Front part or area of the stage extending past the main act curtain, also called lip.
Backdrop
Painted cloth or set wall built to serve as a background for the setting on stage.
Black Box
Type of performance space that is small, created out of a room, painted all black.
Blocking precise
Stage directions and movements given to an actor by the script or the director.
Box Set
A type of setting that is built on the stage to look like the interior of a house or room,
having three walls and no ceiling.
Build
Rising intensity or climbing action that develops within a scene or entire play.
Business
Busy work for the actor while playing on the stage to establish character, setting, and
situation.
Call
The time one must be at the Theatre or ready to go onto to stage.
Callback
A second, more specific audition where a director looks closer at given actors.
, Catharsis
For an audience to have an emotional reaction while watching a performance where
they purge themselves of their pity and fears.
Center Stage
The middle point of the performance space, symbolized by CS in blocking notes.
Cheat Out
A body position for the stage wherein the actor faces more towards the audience.
Chorus
A group of performers that make up the community of characters within a play, having
few lines individually, and seen on stage as one entity.
Climax
The high point of action or conflict within a scene or a play.
Cold Reading
1. A first look at a script, seeking an actors interpretation of the text, without rehearsing
first; used at an audition.
Cross
1. To move from one point of the stage to another. Symbolized by an X in blocking
notation.
Cue
1. A signal or line that prompts the next action or stage business during a performance.
Downstage
The area of the performance space that is closest to the audience.
Dramatic irony
1. Happens when the audience knows more information about the plot and situations in
a play than certain characters do.
Dress Rehearsal
1. The final rehearsal(s) of a play before it opens to the public; utilizing all costumes,
props, lighting, sound, and set changes.
Dry Tech
1. A rehearsal that is run without the actors, bringing together all the technical aspects
of a show, following the cues in the order that they are executed.
