Theater Terms

Theater Terms

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

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

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

6. 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.

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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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. 

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

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

15. 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.

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

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

18. House Lights: These particular lights are located in the area where the audience sits. They are turned down when a play begins.

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

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

21. 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.

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

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

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

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

28. 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.

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

30. Thespian: Another name for a person who is an actor.

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

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