As the definition of 'live events or experiences' includes music concerts, theatre, theme parks, visitor attractions, museums and sports events, the skills needed are very broad. It's not necessary for anyone to be highly skilled in all of the crafts, but an understanding of the whole picture is very helpful, and knowing when to call in a specialist and where to find them is vital.
The crafts involved in entertainment technology include, but are not limited to: Lighting stage lighting and architectural lighting Sound live and recorded Video and Media projection or display Scenic Construction and Automation Show Control Animatronics Costume Props and Masks Make-Up and Prosthetics.
Often used now to describe any interval music. The entrance of the ghost is upstage left, The bishop enters downstage right. The trade union of actors, directors, designers and stage managers. More on Ghost Light. The Equity Showcase status requires that the production is a limited run and has a small production budget. Actors should be, at the minimum, reimbursed expenses, and any volunteering should have benefits free workshops and producers should make every effort to get publicity and agents to see the show.
Casting an Equity Showcase. Used to indicate that more than one person leaves the stage. The direction for a single person is simply Exit. EXIT 1 A part of the set through which actors can leave the stage. The fireman exits downstage right. The character being pursued is Antigonus, a lord of Sicilia, who has been ordered to abandon the baby Princess Perdita.
Exit signs must remain visible to the audience at all times, and local venue licencing laws will cover whether it must be illuminated at all times, and the size of the sign etc.
New legislation in Europe means that the word 'EXIT' has been removed from these signs to be replaced by 'Running Man', known more politically correctly as 'Person moving purposefully'. Term originally derived from the film industry. Used to reduce the size of the opening when putting a small set onto a large stage.
For example to allow trucks guided by tracks cut into this false floor, to be moved by steel wires running in the shallow 2 or 3 inch void between the false floor and the original stage floor. A false stage is also required for putting a revolve onto a stage. Available in multi-circuit form so that the lamps can be 'chased'.
Works intensively with actors training them how to avoid hitting and hurting each other, how to use weapons safely etc. Fight directors are highly skilled and trained and should not be substituted for someone 'who once saw Gladiator' and thinks they can repeat it!! Society of American Fight Directors Fightdirector. FIRE EXIT Particular exit s from a building designated by local authority fire officer to be the correct means of escape from a part of the building in case of fire.
It is the responsibility of all staff and performers to ensure that all fire exits are kept clear, unlocked and accessible at all times. Another great leap forward!. You may also need to consult them about changing seating layouts in a flexible venue, and any unusual use of your venue s. Many scenic materials require regular re-application of fire proofing treatment.
FIT-UP Initial assembly on stage of a production's hardware, including hanging scenery, building trucks etc. An item treated with a flame retardant will limit or inhibit the spread of fire by not supporting combustion. FLAT A lightweight timber frame covered with scenic canvas, or plywood.
Flats are used to provide a lightweight and easy to move and re-configure backdrop to a stage set. Flats sometimes have windows or doors built into them to provide extra flexibility, for use in realistic settings.
Masking flats are used to hide areas the designer does not want the audience to see, or to provide actors with an exit, or somewhere to store props. UK A flat is supported by a stage brace and brace weight, connected to the flat using a screw eye. Hardboard is sometimes used, but is unnecessarily heavy and will lose it's shape in time.
Most theatres have a range of stock flattage made to a standard size, and re-used many times. A Rail is a horizontal batten within a flat. A Stile is a side or vertical piece within a flat. A Sill is the bottom rail of a flat. A soft flat is covered with canvas, and a hard flat is covered with plywood. FLOAT FLATS A technique to get a set of flats to a horizontal position on the stage floor by removing weights and braces, ensuring the area is clear and that people are wearing safety goggles if there's danger of flying dust, then footing the flats, and pushing them over so they are cushioned by air pressure and land safely on the deck.
Flats - Types and Methods. FLY Verb - the action of lifting an item up out or down in when attached to the Flying system. A flying piece of scenery can be flown in down or out up on a particular cue given by the DSM to the fly operator on the fly floor above the stage.
With the advent of counterweighted systems, this refers to the area where the flying system is operated. The follow-on can be taken by the operator once a previous cue is complete, or a lighting or sound cue can be programmed to happen a specific time after a previous cue.
Fly follow-on cues are often taken as soon as the operator has completed a previous cue. FOOT 1 The action of bracing the bottom of a ladder while a colleague climbs it e. I'll only be a couple of minutes'. Happens frequently in tightly-packed flying systems. Sometimes lighting designers need to remove additional equipment e.
Performances that take place outside the theatre e. The fourth wall convention is an established convention of modern realistic theatre, where the actors carry out their actions unaware of the audience. Where the cast addresses the audience directly, this is said to be 'Breaking the Fourth Wall'. These divisions can be useful in splitting up rehearsal schedules, and for marking lighting changes etc.
Calls are normally made at the Half 35 mins. There will be one interval of 15 minutes, and drinks can be ordered at the bar prior to the performance. The opposite of Full Front. Also used by the printing industry, and for theatre, flim and TV to age and dust-down sets and costumes. As with any dust, avoid breathing it directly or getting it in eyes. Creating Mess On Stage. Most common widths are. Used for temporarily securing almost anything.
Should not be used on coiled cables or equipment. Also known as Duct Tape. See also PVC Tape. Theatre continuously evolves and reinvents itself, including finding new ways to look at old work.
In Marianne Elliot's production 'Company' in London in and later on Broadway, the role of Bobby was gender-swapped to be female. Genie Industries website Access Equipment. A means for an actor to get off a rostrum, high level etc. Usually treads. Usually preceded by the strike where the set is disassembled back into component parts. Also believed to keep the theatrical muse in a 'dark' theatre, and to stop people tripping over bits of scenery when they come into the theatre in the morning.
The ghost light consists of a vertical pole with a bare light bulb on it, and is placed on stage. Care should be taken that the cable doesn't create a trip hazard, and that the light bulb is protected with a metal cage. Where possible an energy-saving lamp should be used. Also known as the 'Equity Light'. See link below for more information.
Could also refers to the light emitted by a lantern when a dimmer has not been 'trimmed' correctly, and is leaking.
French: La servante More information about Ghost Light. A staple is often used to secure the tape to a floor where it might move. GO The action word used by stage managers to cue other technical departments.
The button is usually labelled GO. GO UP 1 The time the show starts e. GOD MIC A PA system setup for a director to use in a large venue to talk to everyone on stage without shouting, during rehearsals and technical periods. Also used in some small or experimental spaces for tech crew to talk to actors or other crew, if no headset comms system or radios are available.
Normally said during lighting plotting sessions or technical rehearsals. GOTE An acronym devised by Robert Cohen, an American university professor, to remind actors of four basic elements on consider when preparing a character.
O: Obstacle - what is stopping the character for achieving the goal? T: Tactics - the methods used to achieve goals E: Expectation - the characters' expection of achieving the goal Wikipedia entry.
Refers to a particular type of toggle switch used for manual telephone exchanges which is reliable, silent and heavy duty, and is perfect for Stage Management Desks. But is no longer manufactured. Normally a variation of blue or red in colour, although a more neutral grey is often better for scenes played in front of it, or for taking colours and gobos as tab warmers. It is also very important to make a good impression on everyone you meet in the business, as bad impressions will be spread around the grapevine very quickly.
Modern tools such as Twitter have made the grapevine even more widely spread, and great care must be taken to not publish anything on Twitter that you wouldn't say to someones face. Needs special removing cream. This enables vending machines and bar scenes to take place with multple products, which have labels which have been amended slightly. GRID 1 The support structure close to the top of the fly tower on which the pulleys of the flying system are supported.
Constructed from metal or wooden beams. Usually wears black. The groundplan shows all items standing on the stage floor and any permanent items which will affect the production, and the position of any flown pieces. The set design groundplan enables the lighting designer to be clear about exact location of all items, and will have the walls of the stage drawn on it so that the stage management team and production manager can plan furniture and set moves offstage.
Typical scales are Venues have a base plan showing proscenium, walls, seating etc on which individual set and lighting plans can be drawn. HALF 1 The Half is a call given to the actors half an hour before they will be called to the stage for the beginning of a performance. It is given 35 minutes before the advertised time of commencement in the UK.
On Broadway, the Half is given 30 minutes before the start time. Subsequent calls given are the 'quarter' at 20 minutes UK , 'the five' at 10 minutes UK and 'beginners to the stage' at 5 minutes before curtain up UK. Also known as Final Call. This dates from a time when lighting was manually controlled, and accurate percentage-point levels were not achievable or at least, not repeatable accurately. Harnesses can be obtained which are designed for this effect, and standard safety harnesses are not suitable.
The rope must have a safety-rated rope built into it, which is suitable for suspending the shock load of the actors' weight, which must be attached to the harness in such a way that it's not possible for the fake noose to ever tighten around the actors' neck.
The hanging must take place with other members of the company present, who have been trained in how the system works under professional supervision. Simply using a rope with a weak point e. A far safer way to hang an actor is to do it offstage - use a blackout or blinding light along with a sound effect to misdirect the audience into thinking they've just seen a hanging, use a shadown projection using small scale dummies or even just use a rope in the shape of a noose with the actor approaching it at floor level followed by a fade to blackout.
Never attempt an effect of this kind involving any suspension or dropping of an actor without a professional rigger experienced and trained in these effects.
The phrase comes from the s Roy Rogers television show, where it was the title of the closing theme song: "Happy Trails to you! Roy Rogers TV show closing credits Youtube. HEAD SOUND The head of the sound department, which deals with any recorded music, sound effects, vocal reinforcement and music amplification required in the production.
See also NO. A shouted warning often just 'Heads! Also used when an object is being dropped from above. The legal component is the Health and Safety at Work Act , but there are a number of regulations which relate to safe working.
Safety in Live Entertainment on Theatrecrafts. The hero will look best on camera, and will be able to carry out most of the specific mechanical functions required of it. There may be other versions of the prop, which could be designed to be thrown around safely, or used to hit an actor a stunt prop or may be destroyed as part of the action. There will be multiple versions of the alternate props, but possibly only one hero prop.
However, if the audience fails to laugh, the pause will slow the pace of the performance. The actors must learn to react to the audience as they react. An even more dangerous practice is to assume that the audience of the show tonight will laugh at the same points as the audience of the previous show. HOUSE IS OPEN Announcement made over backstage communication system to let cast and crew know that the auditorium is open to the audience and that if there is no curtain, they should stay off the stage.
It is good practice for no-one crew, cast or management to walk onto or off the stage while the house is open unless it's part of the show of course! The House Lights need to be bright enough for the audience to find their seat, to read their programme, and find their ice-cream spoon, but should still set an atmosphere.
As well as the functional house lights, if there's no house curtain, there may be a preset on stage, which helps to set the tone of the show, and to reveal part of the set that looks interesting.
If there is a curtain, it will usually be cross-lit in a colour to make it look interesting. IATSE website. If the improvisation helps the performance move forward, appropriately, due to a technical or other issue, then improvisation can be helpful. If, however, it's put in to raise a laugh or breaks character or the mood of the scene, it is frowned on.
Theatrical Logic. Refers to a roll of film being taken out of a movie camera and put into a metal film can to be taken for processing. There are often a number of entrances through the seating. Special consideration needs to be given to onstage furniture and scenery as audience sightlines can easily be blocked.
Stage managers and directors often use the idea of a clock face to describe actor positions on stage e. An event or performance staged by a manufacturer or company in order to launch a product or celebrate a milestone of some kind. Such events are often spectacular. INVENTORY A numbered packing list which itemises all single pieces travelling on a tour; all cartons, flightcases, crates, baskets together with quantities and descriptions of contents.
Extremely important if touring abroad to satisfy customs. Also known as a 'Russian Run'. It was manufactured by a retired British pharmacist, John Tynegate, during the s and s, in the village of Abbotsbury, Dorset. Many varieties of blood, having various degrees of viscosity, shades and textures were available.
Since Tynegate's death, the name "Kensington Gore" has become a generic term for stage blood. Kensington Gore was used in the film The Shining. Director Stanley Kubrick had several thousand gallons of it gushing out of an opening elevator during the elevator door scene. The same concept is used in animation where a series of key frames is designed by the lead animators, and then the gaps between are filled in by less-skilled animators known as In-Betweeners.
Kill channel 6 please. LEAD 1 The leading actor regardless of gender plays the main character in a play or musical. The term is sometimes genderised the 'leading man' is the male actor and the 'leading lady' is the female actor. LEGS Vertical drape set as masking piece at the side of an end-on acting area.
Usually set up in pairs across the stage and used in conjunction with borders to frame the audiences view.
Legs are hung from flying bars, and are usually fairly narrow in width 1. One of many possible origins of the phrase 'Break a Leg', meaning to take an extra encore from the legs after a successful performance. French: Pendrillon also used for wider tabs, but not full-width stage curtains More information on Break A Leg.
The fader is designed to be operated at it's optimal position which is labelled 0dB. The decibel dB scale is a measure of sound intensity. Interesting dynamics between different characters in the play can be explored using various levels. The script of a musical. The writer of the Libretto is the Librettist. LIFT CALL An additional rehearsal session, often before a performance, to go over tricky choreography which includes lifts where one performer lifts another.
See also Fight Call. LINE 1 A rope length, once cut to length or installed for a specific function. To cut a line from a coil of rope. Example phrases: "Do you know your lines for Scene 2 yet? Also called the Get In, or the Loading Dock. It is at high level so that weights can be loaded when the bar is at the lowest point usually a few feet above stage level. LOCK RAIL The part of the flying system in the theatre where the brakes and rope locks are applied to the ropes to ensure that a fly bar cannot move once set.
Prior to this agreement, Equity basically dealt with Broadway type productions and nothing else. LX Short for Electrics 'Elecs'. The department in the theatre responsible for stage lighting and sometimes sound and maintenance of the building's electrical equipment.
A piece of musical theatre will credit writers of 'Book' and 'Lyrics'. The author of the book writes the script unsung and the lyricist writes the lyrics in the songs. Also for marking position of furniture etc. Always be aware that some tapes may damage or mark some wooden floor surfaces! The groundplan has lines on it, which correspond to easily-found locations in the theatre - most commonly, the centre line and the setting line which is the proscenium line, or the edge of the stage.
Measurements on the plan can easily be scaled up to the real-life measurements, and the position can be marked on the stage floor by measuring from the real-world centre line and setting line in the theatre. This type of masking is sometimes known as "Up and Down Masking" as it runs up- and down-stage.
This term seems to be rarely used now. The downstage legs are furthest apart, and each set of legs moving upstage is moved onstage, with the upstage set narrowest. The exact distances involved vary according to the size of the space, and the acting area required.
The same applies to the borders. Italian: quintatura Hard Masking consists of solid flats, and Soft Masking is just curtains. From the Latin for 'of the morning', but who does theatre in the morning?
This is determined by the fire department, or a fire officer, making use of local regulations about the amount of space required for each person, and by the number of fire exits and the size of exit walkways and the number of toilets etc available.
It's important that actors don't stray from the version of the performance the Director left on opening night, so stage management sometimes need to remind actors via the company manager if they are pushing a performance too far.
A minijack to twin-phono cable is used to connect from a laptop, phone or MP3 player into a sound system or mixing desk that has phono 'pin plug' input connections. The term describes all of the visual aspects of a setting - props, lighting, costume as well as set design, and how the details can contribute to the telling of the story.
MODEL A scale model provided by the set designer to help all the technical departments to co-ordinate and plan a production. Used as a reference when building, painting, dressing and lighting the set. When that's been approved by the director, and has been roughly budgeted, the final model is produced which should look identical to the finished set on stage.
This is used as a reference by scenic artists and lighting designer etc. The fully detailed model of the set is sometimes known as a maquette. One example is the flute sound in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Many theatres have their own code words. MT Abbreviation for Musical Theatre. Musicians Union website. NARRATOR The Narrator of a piece of theatre is a performer who speaks directly to the audience to tell them part of the story, to give additional information, or to comment on the scene or the behaviour of characters.
The Narrator may be a single actor throughout, or there may be a number of narrators who share the role during the performance, whilst also playing other parts. NOTES Following a rehearsal or an early performance in a run the director will give notes to the cast and crew about where to make changes, improvements, cuts etc. Opposite Prompt side of the stage. Stage Right. Directors and stage managers will often set a deadline for performers to be off book, and actors are expected to learn their lines in good time.
Example usage: 'The event was an olio of poetry, dance and songs'. Acts were performed in front of this before the movie played. The ideal situation is for the actor to be "off book" as quickly as possible!. There is no abbreviation for onstage as it is too easily confused with offstage. OPEN The start of the run of a show in a venue. When this clearance is given, the backstage call 'The House is now open, please do not cross the stage' is made.
Some new complex shows may have lower priced Preview performances before an official opening night, to allow the show to get up to speed and deal with any technical issues. The press is not allowed to review a show during previews, and are invited to the first official performance, which is then known as Press Night.
Set up by Congress following the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 'to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.
OSHA Website. OUT In flying, means up out of sight. This will result in the cloth bunching up on the stage deck, or the piece of scenery potentially tilting and damaging other nearby equipment. When flying items always make sure the 'in dead' is clearly marked, and always slow down when approaching it to ensure it does not get passed, resulting in an overhaul.
PACE The speed at which actors deliver their lines and perform their actions. A speed run can be useful to warm-up actors and to really make sure everyone is on form. The pacing of the show can have a real effect on how the audience react to it - it's a very tricky thing to maintain, especially as everyone gets more familiar with the show. A fast-paced scene takes energy and concentration, and can slow down as familiarity sets in, and a slow-paced scene may speed up.
Directors often wish to cut down on unnecessary pauses and delays, but also to maintain the moments of silence between speeches when needed. See also Foamboard.
The term implies a disdain for this familiar style, but it's perfectly appropriate in many cases PARODOS Parodos also parode and parodus, plural parodoi, Ancient Greek is a term used in the theater of ancient Greece, referring either to a side-entrance, or to the first song sung by the chorus after its entrance from the side wings. UK Area codes added a digit on 'Phoneday' which was easter Sunday 16th April , where area codes that started with '0' started instead with '01' e.
Exeter went from to More to follow. PIANO DRESS Rehearsal in costume and with all technical facilities but using a piano as a substitute for orchestra, so that the director can concentrate on technical problems rather than musical ones and not pay the orchestra!
German: Klavierhauptprobe. The vocal parts are written out in full, but the detail of the accompaniment is reduced and adapted for piano, so it can be used in rehearsals, and easily followed. Uses vertical scaffolding in a boom base known as a tank trap or telescopic lighting stands to support a system of horizontal scaffold tubes 'pipe'. PIT NET Protective net across the orchestra pit to prevent any objects or actors falling from the stage and injuring musicians.
The wraparound content is the same for all theatres across the country and contains news, features and advertising. Playbill website. This excludes the offstage areas. Plexiglass is a made by cell-casting acrylic, rather than the cheaper extrusion method used for many acrylic products. In the US, the term plot refers to a plan. In theater, pneumatic systems are used to move heavy objects such as seating platforms or permanent scenic features on air castors.
Older theaters may have pipe organs which operate pneumatically, or inflatable structures for specific productions. Pneumatic tools such as paint sprayers and nailguns are also used. See also Quad Spanner. Most computer lighting desks have the ability to either insert an additional cue in a sequence, or to link to another cue out of the sequence, and then link back again. Inserting cues into a plotted sequence on a manual lighting desk is more awkward, because it is a running plot where only the changes between cues are noted down.
Stage Management may prefer to call 8A instead of 8. Sound cues which relate to an already-running cue within a sequence should have lettered cues e. This is the first thing the audience see happening when the play begins. A Late Point of Attack occurs when the play begins while the situation is already in progress, and the audience discovers information about the nature of the situation after it has already begun.
Online portfolios are more common now. This is known as a Post-Mortem which is also the name of an examinaton of a body after death to identify the cause of death. A window within the set which has to open is a practical window.
Light fittings which have to light up on the set are called Practicals, and if they're suspended from the rig, they're Hanging Practicals. New York Times: How to Pratfall.
Brings together the production team in discussions about style, possibilities and budgets. PRESET 1 Anything in position before the beginning of a scene or act eg Props placed on stage before the performance, lighting state on stage as the audience are entering.
A Preset Checklist is used by stage management and all other technical teams, to ensure that everything is correctly set to start the show. Each preset has a master fader which selects the maximum level of dimmers controlled by that preset. A control desk with two presets is sometimes known as a '2 scene preset' desk.
The preset pre show lighting state is shown on stage, and can be used to set the mood for the performance. Pre show music or a soundscape is also used for the same reason. Usually has its own lighting and communications facilities. The lighting control desk may be moved to the production desk, or the desk and programmer may remain in the control room, and have a remote interface on the production desk, which may have a display screen showing the cue list etc, which the designer can configure.
Larger shows including Broadway and West End will often remove large sections of audience seating in the stalls and install a number of production desks for all technical areas including lighting, projection, sound, scenic automation etc. The aim of the meeting is to come to an agreement about any questions raised during rehearsals or the construction phase, to deal with any budget problems, confirm detailed schedules and to keep the process moving forward successfully.
Decisions should be written down and circulated to those present and anyone that couldn't make the meeting. The Production Stage Manager acts as the overseer of a large stage management department, especially where multiple shows are being worked on, each with their own stage management team. See also Company Stage Manager.
Sometimes known as the 'book', Prompt Copy or Prompt Script. It's rightly known as the production 'bible'. See the link below for details of how to construct a prompt book.
The desk should contain most of the following: a clock, low level lighting, a flat surface for the prompt script, communication facility to other technical departments, a phone for emergency, rear and front of house calls system and cue light controls. Prompting in German is known as S oufflage , and the Prompter is the Souffleur.
PROP ROOM Either a room in which the theatres' collection of props is stored, or an offstage room where props for the show are kept, ready for the actors to pick them up.
It's essential that a clear record is kept of the source of the props so that they can be efficiently returned at the end of the show. Reference books are used to ensure the items are correct for the time period of the production. PROPS Properties Furnishings, set dressings, and all items large and small which cannot be classified as scenery, electrics or wardrobe. The table is usually marked out with a grid around each item, so it's easy to see when something is missing, and to do preshow checks that everything is ready to use.
It shows their relationships and feelings. Slang term is Pickfords, after the UK Furniture removals company. The name explains the mode of operation - it's designed to be pushed away from you in a series of short motions. Quarter right is towards the stage right side house left and quarter left is stage left house right.
Three-quarter left or right is when the actor is facing the upstage corner of the stage, with most of their body away from the audience.
This terminology is used when stage management are describing actor blocking, and when a director is asking an actor to face the audience slightly more. The word for a lighting or sound change of state, or to initiate any change of scenery etc is called a CUE. This describes an experimental phase of a project when different ideas are played with, as the piece of work is being created. RADA website. A painting technique used by scenic artists to quickly get a complex textured paint effect over a large area.
A base coat is applied first, which is allowed to dry, then a contrasting colour is applied, and while still wet, a scrunched up piece of rag is dabbed at the area to remove the still-wet top coat in a random pattern.
Alternatively, an unevenly tied rag around a paint roller can be run over the wall to achieve the same effect. Depending on context, it can be the same as a full curriculum vitae or CV or a shorter biography to use in a programme for a show.
In a job-seeking context, it's the same as a CV. Usually happens at the start of the rehearsal process, to orient the cast and help them get to know each other and the text. Rehearse means 're-harrow', or to 'go over again'. The men were three inches high and the women two-and-a-half inches. The blocks were color-coded to illustrate the different voice parts—so Gilbert could create the correct sonic blend. Green and white were tenors, black and yellow were sopranos, red and green were contraltos.
In ancient Rome, vomitoriums were corridors built beneath or behind seats of a coliseum, stadium, theatre, or arena. The Colosseum is designed so that 50, seats can be emptied in 15 minutes. Strike To strike the set means to take down the set and make way for the next production. A wandelprobe is a similar rehearsal, joining the instrumentalists and onstage performers, but as the actors wander through their blocking on stage. Overture A medley of tunes from the score of a musical, the overture plays after the lights go down and before the curtain goes up as an introduction to the show.
Types of Stages Proscenium Stage This is the most common orientation of a theatre. The stage is framed like a picture by the proscenium, with the stage on one side opposite the audience. As mentioned in the description of a vom, Broadway hosts two thrust stages: the Circle in the Square and the Vivian Beaumont.
And while an actor may have his or her back to one side of the audience at times, directors work to balance face time, action, etc. Arena Stage An arena is a central stage surrounded by audiences on all sides. In Washington, D. Flexible Theatre or Black Box In a flexible theatre, the seating is not predetermined but can chance from production to production.
Because of this, the rooms are often painted all black so that any side can convert to a backstage area. Hence, a black box. Seating based on a Proscenium stage Orchestra The ground level of seating, these tickets are closest to the stage. Mezzanine The mezzanine is a higher seating section that hangs over the orchestra.
The mezzanine hangs over a different orchestra row in every theatre, so check the seating charts to see how far away the first row of the mezzanine is. The mezzanine is often as desirable as the orchestra. Balcony Some theatres only have an orchestra and a mezzanine while others have a third level: the balcony.
These seats are the highest up and generally the farthest from the stage. Performers Lead The main character in the story and generally a performer with multiple solo moments. Ensemblist or chorus member This term is typically reserved for cast members in musicals—not plays. They are performers who create the background and the world of the show. Understudy A member of the ensemble who performs in their own role every performance but also knows the material for one or more leading roles.
The stage can be defined by a change of flooring e. If actors leave the stage, they do so through gaps in the curtains. A black box type of venue is easy to set up in non-theatre spaces, and can be found occupying hundreds of spaces around cities such as Edinburgh during their Fringe Festivals.
Blue working lights backstage should remain on and are not usually under the control of the board, except during a Dead Blackout DBO , when there is no onstage light. Exit signs and other emergency lighting must remain on at all times. Used for masking offstage and technical areas. Running Blacks are full stage width black tabs with a split half way, which are usually fitted to a tab track so that they can be opened and closed horizontally AND flown in and out.
The tab track control can either be operated from stage level or from a fly floor when they're flown out. Hard Blacks are black-covered scenic flats used as masking. A Full Stage Black is a black cloth which can be flown in and is the full width of the stage. This is used to go upstage of a gauze to make transformation scenes work effectively, or can be used as a neutral backing for carefully lit scenes downstage. Blacks flown vertically at the edge of the stage are known as LEGS.
Positions at the start of scenes are noted, as are all movements around the stage using terms such as 'Gardener X DSL' meaning the Gardener crosses to downstage left. It must be described in minute detail, but simple enough to enable anyone to read and understand it. As well as being used to 'run the show' the prompt book is also used for the rehearsal of the understudies.
Stages which are not end-on must often use alternative notation, sometimes based on the clock face or the points of a compass. Blocking Notation. They should always be 'run' with the hinged edge leading, to prevent them opening up.
Book flats are free-standing when angled open, allowing quick setting and compact storage. Booking describes the action of opening or closing a book flat. Flats - Types and Methods. BORDER A narrow horizontal masking piece flattage or cloth , normally of neutral colour black to mask the lighting rig and flown scenery from the audience, and to provide an upper limit to the scene.
Often used in conjunction with LEGS. Spanish: Bambalina. Most Box Offices are now computerised, and offer phone reservations. Some offer online internet bookings also. BOX SET Naturalistic setting of a complete room built from flats with only the side nearest the audience the fourth wall missing.
More available at the link below. More on Break A Leg. A 'Company Call' means the full cast and crew are called for the rehearsal. CAST The members of the acting company. The Cast List contains the names of the actors and the characters they'll be playing. Dramatis Personae is a Latin term for a list of the characters in a play. Marked as CL on stage plans. Normally marked on the stage floor and used as a reference when marking out or assembling a set.
A chalked snap line can be used to mark the line in the rehearsal room and on stage. Announced as 'We have Front of House Clearance'. CUE 1 The command given to technical departments to carry out a particular operation.
Normally given by stage management, but may be taken directly from the action i. Quick - Hide! Cues given verbally may be known as 'audible cues', although as this is the normal type of cues, they're usually just called 'Cues'. Cues that technical operators take themselves, without an audible cue, are known as Visual Cues.
The Prompt Book. We'll pick it up from Simon's line "And from then on it was all downhill" in a moment. OK - we're all set - when you're ready please. Hungarian: tapsrend. The Cyclorama is a curved plain cloth or plastered wall filling the rear of the stage or TV studio.
Often used as a sky backing to a traditional set, or as the main backing for a dance piece etc. The term is often loosely applied to a blue skycloth, or any flattage at the rear of the stage.
Although strictly a cyc should be curved, most cycs are flat with curved wraparound ends. A more effective backing can be obtained by hanging a sharkstooth gauze just in front of the plain white cyc which gives a hazy effect of distance.
From Greek Cyclos circle and Horama view or vision. The German equivalent term is operafolie. DARK A venue that has been closed to the public. Some theatres go dark temporarily during production periods, when the next show is in preparation on stage. To keep the audience and their money coming in, some venues show films or have other activities not involving the stage. Broadly, the role involves being responsible for the overall artistic vision of a production.
May also direct shows. For example, 'Pass me the doofer so I can sort this thingy'.
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