Set

Question 1

Action prop

Answer 1

A hand-held practical prop used by an actor for combat or for a specific purpose.

Question 2

Box set

Answer 2

Naturalistic setting of a complete room built from flats with only the side nearest
the audience (the fourth wall) missing.

Question 3

Brace

Answer 3

1. Angled strengthening timber within a flat.
2. Support for scenery on stage.

Question 4

Brace weight

Answer 4

slotted cast iron weight placed on foot of extendible or French brace to prevent movement. Often referred to as a ‘Stage Weight’.

Question 5

Cloth

Answer 5

A piece of scenic canvas, painted or plain that is flown or fixed to hang in a vertical position.
A Backcloth (or Backdrop) hangs at the rear of a scene
A Star Cloth (usually black) has a large number of small low voltage lamps sewn or pinned through it which gives a magical starry sky effect.

Question 6

Composite setting

Answer 6

A stage setting where several locations are represented in the same space and isolated or highlighted by lighting each area separately.

Question 7

Cyclorama (cyc)

Answer 7

The Cyclorama is a curved plain cloth or plastered wall filling the rear of the stage.

Question 8

Door flat

Answer 8

Scenery item consisting of a wall containing a working door.

Question 9

Dressing (the set)

Answer 9

Decorative props (some practical) and furnishings added to a stage setting are known as Set Dressing.

Question 10

Entrance

Answer 10

1. A part of the set through which actors can walk onto the stage.
2. The act of an actor walking onto the stage.

Question 11

Exit

Answer 11

1. A part of the set through which actors can leave the stage.
2. The act of an actor walking off the stage.

Question 12

Flat

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Fourth wall

Answer 13

The imaginary wall of a box set through which the audience see the stage. The fourth wall convention is an established convention of modern realistic theatre, where the actors carry out their actions unaware of the audience.

Question 14

Gauze

Answer 14

Cloth with a relatively coarse weave. Used unpainted to diffuse a scene played behind it. When painted, gauze is opaque when lit obliquely from the front and becomes transparent when the scene behind it is lit.

Question 15

Groundplan

Answer 15

A scaled plan (overhead) view of the theatre stage area or of a set design, to enable all technical departments to ensure that everything will fit correctly into the space available.

Question 16

Marking out

Answer 16

Sticking tapes to the floor of the rehearsal space to indicate the groundplan of the scenery. Also for marking position of furniture etc. within a set.

Question 17

Modelbox

Answer 17

A wooden box representing the walls of a theatre space in which cardboard scale models can be placed by the set designer.

Question 18

Props

Answer 18

(Properties) Furnishings, set dressings, and all items large and small which cannot be classified as scenery, electrics or wardrobe. Props handled by actors are known as hand props, props which are kept in an actor’s costume are known as personal props.

Question 19

Set

Answer 19

1. To prepare the stage for action.
2. The complete stage setting for a scene or act.