Theater Vocabulary Flashcards
Actor’s Equity Association
Union for professional stage actors and actresses
A Capella
To sing without musical accompaniment
Audition
To try out for a role
Backstage
The part of the stage not visible to the audience
Bit
A small non-speaking part, or a routine developed by a performer for his/her character
Blocking
Arranged movements and positions of an actor on a stage or in a performance space that accompany the progress of a play or scene
“Break a leg”
An expression used in theater to wish someone good luck
Business
Refers to any tasks or activities an actor does within a scene
Call
The appointed time when a performer must be present at the theater before a performance
Callback
Additional auditions for a specific role in a single production
Cheat font
When an actor improves his projection and sight lines by changing the angle of his body to the audience
Choreographer
The individual who develops all dance steps for a production
Cue
A sign or line that signals it’s time for the actor to enter, exit, or speak during a scene
Curtain call
The tint following a performance when performers take a bow
Dark
When a theater is closed or at the beginning of a scene when the lights are down
Dialect
A regional speech pattern
Director
The person who is responsible for the overall vision of a production and directs the actors towards that goal
Dressing Room
Where actors change into and out of costumes
Ensemble
A cast of performers working together to tell a story
Focus
When an actor draws the audience’s attention to himself in a positive way
Fourth Wall
The term that refers to the imaginary space between the performers on stage and the audience beyond it
Gel
The transparent colored plastic that’s placed in a theater light to tint the light on the stage
Go Up
When a performance starts, when an actor forgets his lines
Green Room
Where the actors wait to be called for their scenes
House
The part of the theater where the audience sits
Lights Up
When the lights go up at the beginning of the show
Mark
A specific space on stage that a performer must stand on
Masking
Drapes that cover the wings of the stage
Monologue
Dialogue performed by one person
Musical director
Director responsible for conducting instrumental and vocal direction
Notes
Constructive comments that directors give to the cast for the purpose of improving the next performance
Off Book
When an actor had memorized his lines and doesn’t use his script in rehearsal
Pace
The energy and rate of progression throughout a performance
Pit
Where the orchestra is located
Producer
Individual who handles the financial, marketing, and commercial aspects of a production
Projection
The method by which the sound of the voice is pushed a distance, the display of a filmed image used for scenic effect
