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Aug 10, 2019 · August 10, 2019. The theatre truly has its own vocabulary. But you can’t rely on Merriam-Webster to define show business colloquialisms—or let you know where they came from. Playbill put together...
Feb 15, 2022 · To make it in the theater, you'll need to master the lingo. From blocking to standby, here are 60+ theater terms and definitions all actors should know.
- JV Mercanti
As a service to the theatre community, AACT provides over 1000 definitions of theatrical terms. Fully searchable, our glossary is helpful for technical staff, directors, actors, producers, or anyone wanting to better understand the inner workings of theatre.
TermDefinitionABOVE1) Elizabethan stage directions for a ...ABSTRACT SETTINGA stage setting that is stylized rather ...ACCENT LIGHTINGLighting that stresses certain stage ...ACNAdvanced Control Network. Show control ...- Beginners
- Comic Relief
- Curtain Call
- Dramatic Irony
- Encore
- Entrance
- Epilogue
- Finale
- Fourth Wall
- Interval
You might not hear this word in a theatre unless you’re behind the scenes. So it’s a technical word with which to impress your friends. It’s what stage managers – the people who ensure the show runs smoothly – say when calling the performers who are going on first in each act. For example: “Act two beginners to the stage.”
No, it’s nothing to do with red noses or Lenny Henry, although he is a fine stage actor. This is one of the theatre phrases that’s all to do with a shift in tone. Comic relief is the injection of much-needed humour or wit into a serious play. They say there is a thin line between comedy and tragedy, and the addition of comic relief plays on that to...
After a stonking performance, you’ll undoubtedly want to show your appreciation to the actors. That’s exactly what the curtain call is for. It’s when the actors return to the stage, bow and hear the – fingers crossed – thunderous applause.
Shakespeare, rather than ’90s singer Alanis Morissette, was the king of dramatic irony. It’s when the audience knows more than the characters do. Sounds complicated? Let’s put it into context with Romeo And Juliet and one of the most famous examples of dramatic irony. *Spoiler alert* When Juliet is discovered “dead”, the audience is in on the secre...
Ever loved a song so much you’ve played it on repeat? This is the musical theatreequivalent. As a final treat for audiences, a company will occasionally perform one of the show’s numbers again during the curtain call. You might also be lucky and see this in opera and dance.
This is one of the theatre terms that might seem self-explanatory, but we’ll go on anyway. The first time an actor appears on stage can be a thrilling moment and is known as their entrance. If you’ve ever felt the atmosphere bristle with excitement when Judi Dench – aka the Queen of Theatre – steps on from the wings, or the anticipation before Ian ...
Sometimes we all need a bit of closure. That’s exactly what an epilogue does. Often seen in Shakespeare and other classical works, it is when a show finishes with a speech that acts as a final, reflective scene to round off the action. More often than not it is a monologue spoken directly to the audience.
The climax of the performance, this is the final scene or musical number to bring a show to a close.
Going to the theatre is a luxurious opportunity to suspend disbelief. This is possible due, in large part, to the fourth wall, which is best imagined as an invisible barrier between us and the performers. This wall allows the performers to act as if the audience are not really there and go about the business of telling their story. When a character...
Depending on the length of a show, there may be a break or even two in the performance. This is usually signalled by the lowering of the curtain, the turning up of lights, or the fact that nothing is happening on stage any more. It allows audience members to stretch their legs, use the facilities and buy a drink or an ice cream.
Our beginner’s guide to the theatre industry is a great starting point to help you understand the basic theatre terms and definitions to words such as ‘the half', ‘tabs’ and ‘wings' and so much more.
GLOSSARY OF COMMON THEATRE TERMS Act: Apart from being what actors do on stage, the term also denotes a division in the performance of a play. Each act may also have several scenes. Actor: A performer in a play Ad lib: Short for the Latin ad libitum meaning “freely.” In the theatre to ad lib means to improvise lines
BroadwayWorld's new theater dictionary is a glossary to theatre terms from A-Z. 2024 Broadway Guide: ... BroadwayWorld Glossary! Your one stop shop for technical terms, dramatic definitions, and ...
