THEATRE VOCABULARY TERMS: GENERAL
Act
To perform. Also, a method of division in a play (Act One,
Act Two).
Apron
The front of the stage that extends past the main curtain.
Arena
A type of performance space. Audience sits on all four
sides. Audience usually numbers in the thousands.
Audition
An event where the director reviews actors to determine
who will play the different roles. A short piece, usually a
monologue, is used to showcase an actor’s abilities.
Backdrop
Painted fabric hung upstage of the set and actors.
Backstage
The area of the stage that is out of sight of the audience.
Also called offstage.
Battens
Pipes hung above the stage. There are different types for
hanging scenery, curtains, and lighting instruments.
Black Box
A flexible performance space that is painted completely
black.
Blackout
A lighting cue that turns all the lights off suddenly.
Blocking
The determined movement of an actor in a scene.
Booth
An area, often at the back of the house,where the lighting
operator and sound operator execute the stage manager’s
cues.
Box Set
One room that does not change from the beginning to the
end of the play.
Callback
A second audition at which the director looks at actors for
specific roles.
Cast
The group of actors chosen to play the different roles in a
production.
Center Stage
The middle of the playing area.
Cold Reading
A first reading of the script. The actors will not have had a
chance to read/study the text.
Costume
A character’s outfit worn by an actor.
Cross
To move from one area of the stage to another.
Crossover
An area that allows actors to cross from one side of the
stage to the other, out of sight of the audience.
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Cue
A cue line is the line before a script line that lets the actor
know when to speak. A lighting cue or sound cue is an
action (i.e. blackout, cross-fade, fade music).
Curtain Call
The bow at the end of a show.
Cyclorama
A tightly stretched cloth hung far upstage. A backdrop.
Dialogue
The conversation onstage between two or more actors.
Downstage
The area of the playing space that is closest to the
audience.
Dress Rehearsal
The final rehearsal before the first performance. It uses all
costumes, props, lighting, and sound cues.
Dressing Room
Where actors get into and out of their costumes.
Ensemble
The company of actors who perform together.
Environmental Theatre
Also called site-specific theatre. An unconventional theatre
space. The theatre space’s original use is usually not a
theatre.
Flat
A piece of scenery used to create a location. Usually made
of wood or a mixture of wood and canvas.
Fly Space
Area above the stage that holds drapery, scenery, and lights
out of sight from the audience.
Front of House
Areas of a theatre that an audience has access to.
Fourth Wall
An imaginary wall between the audience and the actors
onstage.
Grand Drape
The main curtain across the front of the stage.
Green Room
A room backstage where actors wait before or during a
performance.
Ground Plan
A drawing of the stage, set, and location of all scenery
pieces from above. A bird’s-eye view.
House
Where the audience sits.
In the Round
A type of playing space. The playing area is surrounded by
an audience on all four sides.
Leg Curtain
A curtain that is hung on the side of the playing space. Used
to hide actors and scenery.
Lighting
Used to illuminate the stage along with setting the mood
and environment of the plot.
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Monologue
A speech performed by one character.
Musical
A play in which song and dance are a part of the
storytelling.
Off Book
When an actor has memorized all their lines.
Opening Night
The first public performance.
Orchestra Pit
An area beneath the apron of the stage where the orchestra
plays.
Preset
When props or costume pieces are set onstage before the
show begins.
Prompt Book
A copy of the play that includes blocking, as well as notes
for costume, sound, lighting, and props.
Props
A portable object used by a character.
Proscenium
A type of theatre space. The audience directly faces the
playing area. A frame or arch around the front of the stage
opening that separates the stage from the audience.
Rehearsal Period
A period of time where the actors and director work on the
show before the first performance.
Riser
A platform used to create levels on stage.
Run Through
A rehearsal in which the show is run from beginning to end
without stopping.
Scene
A section of text. Usually when the story changes time or
location and the script advances to a new scene.
Scene Change
A transition where the set or pieces of the set (from the
previous scene) are changed over for the next scene.
Scenery
Items used to create the physical environment of the story.
Scrim
A thin screen that can be either opaque or translucent.
Script
The written text.
Set
Indicates where the play takes place using scenery,
furniture, backdrops, and lighting.
Sightlines
The unobstructed lines of sight from the audience’s
perspective. What the audience sees when they look at the
set.
Sound
Sound effects and music used to set the mood and
environment of the story.
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Spike
A piece of coloured tape on the stage that marks the
location for a set piece.
Spike
To mark an area on the floor to indicate where certain set
pieces, risers, or flats go.
Spotlight
Area of focused light directed on a place or person.
Stage Directions
Instructions in the text that indicate action and details not
given in the dialogue.
Stage Left
The left side of the stage from the actors’ point of view.
Stage Right
The right side of the stage from the actors’ point of view.
Strike
To remove the scenery and props either from the stage or
altogether at the end of a production.
Teaser
A border curtain. A horizontal drapery across the top of the
proscenium arch that masks the fly bar.
Thrust
A type of performance space. The stage extends into the
audience. The audience sits around the stage on three
sides.
Tormentor
Another name for a leg curtain. Side masking hung behind
the main curtain.
Traverse
A thin rectangle-shaped playing area that has the audience
on the two long sides.
Trapdoor
A door in the floor from which an actor can enter or exit
underneath the stage.
Traveller
A curtain hung on a track so that it can be pulled from the
side.
Understudy
A performer who is on standby to take on a specific role if
that actor cannot perform.
Unit Set
A unit set has a few pieces that remain stationary, but other
pieces can come on and off to create different locations.
Upstage
The area of the stage that is farthest away from the
audience.
Wings
Left and right areas that are just offstage.
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THEATRE VOCABULARY TERMS: PERSONNEL
Actor/Actress
A person who portrays a character in a performance.
Board Operator
The operator of the lighting or sound board during a
performance.
Box Office Manager
Manages all ticket sales.
Choreographer
The person who designs movement for dance numbers in
musicals.
Company Manager
Oversees members of the company by handling payroll,
contracts, living or travel needs.
Composer/Lyricist
Creates music and lyrics for musicals and other shows with
songs.
Concessions Manager
Manages all food, drink, and merchandise sold at a theatre.
Costume Designer
The person in charge of creating the overall costume
design.
Costume Shop Manager
Works within budget to a plan for the construction of the
costume designer’s vision; oversees people, equipment,
and materials in the costume shop.
Director
The person who analyses the script, creates a vision, guides
the production.
Fight Director
Creates all violence for a production.
General Manager
Oversees the budget of the entire company; handles
higher-level administration of a theatre company including
negotiating contracts and royalties.
House Manager (Front of
House Manager)
Takes care of all patron needs; oversees front of house staff
including concessions manager and ushers.
Lighting Designer
The person in charge of creating the overall lighting design
and lighting cues for a production.
Marketing Director
Oversees all promotion of the shows and the theatre
company.
Master Carpenter
Head carpenter in a set shop.
Master Electrician
Prepares for and oversees the execution of the hanging and
focusing of lighting instruments for the show.
Musical Director
Guides the singers and musicians to interpret the music
used in a show.
Playwright
Writes the script for the play.
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Production Manager
Oversees the creation of the production elements; manages
budget and overall production schedule.
Props Master
Responsible for making or acquiring all props used in the
show.
Set Designer
Works with the director. The person in charge of creating
the set. Will design the set on paper using renderings and
ground plans.
Sound Designer
The person in charge of creating the overall sound design
and sound cues for a production.
Stage Crew
A group that works backstage, often moving scenery on and
offstage.
Stage Manager
The person in charge of all backstage jobs and personnel.
Serves as a liaison to all areas of production. Calls the cues
during the performance.
Technical Director
Works within budget and schedule to create a plan for the
construction of the set designer’s vision; oversees scenic,
electrics, props, and sound.
Ushers
Works with the house manager to assist patrons in
the theatre including guiding them to their seats and
distributing programs.
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THEATRE VOCABULARY TERMS: TYPES OF THEATRE
Comedy
A piece of theatre with humourous characters and a happy
ending
Tragedy
A piece of theatre with dramatic characters and an unhappy
or tragic ending.
Farce
A heightened comedy with exaggerated situations and
characters. Plot is more important than characters.
Melodrama
A heightened drama with exaggerated situations and
characters. Use of stock characters and music underscoring.
Mime
A piece of theatre without words.
Musical
A piece of theatre where music, song, and dance play an
integral part in the storytelling.
Opera
A dramatic work that is sung straight through.
Operetta
A short opera on a light or comedic theme, with some
spoken dialogue.
Physical Theatre
A movement-based piece of theatre that uses physical
action to express the story.
Play
A piece of theatre written by a playwright that includes
spoken dialogue and characters.
Revue
A theatrical entertainment with loosely connected songs,
satire, sketches, and dance; often about current events.
Vaudeville
A series of unrelated acts grouped together under one bill.
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THEATRE VOCABULARY TERMS: STYLES OF THEATRE
Neoclassicism
Inspired by ancient Greek and Roman theatre.
Romanticism
18th and 19th century. Appeals to emotional expression,
the importance of the individual, and the imagination. Plots
were not realistic. An interest in nature and a nostalgia for
the past.
Naturalism
Late 19th, early 20th century. Extreme form of realism.
Everything on stage to be as authentic and accurate as
possible.
Realism
Began in late 19th century. Aim was to bring a sense of real
life to scripts and performances. Characters often workingclass. Dialogue emulated how people actually talked.
Expressionism
Early 20th century. Looked at expressing and visualizing
emotion. Characters, story, and setting were not realistic but
rather more poetic, abstract, disjointed, and nightmarish.
Theatre of the Absurd
Post World War II. The philosophy that “life is meaningless.”
Characters, stories, and dialogue reject any traditional form.
Characters are unable to communicate. Plots do not move
forward.
Epic Theatre
Developed by Bertolt Brecht. Against realism. Plays aimed
to instruct. The audience is to always know they are in a
theatre. They are to question and never connect to the story
or characters.
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THEATRE VOCABULARY TERMS: ACTING
Antagonist
A character who opposes the protagonist.
Articulation
The clear, precise, pronunciation of speech.
Articulators
Lips, teeth, tongue, jaw, hard and soft palate. Used to
articulate.
Aside
A character observation delivered to the audience.
Beat
A moment in a script that covers a single idea or action.
Body Language
Character communication using movement, gesture, and
facial expressions.
Blocking
The determined movement of an actor in a scene.
Character
The individual an actor plays in a script.
Corpse
To break character during a performance.
Character Driven Movement
Blocking that is determined by the thoughts, emotions, or
characterization of a character.
Characterization
To fully develop a character and bring the character to life.
Cheat Out
¾ of the actor’s body faces the audience.
Conflict
The collective of obstacles that stand in the way of a
character getting what they want.
Cue Line
The line before a script line that lets the actor know when to
speak.
Diaphragm
A muscle between the abdomen and the ribcage used
during the breathing process. In order to project you need
to breath from the diaphragm.
Dropping a Cue
To miss the cue line, thus causing an extra long pause
before the next line.
Diction
The words you choose and how you pronounce them.
Gesture
A specific hand movement that is connected to the
character and the moment.
Given Circumstances
The facts, the background, the situation of a character. What
the playwright has provided in the script.
Giving Focus
To put attention on an another actor in a scene, making
them the focal point.
Going Up
When an actor forgets their lines.
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Magic If
Created by Stanislavsky. The actor asks the question “What
would I do in the same situation?”
Meisner
An acting style developed by Stanford Meisner.
Method
An acting style developed by Lee Strasberg.
Motivation
The “why,” as in why is a character pursuing a certain
objective.
Objective
The identified “want” for a character in a scene.
Obstacle
What stands in the way of a character achieving their
objective.
Pace
The rate of speed at which actors say their lines, perform
their actions, and eliminate the space between lines.
Pick up Cues
To deliver lines at a good pace so there is little to no
pausing between lines.
Physicalization
To fully develop the physical action of a character.
Projection
To fill a space with sound, without hurting the voice.
Protagonist
The main character in a play.
Resonance
A deep full quality of sound using the resonators.
Resonators
Chest, throat, mouth, nasal cavities, head.
Script Analysis
The in-depth review of a script for full comprehension.
Stage Fright
A fear of performing in front of an audience.
Stanislavsky
A Russian theatre practitioner who developed the
Stanislavsky system of acting.
Stealing Focus
To take attention from an another actor in a scene, making
yourself the focal point.
Subtext
The content underneath a line of dialogue. The unspoken
thoughts and motivation of a character.
Super Objective
The objective of a character that covers the entire play.
Tableau
A frozen picture depicting a situation, a group of characters,
or visualizing a concept.
Tactics
The strategies or actions a character uses to get what they
want.
Upstaging
Another term for stealing focus. Taking the focus away from
the main part of the scene.
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ANCIENT GREEK THEATRE VOCABULARY
Aeschylus
Ancient Greek Playwright - Tragedy.
Agon
A contest or debate between two characters.
Aristophanes
Ancient Greek Playwright - Comedy.
Catharsis
A release or purging of emotional tension, especially pity
and fear in the audience. The effect of a tragedy and the
suffering of the tragic hero on the audience.
Choregus
The leader of the chorus.
Chorus (also Khoros)
A group of dancers or singers.
City Dionysia
Theatre festival in honour of Dionysus held in Athens.
Comedy
A theatre form with humourous characters and a happy
ending.
Deus ex Machina
Means “God from the Machine.” A plot device where an
unsolvable problem is solved by an unexpected event,
action, object, or person.
Dionysus
Greek God of wine and theatre.
Ekkyklema
Wheeled platform used during plays. Brought out from the
skene.
Episode
In a tragedy, a section of dialogue.
Euripides
Ancient Greek Playwright - Tragedy.
Exodos
The final scene.
Hamartia
The tragic flaw or error of the hero which leads to his or her
downfall.
Hubris
Pride. The most common tragic flaw of the hero in a
tragedy.
Kothornos
A tall thick-soled boot to give a character extra height.
Masks
All actors and chorus wore masks. This allowed the actors to
play multiple roles.
Myth
A traditional consisting of events that explain historical
origin or natural phenomenon, often involving the
supernatural.
Ode
A structured poem.
Orchestra (also Orkhestra)
A semicircular area where the action took place.
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Parodoi (Parados)
The pathways the chorus used to make their entrances and
exits.
Parodos
The opening ode spoken/sung by the chorus.
Prologue
A piece of text before the entry of the chorus. Establishes
topic and context.
Proskenion
The space or platform in front of the skene where the actors
perform.
Satyr Play
Short comedic plays performed with the tragedies.
Sophocles
Ancient Greek playwright.
Skene
A building at the back of the orchestra. Often used as a
backdrop.
Stasimon
A song for the chorus, following an episode.
Stichomythia
Single alternating lines between two characters.
Strophe
The first section of an ode.
Theatron
The seating area where the audience gathered to watch the
plays.
Thespis
Anecdotally, the first person to step out from the chorus to
become an actor.
Thymele
A small altar in the middle of the orchestra.
Tragedy
In Ancient Greek times, a tragic hero makes a mistake due
to his or her tragic flaw and must pay the consequences.
Tragedy Competitions
Playwrights would submit a trilogy of tragedies (not
necessarily linked) and one satyr play.
Tragic Hero
The protagonist of the Greek tragedy. He/she is a good
person with a tragic flaw and suffers the consequences of
that flaw, even after realizing their mistakes.
Tragoidia
Origin word for tragedy. Means “goat song.”
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SHAKESPEARE VOCABULARY
Performing at the Globe Theatre
Gallery, The
Seating for nobility and upper classes
Groundlings
Those who would pay a penny to stand in front of the stage
to watch the play.
Heavens
Ceiling under the upstage roof. Painted with clouds and sky.
Hell
Area beneath the stage.
Inner Stage
An upstage playing area, recessed and often curtained off
King’s Men, The
Acting Troupe of which Shakespeare was a member.
Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Acting Troupe of which Shakespeare was a member.
Pit, The (or The Yard)
Area in front of the stage where the ‘groundlings’ would
stand to watch the play.
Roll
Actor’s were given just their lines and the cue lines on a roll
of paper.
Tiring Area
The backstage area for storage and business offices.
Verse Vocabulary
Blank Verse
Consists mostly of lines of iambic pentameter, with a few
deviations. Unrhymed.
Caesura
A break or pause within a line, usually after the 2nd or 3rd
foot.
Foot
A group of two or three syllables.
Iamb (or Iambus)
A foot of two syllables, one unstressed/weak/soft and one
strong/hard.
Iambic Pentameter
A line with 10 syllables; 5 sets of iambs or feet,
Meter
A recognizable set of beats or stresses in the sound of the
lines. A musicality and rhythm to spoken English.
Pent
Five iambs.
Stresses
The meter in a line of verse is determined by a pattern of
weaker and stronger stresses in a foot.
Verse
Anything that is written in a meter.
Common Word Translations
Alack
Expression of regret
Anon
Shortly, in a little while
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Art
Are
Aye
Yes
Belike
Probably
Beseech
Beg
Betwixt
Between
Dost
Do
Doth
Does
Ere
Before
Fain
Ready
Fie
Nonsense, shame
Forsooth
Indeed
Hast
Has
Hence
From here
Hither
Here
Morrow
Morning
Nay
No
Oft
Often
Perchance
Possibility
Prithee
I pray thee
Sirrah
Form of address for someone of a lower class
Soft
Stop, listen
Thee
You (object)
Thou
You (subject)
Thine
Yours
Thy
Your
‘tis
It is
Verily
In truth
Whence
From where
Wherefore
Why
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Ye
You (plural)
Zounds
“By God’s Wounds” - expression of surprise or anger
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IMPROV VOCABULARY
Accepting
To accept the offers made by other performers.
Advancing
Moving a scene forward.
Anchored Scene
A scene that is grounded in
Who Where/Where.
Ask For
Asking something of the audience.
Blocking
A denial of another player’s offer - this is sometimes done
by outwardly saying “No” (ie. “We are not doing this”), or
putting forward an offer that doesn’t build off the last one
or doesn’t make sense.
Cancelling
Making an offer or action irrelevant.
Challenges
A competition term. A challenge is an event. Types of
challenges are scene in a minute, scene with an audience
member, story events, and character life. A coach should
be notified of the challenges before the competition.
Endow
An offer that gives characteristics or attributes to a fellow
performer’s character.
Gibberish
A nonsense language often used in improv.
Handle
The premise of a scene.
Justification
The justification or explanation of something that just
happened, to help it make sense in the context of the
scene.
Offers
A player's contribution to the scene: can be conceptual,
verbal or nonverbal, or physical.
Platform
The Who, What, and Where of a scene, usually established
in the first few opening lines. Once Who/What/Where is
established, it’s basically the launching pad for the rest of
the scene.
Raising the Stakes
Making “what’s at stake” especially and personally
important.
Setup
Introducing the setup of a scene to an audience.
Shelving
Accepting an offer but putting it to the side to use later. It
never gets used.
Stakes
What’s at stake in a scene (ie. Why is today important?) The
thing that makes a scene dramatically interesting.
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Waffling
A form of not committing to an idea, usually by overdescribing or over-talking about a situation (ie. “We should
really go to that space station sometime, it’d be fun and
you’d have a blast…” instead of just going to the space
station).
Wimping
A player avoiding making a commitment in a scene, or
failing to add to an offer.
Yes, And… - Golden Rule of
Improv
“Yes” is the unspoken agreement that improvisers have in a
scene - that when someone makes an offer, everyone says
"Yes, we accept that idea and will build off of it.” The "and"
is what comes after the initial offer - the building blocks of
the scene.
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Stage Management Vocabulary
Paper Tech
A meeting between the director, lighting designer, stage manager, and possibly sound
designer to discuss and notate cues - before any other technical rehearsals. The paper tech
can be held anywhere.
Dry Tech
A technical rehearsal without actors. In this rehearsal the director gets to see the light cues,
and the director and sound designer can set sound cue levels. It can also be an opportunity
to rehearse the shifts.
Shift Rehearsal
A specific rehearsal that allows the crew and stage management staff to rehearse the
transitions from scene to scene. Some scene shifts involve actors, and they can be called to
this rehearsal as well.
Deck Manager
The assistant stage manager who is in charge of the backstage area. The production stage
manager is in the tech booth and relies on the deck manager to manage the backstage area
(the deck).
Strike
To remove an item, such as a prop or scenic piece, from the stage. A strike is also a work call
that occurs after the run of a show is over: The set is torn down, and props and costumes are
stored or returned.
Sitzprobe
A rehearsal with the orchestra or band where the actors are present to “sing through” the
show prior to adding in blocking and technical elements.
House
The area where the audience sits - the auditorium.
Cue-to-Cue
A full company rehearsal where the show is run from cued segment to cued segment. The
stage manager will stop the run to skip over parts of the show that don’t have cues. This type
of tech rehearsal allows rehearsal to move quickly.
Cue Light
A light with a switch that allows the stage manager to cue actors and crew members
backstage or in various areas of the house. The light turned on means the “standby” and the
light turned off is the “go.”
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Standby
A warning from the stage manager of an approaching cue in the show. When a technician
or actor is in standby, they are focused on the show and ready to go as soon as the cue is
called.
Warning
A warning allows a light board operator with a two-scene preset board more time to set up
the next cue. While warnings aren’t necessary, they can be used for any segments that have
a complicated setup that will require more time to get ready to take a cue than a standby
provides.
Running Lights
Clip lights or rope lights backstage that provide visibility backstage without bleeding out
onto the stage.
Rehearsal Report
A record of rehearsals and reminder of what needs to be done. The stage manager uses the
rehearsal report to communicate important information to all areas of the production.
Performance Report
Similar to a rehearsal report. Performance reports include more information about the house
size, scene and act times, and notes about how the performance went. It also contains areas
for notes to all areas of the production.
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Lighting Vocabulary
Lighting Designer
The person who works with the director and set designer to plan what lighting effects and
colors to use to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production.
Lighting Tech
The one who actually controls the lights during the performance.
Plot Design
A document that a lighting designer uses to illustrate and communicate the lighting design
to the director, designers, master electrician, and crew. The plot design specifies which light
instruments to use, how each instrument is hung, where it is focused, and what colour it is.
Stage Lights
The instruments used to light the stage. There are different types of stage lights. Eg: flood
lights, follow spots, fresnels, lekos.
Gel
A square of coloured transparent material that is attached to the end of a lighting instrument
in a gel holder. Warm Gel Colours: Red, Yellow, Orange. Cool Gel Colours: Blue, Green,
Purple.
Focus
Used to describe where the lighting instrument is pointed at the stage. The focal point, or
hotspot, is the brightest part of the light.
Angle
The angle of the light as it hits the stage. At what angle will the light hit the actor?
Ambiance/Mood
The tone and feel of a scene. This can easily be created with light. Is the light hard or soft?
Bright or dim? What colours are used?
Shadows
An area of darkness caused by light being blocked by something. When a lighting designer
plans how they are going to light the stage, they have to make sure that there are no
shadows onstage that will keep an actor out of the light.
Cue
An indication in a script that triggers an action for the light technician at a specific time.
Fade In/Fade Out
Fade in is a light cue that means to go from 0% (blackout) and gradually increase the
brightness. Fade out is a light cue that means to go from the set level and decrease it
gradually to 0%.
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Lighting Glossary of Terms
AMX System
Older lighting system used to communicate with and
control lights. It is an acronym of Analogue MultipleXing.
Back Lighting
Light that comes from behind, casting the actor in shadow.
Bank Lighting
Also called flood lighting. Used to light flat scenery or cyc.
Does not have a lens and cannot be focused.
Barndoor
Light accessory. Helps to shape the spread of the light.
Beam Focus Knob
Under the light is a beam focus knob. It is used to bring the
light closer to or farther away from the lens. If the light is
closer to the lens, the edge of the light will be softer. If the
light is farther away from the lens, the edge of the light will
be harsher.
Blackout
All the lights go out at the same time.
C-Clamp
A c-shaped clamp that that be tightened onto a pipe.
Channel
Controls a dimmer or multiple dimmers.
Cool Wash
Blue/Violet gels are used to create a cool atmosphere on
stage.
Cue
An instruction for a specific action.
Dimmer
A device that controls the intensity of the light.
Dimmer Rack
Holds multiple dimmers.
DMX System
A digital lighting system used to communicate with and
control lights. It is an acronym of Digital MultipleX.
Fade
To increase the intensity of the light (fade in) or decrease
the intensity of the light (fade out).
Follow Spot
Used to project a spotlight that moves to follow an actor or
create a focal point.
Fresnel
A type of lighting instrument.
Front Lighting
Light that comes from above and in front of the actor. It hits
the actor in the front.
Gel
Filter placed in a gel holder in front of the lens of a lighting
instrument. Determines the colour of the light.
Gel Holder
Holds a gel. Slides into place in front of the lens of a
lighting instrument.
General Wash
An even distribution of light across the entire stage using
the original lights in the lighting instruments.
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Gobo
Image or shape on a piece of metal that slides into place
in front of the lens of a lighting instrument. Shapes are
projected onto the wall or floor.
Housing
The body of a lighting instrument.
Leko
A type of lighting instrument.
Lighting Plot
A drawing that shows the layout of where each lighting
instrument should be hung and directed. Often showspecific.
Magic Sheet
A reference sheet that identifies all the areas lit. It is sorted
by which instruments are to be used and which channels
they are connected to.
Reflector
A mirror behind the lightbulb in a lighting instrument.
Safety Chain
A steel chain with a clip and a loop. It is looped through a
hanging light and then clipped to a pipe to keep the light
from falling.
Side Handle
Tilts the light up and down to create a specific angle. Also
called a level.
Side Lighting
Light that comes from the side of the stage.
Special
Any light instrument outside of general lighting: spotlight,
lighting instruments with a gobo, or a special gel color.
Spotlight
A lighting instrument that is focused to one smaller area on
the stage.
Top Lighting
Light that comes from directly above, hitting the actor on
the top of the head.
Twinning
Plugging two lights into the same socket.
Twist Plug
Lighting plug that twists into place (instead of plugging
into a socket like a regular plug). It won’t accidentally come
undone.
Warm Wash
Amber gels are used to create a warm atmosphere onstage.
Yoke
A metal bracket that is attached to the light.
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Sound Vocabulary
Sound Designer
In our context, this is the person who collaborates with the group to get the vision of the
scene-work, then hunts for all necessary sound files. This person also creates the technical
sound script for the technicians.
Sound Technicians
The ones who make the sound plan come to life. They’re the ones using the sound
equipment, if you have any. They set volume levels, follow the technical sound script, and
problem solve.
Volume
How loudly or softly a sound cue is played.
Set Levels
To set the volume of each sound cue.
Fade In
To fade in a sound cue means to begin at 0% volume and gradually increase the volume to
the set level. You can also set the speed of the fade in.
Fade Out
To fade out a sound cue means to go from the set level and decrease it gradually to 0%. You
can also set the speed of the fade out.
Cue
An indication in a script that triggers an action for the sound technician at a specific time.
Mood
The tone and feel of a scene. This can easily be created with sound. Is the sound happy
or mysterious? Do the sound effects indicate a certain location? Does the music indicate a
certain time period?
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Makeup Vocabulary
Basic Makeup
Basic makeup enhances the actor’s look: highlight, low-lights, hair, etc.
Character Makeup
Character makeup transforms the actor to become that lion, old person, or zombie.
Character makeup changes the look of an actor.
Makeup Plot
A paper blueprint of what is needed to complete a character’s makeup. It determines what
needs to be done and breaks down the makeup process into steps.
Makeup Tools
• Brush: A tool with bristles to apply makeup. Larger brushes can be used to apply powder and
blush. Smaller, finer brushes can be used to apply highlight and shadow.
• Sponge: A tool used to apply liquid foundation and other makeup.
• Stipple Sponge: A coarse sponge used to apply texture.
Makeup Applications
• Foundation: A base colour in makeup used to simulate skin tone. The first step in applying makeup which creates a blank canvas for either basic or character makeup.
• Highlight: The process of applying a lighter colour. It simulates where the light hits the
face and makes that area stand out.
• Shadow: The process of applying a darker colour. It simulates where there is a lowlight
or shadow on the face.
• Blending: To mix together to create a subtle makeup effect.
• Powder: To apply a dry substance (powder) to set the makeup in place.
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Costume Vocabulary
Costume Designer
A costume designer creates drawings and sketches of costume pieces keeping texture,
colour, and period in mind. Costumes begin at the drawing board and are then created
for the stage. The costume designer works with the director, the lighting designer, the set
designer, and other creative personnel.
Costumer
A costumer draws from already existing pieces to create fully-realized characters. They often
start with finished clothing pieces and adapt them to fit the show’s style.
Dresser
A dresser maintains costume quality for each performance. They are also responsible for
assisting actors with costume changes backstage during a show.
Wardrobe Supervisor
Supervises all costume-related activities during a show. Once a show begins, the
responsibility for the costumes shifts from the costume designer to the wardrobe supervisor.
Wardrobe Maintenance
The people who wash, repair, and care for all the costumes used in a show.
Costume Plot
A character-by-character breakdown of all costumes needed in each scene.
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