NRHS – THEATRE IDR. NEIGHBOURS

Common Theatre Language

~ Let’s all talk the same, and know what one another means ~

Theatre

USE THIS TERM

(Dr. N’s pet peeve)

This means the “entity” of

theatre; theatre as art; the job

of theatre; the essence of

theatre

THEATRE / THEATER

Theater

A building

Movie theatre

i.e. Harborview

Do not ever misuse this word

INVISIBLE FOURTH WALL

This is the imaginary wall between

actors and the audience

Illusion of the First Time - An

actor’s tool to make everything

new and fresh

Script - The text the playwright

gives the actor to work from

Side – A portion of the script;

usually used for auditions or when

the script is large and the actor

only has a bit part.

16 Bars - In music, this is the

usual amount that an actor will

sing at the audition

Counter - A type of blocking move

where an actor moves to open a

window for other actors

Counter Cross - A blocking move

across the stage to another position

Windows - Creating pockets on actors

onstage so that every actor can be seen

Open Up - Physically turn your body

so the audience can see you

3 MAIN STAGESProscenium -Type of stage that

is shaped like a picture frame

Arena or “In the Round” - Type

of stage where the audience

surrounds the actors and the

action taking place onstage

Thrust - Type of stage that juts

out from the proscenium arch

Black Box - Type of theatre (usually

used for experimental theatre) where

the stage and audience positions can be

changed

Prop - Anything the actor picks up

with his hands and moves around the

stage

Set - The scenery, furniture, etc.

that make up what the audience sees

onstage; doesn’t move

BASIC STAGE DIRECTIONSUpstage - The part of the stage

farthest from the audience

Downstage - The part of the stage

closest to the audience

Center Stage - The centermost part of

the stage

Stage Right - Part of the stage to the

actors’ right and the audience’s left

Stage Left - Part of the stage to the

actors’ left and the audience’s right

Improvisation - No set script; make it up

as you go along

Motivation - Why your character does

what they do

Pantomime - Using the body to tell a

story without words

Reacting - What the actor who is not

speaking does while other actors are

speaking

Exposition - What we know about each

character at the beginning of the action

Protagonist - The hero of the show; main

character

Antagonist - Whoever is against the

hero/main character

Chorus - (Usually in Greek theatre) the

characters without names that move and

speak together

Ensemble - All the actors that are not

principal players

Climax - The highest point of the action –

the turning point

CONTEXTTHE SETTING

TEXTTHE ACTUAL LANGUAGE

WHAT IS GIVEN

SUBTEXTWHAT IS MEANT

THE MEANING AND INTERPRETATION