Cennarium Backstage - Brasil Autumn 2016 | Page 25

Theatre Glossary: Learning the Right Theatre Words
By Fay Al-Janabi

Here are the basic and not-so-basic theater words every professional knows. Add these to your vocabulary and start enjoying more "dramatic" conversations!
today!

D
Death role
When a character dies during a performance.

Deck
Another word for the stage.

Dialogue
AThe lines of a script in which two or more characters are having a conversation.

Digital multiplex
A standard for communications protocols often used to control stage lighting and effects.

Director
The person in charge of or supervising a performance.

Distanciation
Occurs in Brechtian performances, where actors intentionally exaggerate their movements and behavior to remind the audience that they are watching a performance and not reality.

DMX
Short for digital multiplex, a communications protocol.

Downstage
The area of the stage towards the front.

Dramatist
A playwright or author.

Dramaturge
The person responsible for ensuring a play performance remains historically accurate and ture to the intended vision of the playwright.

Dress
Short for dress rehearsal; a rehearsal conducted prior to the official performance with actors dressed in character.

Dress Circle
A balcony or gallery level that sits above the main seating or stalls in a theatre.

Dress Rehearsal
A run through of a play with actors dressed in full costume.

Dry tech
The practice of changing the scene settings on a stage without the presence of actors.

E
Emotional memory
A form of method acting in which an actor draws from their own personal memories to better communicate the emotions of their character.

Exeunt
When more than one actor is called to exit the stage.

Exeunt omnes
When the whole cast is instructed to exit the stage.

Exit
Occurs when an actor goes off stage.

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