Cennarium Backstage - Brasil Autumn 2016 | Page 28

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!

Sign up with Cennarium today and get a 10-day free trial to watch exclusive performances from around the globe!

R

Raked stage
The inclination of a stage to help form perspective.

Read through
A rehearsal or practice of an entire play that just involves reading lines.

Rehearsal
A practice of an entire play from start to finish.

S
Script
The entire text involved in a play, including stage directions and dialogue.

Sense memory
A technique in method acting in which an actor recalls memories of physical sensations to help conjure emotional memory.

Signs of character
The different elements that help develop a character’s personality, motivation, or emotion to an audience.

Signs of performance
The different elements in acting, such as movements, expressions, and tones of the actor, that help to build a character.

Site specific
When a play is created or modified to take advantage of the specific characteristics or personality of a performance space – usually not a traditional theatre but spaces like a warehouse, bunker, etc.

Sold out
Occurs when either all the tickets have been sold or more than the number available.

Soliloquy
Occurs when an actor verbalises their thoughts so that the audience can gain an insight.

Stalls
Refers to the section of the theatre where the orchestra sits.


Stage direction
The instructions within a script that direct the actors, settings, and so on.

Stage left/Stage right
When facing the audience, the left side of the stage, and vice-versa.

Standing ovation
When the audience stands and claps at the end of a performance.

Standing room
A specially designated space where audience members can stand and watch a performance, usually when all other seats are unavailable.

Standing room only (SRO)
When all the seats in a performance have been filled and the audience can only stand to watch the show.

Strike
The act of removing set items or disassembling the stage and returning equipment to storage, leaving the stage as it was prior to the show.

Stock character
A stereotypical character you’ll find in most performances.

Supernumerary
The part of an extra or another role that doesn’t require much performance or speaking.

Supporting cast
The actors who play in secondary roles.

Cennarium.com
#cennariumbackstage