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!
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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.