Act- major division of a play Apron- part of the stage extending past proscenium arch toward audience Articulation- shaping and molding of sounds into syllables; how clearly you speak Audition- to try out for a role in a production

Backstage- the areas of the stage not visible to the audience Blocking- positions and movements that actors make onstage as given by the director “Break a leg”- how theatre people say “Good Luck”

Call- time a performer or technician must be at the theater to prepare for the production Callback- a call from the director after initial audition that lets the performer know he or she is under consideration for a role and must audition again Casting- selecting actors to play roles in a production

Cheat out, or cheat front- turning the head or body toward the audience to improve sound quality and sight lines Choreographer- person who develops all dance steps and teaches them to the cast Cold read- audition technique where actors are given material that they have never seen

Crew- group of technicians who work behind the scenes to put the production together Cue- a signal for something to happen: a performer to enter, exit, or speak; or a technical cue (lights, sound, et) Curtain call- the appearance of the performers onstage at the end of the performance to take a bow

Dark- a closed theater Director- person in charge of the artistic production of a play. Tells actors what to do and confers with designers to create the world of the play Dress rehearsals- rehearsals that are conducted with costume, make-up, and technical elements

Dressing rooms- areas backstage where actors change in and out of costumes Ensemble- the cast as a whole; in musical theatre- the unnamed characters that finish out the cast Fourth Wall- the imaginary area between the actor and the audience

Front of house- the part of the theater that contains the lobby, the box office, etc Gel- a colored material that goes over a light that creates scenic effects Green room- the room where actors wait for their entrances House- the part of the theater where the audience sits

Improvisation- spontaneous style of theatre that is unrehearsed (improv) Inflection- the rising and falling of pitch. It adds meaning, color, and rhythm Intermission- short break in the action of the play

Masking- drapes that block the audience’s view of the backstage area (legs) Monologue- a speech performed by one person Notes- given to the cast by the director after a rehearsal to improve performances Off-book- complete memorization of lines

Pace- the energy and speed of a show Pit- where the orchestra sits (usually in front of the stage) Pitch- the musical tone of a voice Projection- the volume at which a performer communicates lines to an audience

Props- short for ‘properties.’ items used by the actor during a scene Prop table- table backstage where all props are kept during a show Proscenium- the opening separating the stage from the auditorium together with the area immediately in front of the arch

Read-through- the first rehearsal; the play is read aloud by the cast Rehearsals- time in which the director and actors create the play and prepare it for performance Royalties- the amount of money a theatre must pay to produce a play Scene- a subdivision of an act in a play

Script- written copy of the production, contains dialogue, stage directions, and other information Set- the non-human pieces onstage that create the world of the play Soliloquy- a speech by one character who is alone onstage. Used often in Shakespearean plays Stage Directions- information provided by playwright to give instructions to actors and the director. Always given from performer’s point of view

Stage Door- entrance/exit leading immediately to the backstage area Stage Manager- person in charge of calling the show in performances; supervisor of cast and crew Strike- time immediately after the show closes in which the set is taken down

Technical rehearsals- rehearsals in which elements such as lights, sound, props are incorporated Theatre in the round- theatre where the stage is surrounded on all sides by the audience Thrust stage- a stage that is surrounded on three sides by audience

Understudy- actor who learns a part in order to substitute should the original actor be unable to appear in a performance Warm-up- exercises done by actors to improve physical and vocal performance Wings- offstage spaces to the side of the acting area

Parts of the stage