Stagecraft
This backstage area runs the full width of the stage and is where actors wait for entrances, props are stored, and crew members move unseen.
What is the Wing?
This direction tells an actor to move toward the audience, decreasing the distance between themselves and the front edge of the stage.
This 2019 musical adaptation of a beloved teen comedy features a trio of ghostly high‑schoolers who help a lonely girl become “seen,” with a rock‑infused score.
What is Beetlejuice?
This term refers to the stage manager’s job of verbally triggering lighting, sound, and deck cues during a performance, often using a headset.
What is Calling the Show?
This historic Chicago theater on State Street is known for its iconic vertical marquee and hosts Broadway tours, concerts, and special events.
What is the Chicago Theatre?
This specialized crew member handles the creation and operation of mechanical effects like flying rigs, trap doors, and moving scenery.
What is a Rigger?
What is a Fly Crew?
This term instructs an actor to move to the side of the stage that is on their right when facing the audience.
What is Stage Right?
This 2014 cult‑favorite musical follows Veronica Sawyer as she navigates the deadly social hierarchy of Westerberg High, ruled by a trio of color‑coded queen bees.
What is Heathers?
This daily report sent by the stage manager summarizes rehearsal progress, notes for each department, and any issues that need attention before the next session.
What is the Rehearsal Report?
This Loop theater is home to Broadway in Chicago and is famous for its opulent architecture, including a lobby modeled after Versailles.
What is the Cadillac Palace Theatre?
This fabric drop hangs upstage and is lit from behind to create silhouettes or atmospheric depth, often used for dream sequences or transitions.
What is a Scrim?
This blocking instruction tells an actor to move in the opposite direction of another performer to maintain balance and composition in the stage picture.
What is a Counter Cross?
This 2018 musical tells the story of six historical queens who reclaim their narratives through a high‑energy pop concert.
What is Six?
This essential document created by the stage manager contains every cue, blocking note, and technical detail needed to run the show consistently.
What is the Prompt Book?
This North Side theater is the flagship venue of the company known for ensemble‑driven work and has premiered shows like August: Osage County.
What is Steppenwolf Theatre?
This lighting position sits above the audience rather than the stage, allowing designers to create front light, specials, and precise angles.
What is the Front of House Position?
What is FOH?
This blocking note means to angle your body so the audience can see your face while still addressing another character.
What is Cheat Out?
This 2020 pop‑powered musical reimagines Juliet’s life after Shakespeare’s ending, featuring hits by Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and the Backstreet Boys.
What is & Juliet?
This pre‑show routine involves checking props, spike marks, costumes, and set pieces to ensure everything is in its correct place before actors arrive.
What is a Pre-Set?
This Lincoln Park theater is known for its commitment to new American plays and has premiered works by playwrights like Sarah Ruhl and Rebecca Gilman.
What is Victory Gardens Theater?
This specialized lighting instrument uses a gate, shutters, and interchangeable lenses to create razor‑sharp beams and precise shapes onstage.
What is an Ellipsoidal?
What is LEKO?
This direction indicates a movement that curves or sweeps rather than traveling in a straight line, often used to maintain sightlines.
What is a Banana?
What is a Banana Cross?
This 2021 musical follows a teenage girl with a rare genetic condition as she navigates family, friendship, and growing up with humor and heart.
What is Kimberly Akimbo?
This specialized document tracks every actor’s entrances, exits, costume changes, and prop handoffs, ensuring the show runs smoothly and safely.
What is a Run Sheet?
This Andersonville theater is the flagship home of a company dedicated to LGBTQ+ stories, producing works ranging from campy drag musicals to serious queer dramas.
What is About Face Theatre?