Rehearsal
The first complete read-through of a script, where the cast sits in a circle and reads dialogue aloud.
What is a table read?
Moving toward the back wall of the stage, farthest away from the audience, means walking in this direction.
What is Upstage?
Backstage crew members traditionally wear head-to-toe clothing in this neutral color so they remain hidden in the shadows during scene changes.
What is Black?
Western theatre traces its origins back to the 6th century BCE in this civilization.
What is Ancient Greece?
The instrumental musicians who play live music for a musical performance sit directly in front of or beneath the stage in this area.
What is the orchestra pit?
What a character wants or is trying to achieve in a specific scene is known as their scene _____.
What is an Objective?
Any area of the theatre designated for the audience to sit, stand, or walk through, such as the lobby and seating area.
What is the house?
This backstage crew leader wears a headset, calls all light and sound cues during the show, and keeps the entire performance running smoothly.
Who is the Stage Manager?
Opening in 1988 and running for 13,981 performances, this Andrew Lloyd Webber classic is the longest-running show in Broadway history.
What is The Phantom of the Opera?
In a musical production team, this specific person is responsible for creating, teaching, and staging all the dance routines.
Who is the choreographer?
Creating dialogue, movement, and story on the spot without a script.
What is Improvisation?
The physical arch or frame that creates a "picture frame" border around a traditional stage.
What is a proscenium?
Placed offstage in the wings, props are carefully organized on this taped and labeled surface so actors can grab them right before entering.
What is a prop table?
In Ancient Greek theatre, actors often changed these facial items offstage so a small cast of just three actors could play every single role in the show.
What are masks?
In a musical, the written spoken dialogue is called the script, but the written text of all the song lyrics is known by this term.
What is the libretto?
The unstated, underlying meaning and emotional intent hidden beneath a character's spoken words.
What is subtext?
This type of stage setup features an audience seated on three sides of the central performance space.
What is thrust?
A theatrical "strike" involves cast and crew staying late after the show to do this main task.
What is take down the set / clean up the theatre?
Shakespeare wrote much of his poetry and dialogue using this 10-syllable rhythmic pattern that sounds like a heartbeat.
What is iambic pentameter?
Before the curtains rise at the start of a show, the orchestra plays a medley of tunes from the musical to set the mood.
What is an overture?
Speaking directly to the audience while other characters on stage pretend not to hear.
What is an Aside?
Left burning center stage whenever a theatre is dark and unoccupied
What is Ghost Light?
The large, seamless backdrop hanging at the very back of the stage, often made of plain white or light-colored fabric.
What is Cyc?
Before modern plays and musicals were invented, this popular 1800s style of variety show featured acts like jugglers, singers, comedians, and trained animals.
What is Vaudeville?
When a musical uses pre-existing popular pop/rock songs it is classified as this type of musical.
What is a jukebox musical?