Stage Directions
Ground Plans
Types of Curtains
Parts of the Theater
Scenery and Painting
100
A
Stage Right
100
On a ground plan everything is viewed from this perspective.
Above/bird's eye view
100
The fancy curtain at the front of the stage that we can open and close to hide the stage from the audience
The Main Curtain, main rag, grand drape
100
The lowered area in front of the stage where musicians play
Orchestra pit
100
A fake wall that is part of a set
Flat
200
B
Upstage
200
Because a ground plan is in scale and is a map for us to build/place a set, it is important that it has this information.
Dimensions/Measurements
200
The curtains that hang vertically from the top to the floor and hide the wings
Legs
200
The architectural arch (wall) that frames the stage
Proscenium
200
A piece of the fake floor of a set, that is raised up off the stage.
Platform
300
C
Downstage
300
On a ground plan, this represents
A door
300
The curtains that hang across the stage (horizontally), up high to hide cable, bars, and other things from the audience
Borders
300
The part of the stage in front of the proscenium
Apron
300
The people who paint the scenery once the carpenters are done building it are called this.
Scenic Artists
400
D
Stage Left
400
On a ground plan, a chair would look like this shape.
Square/rectangle
400
A painted curtain that hangs upstage and has a scene on it is called this.
Backdrop or drop.
400
The space just out of view of the audience where the actors/scenic pieces, etc wait to go onstage
Wings
400
The scenery department is responsible for create all of the elements that make up the physical space we are in but NOT the props. This is an example of a real world thing that would be considered scenery.
Wall, floor, door, window, stairs, etc.
500
E
Center Stage
500
When we draw curtains on a ground plan, they typically look like this.
A wavy/squiggly line.
500
The big white curtain all the way upstage that we bounce lights off of for a backdrop
Cyclorama or Cyc
500
The room at the back of the theater where the lighting board is and the stage manager is during the show.
The booth
500
Before building a set, a designer will create a front view picture of it, so that everyone can see what it looks like. We call it this.
Rendering