From the Stage to the Screen
Sets
Shakespeare
Musicals
Superstitions
200
The movie version of this popular jukebox musical set on a beautiful Grecian island is led by major Hollywood stars like Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, and Pierce Brosnan.
Mamma Mia!
200
A piece of scenery that makes up the walls and background of a set, seen below.
A flat.
200
During Shakespeare's time, a wealthy person who was a dedicated supporter of the arts was called this.
A patron.
200
This is the title for the person who writes the words to the songs in a musical.
Lyricist.
200
Reflecting a different superstition that is well known outside of theatre, this breakable object is bad luck to have as part of the set dressing.
A mirror.
400
Set in the 1960s, the brightly colored movie version of this musical about segregation and acceptance had a cast that included Zac Efron, Amanda Bynes, and John Travolta.
Hairspray.
400
The part of the set that actors stand on. They can be set to varying levels and heights.
Platforms.
400
This word is both a famous Shakespeare play and something you should never say when inside a theatre.
Macbeth.
400
This is the title of the person who writes the music for a musical.
Composer.
400
Based on practicality more than anything else, making this sound backstage is considered bad luck because before modern equipment, the sound was used to cue a stagehand to lift or drop scenery, potentially putting an unaware performer at risk of being crushed by a wall or a sandbag.
Whistling.
600
The movie version of this horror musical stars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter as a murderous duo operating in London.
Sweeney Todd.
600
The formal name for a traditional picture stage, like the one below.
Proscenium.
600
One major patron of Shakespeare's acting troupe gave them this name before they became the King's Men when the King took over as their patron.
Lord Chamberlain's Men.
600
This is where the live music/band for a musical can be found during a show.
Orchestra pit.
600
Inspired by the pattern on this otherwise beautiful object that, to many, looks like the evil eye, the feather of this awe-inspiring bird is thought to be bad luck to bring on stage.
A peacock.
800
Based on Romeo & Juliet, this musical set in New York City and focusing on rival gangs has been made into a movie multiple times, most recently in 2021.
West Side Story.
800
An intricate set of ropes and pulleys that can be used to move scenery in and out from the stage.
Fly system.
800
This snack was commonly eaten by the rowdy groundlings who had the cheapest entry fee to stand right in front of the stage.
Hazelnuts.
800
This musical great has his name on famous shows like Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd.
Stephen Sondheim.
800
Based on a false pretense that was actually spread by producers due to the cost of the dye to make this color, there is an obscure superstition that _________-colored costumes are unlucky.
Blue.
1000
The 2003 movie version of this musical stars Matthew Broderick as the titular character and band leader con-man, Harold Hill.
The Music Man.
1000
This piece of scenery is usually set behind a doorway to hide actors' movements or create a hallway so it doesn't look like the door leads nowhere.
Masking flat.
1000
An actor who's character speaks their thoughts out loud in a long speech is not giving a monologue, but a _______________.
Soliloquy.
1000
This person assists the choreographer during a musical and leads the cast in daily warm-ups.
Dance captain.
1000
When a theater production closes, it is considered good luck to give the director a bouquet of flowers stolen from this dark (and maybe haunted!) location. This macabre symbolic gesture (theater folk love their symbolism) obviously denotes the end of a production (its death).
A graveyard.