Stage Diagram
A canvas or muslin curtain, usually painted, that forms part of the scenery
What is a drop or backdrop?
Position when the actor is facing toward the audience.
What is open?
Having a part memorized so that a script is no longer needed.
What is being off book?
The part of the stage that extends toward the audience in front of the curtain.
What is the apron?
Canvas to cover the floor of the acting area that may be painted to resemble bricks, stones, carpet, etc.
What is a ground cloth?
Two actors share a scene when they are both open to an equal degree, allowing the audience to see them equally well.
What is to share a scene?
A loose-weave curtain on a batten used for visions and flashbacks. It is opaque when lighted from the front and transparent when lighted from the back.
What is a scrim?
A backstage bulletin board on which notices of concern to the actors are posted.
What is a call board?
Heavy curtain or canvas-covered wooden frame hung above the proscenium opening to adjust the height of the opening.
What is a teaser?
When two actors are not equally open and one receives a greater emphasis than the other, the actor emphasized is said to take the scene. The other is said to give the scene.
What is "give, take"?
Speeches in which one actor speaks aloud revealing his or her inner thoughts.
What are soliloquies?
When an actor plays in more than one position, or performs an action more openly, than complete realism would permit.
What is cheating?
Long pipes or poles from which curtains, lights, or flats are hung.
What are battens?
The actor is turned away from the audience.
What is a closed position?
A method that calls on the actor to use personal experience and sense memory to develop a character.
What is Method acting?
Scenes involving a number of extras or bit players, usually rehearsed separately and then integrated with the rest of the production.
What are crowd scenes?
Narrow platform about halfway up the backside wall from which the lines for flying scenery are worked. Without a fly gallery, you may work fly lines from the backstage floor.
What is a fly gallery?
When one actor takes a position that forces the second actor to face away from the audience.
What is upstaging?
Telling a story or presenting an idea through bodily movement and expression rather than words.
What is pantomime?
The appearance of actors onstage after the performance to acknowledge the applause of the audience. They are carefully rehearsed and actors are required to remain in costume and makeup.
What are curtain calls?