Stage Terminology

StageStage directions, areas, body positions, and movement.

Abov
Away from the audience (same as upstage of).

Below
Toward the audience (same as downstage of).

Blocking
The process of working the arrangement of actors on stage with relationship to the furniture. Purposes are to tell the story, develop characterization, set mood, and also to create suspense.



Downstage
Towards the audience.

In
Toward the center of the stage.

Out
Away from the center of the stage.

Stage left
The actor's left as he faces the audience.

Stage right
The actor's right as he faces the audience.

Upstage
Away from the audience.


Stage Areas


Closed
The actor is turned away from the audience.

Countercross
Adjustment in the opposite direction of the cross.

Cover
An actor stands in front of another actor.
Rules:
1. It is the responsibility of the downstage actor not to cover the upstage actor.
2. If you are the upstage actor and are covered, make a slight adjustment.
3. Make crosses below actors.

Cross
Abbreviated X, it is a move from one place to another on stage.

Give, take
When two actors are not equally open, one gives and the other takes the scene

Open
An open position is one which faces the audience. An open turn is one which turns towards the audience.
Rules:
1. Play shared scenes equally open in quarter position.
2. Whenever possible, turn downstage, but make the most logical turn.
3. Kneel on the downstage knee.
4. Use your upstage arm for gestures so as to avoid covering yourself.

Share
Two actors share when they are equally open.

Upstaging
"One actor upstages another when he takes a position that forces the second actor to face upstage or away from the audience. Since the downstage actor is put at a disadvantage, upstaging has an unpleasant connotation and is generally to be avoided. You should take positions on the exact level of the actor with whom you are playing. Neither intentionally nor unintentionally upstage another actor unless you are directed to do so." (McGaw and Clark. Acting is Believing)

Wings
Offstage spaces at the sides of the acting areas.

Lines and dialogue

Acting Area
Two sit-down positions 6' or more apart.

Action
Pursuit of a specific goal.

Apron
Also known as forestage, that part of the stage which juts out in front of the curtain.

Aside
A line spoken to a character which is not supposed to be heard by others on stage.

Beat
From the beginning to the end of an intention or objective.

Build
Increase volume or tempo to reach a climax.

Concentration
Giving complete attention to something. Key to effective acting.

Cue
Line or piece of business which tells another actor it is time to speak or act.

Dialogue
Lines spoken by the characters in a play, scripted by a playwright. Be true to the script.

Ensemble Acting
The stress is on the group rather than on an individual performance.

Fourth wall
In an interior setting of four wall, the side between the actor and the audience.

Given Circumstances
Unchangeable fact that affects the playing of the scene. Particularly important are religious, political, social, educational, and climactic facts.

Ground Plan
Arrangement of the place of the scene. Includes walls, steps, furniture, doors and so forth.

Motivation
Why a character does what he does.

Mugging
A derogatory term for exaggerated facial expressions.

Objective
Pursuit of a specific goal.
Obstacle
Physical or psychological hindrance or obstruction.

Point
Giving special emphasis to a word or business. For instance, the last line of a scene, act or play is usually pointed.

Prop table
Table placed offstage where properties are placed when not in use.

Proscenium
The wall dividing the stage from the auditorium.

Proscenium opening
The opening, usually an arch, in the proscenium wall through which the audience can see the stage.

Runthrough
An uninterrupted rehearsal of the entire scene, act, or play. This is in contrast to a "working" rehearsal where director or technicians may stop the run to work problems, or a "blocking" rehearsal where director gives movement to actors.

Stealing
Taking the audience's attention when not supposed to have it. Scene stealers are frowned upon.

Subtext
The text beneath the text.

Telescoping
Overlapping speeches. Used to build.

Top
To build a line higher than the preceeding one.