According to Patricia Guzman, a Chilean actress who speaks impeccable English:
"The theater is an emotional venue and it is a wonderful place to learn English"
"The theater is an emotional venue and it is a wonderful place to learn English"
- Glossary of technical Theatre Terms
- Theater Dictionary
- Your video guide to theatre lingo
- Teaching English through drama
- Learning English through drama - resource package
- A Glossary of theatre terms
Note: The Glossary is in alphabetical order. The terms have been
collected and adapted from various sources, listed at the end of this document.
Act: A major division in a play. An act can be sub-divided into scenes.
(See scene). Greek plays were
not divided into acts. The five act structure was originally introduced
in Roman times and became
the convention in Shakespeare’s period. In the 19th century this was
reduced to four acts and 20th
century drama tends to favor three acts.
Antagonist: A character or force against which another character
struggles.
Examples: Creon is Antigone's antagonist in Sophocles' play Antigone;
Tiresias is the antagonist
of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King.
Apron: The part of a proscenium stage that sticks out into the audience
in front of the
proscenium arch.
Aside: Words spoken by an actor directly to the audience, but not
"heard" by the other characters
on stage during a play.
Example: In Shakespeare's Othello, Iago voices his inner thoughts a
number of times as
"asides" for the audience.
Blocking: Movement patterns of actors on the stage. Planned by the
director to create
meaningful stage pictures.
Box set: A set built behind a proscenium arch to represent three walls
of a room. The absent
fourth wall on the proscenium line allows spectators to witness the
domestic scene. First used in
the early nineteenth century.
Catharsis: The purging of the feelings of pity and fear. According to
Aristotle the audience
should experiences catharsis at the end of a tragedy.
Character: An imaginary person that inhabits a literary work. Dramatic
characters may be major
or minor, static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change).
Example: In Shakespeare's Othello, Desdemona is a major character, but
one who is static.
Othello is a major character who is dynamic, exhibiting an ability to
change.
Chorus: A traditional chorus in Greek tragedy is a group of characters
who comment on the
action of a play without participating in it. A modern chorus (any time
after the Greek period)
serves a similar function but has taken a different form; it consists of
a character/narrator coming
on stage and giving a prologue or explicit background information or
themes.
Example 1: Traditional Chorus – The majority of Sophocles' plays.
Example 2: Modern Chorus – The Prologue in Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet, which gives the
background to the action. The protagonist in Tennessee Williams' The
Glass Menagerie, who
introduces the themes of the play.
Climax: The turning point of the action in the plot of a play and the
point of greatest tension in
the work. (See Appendix 1: Freytag’s Pyramid)
Example: The final duel between Laertes and Hamlet in Shakespeare’s
Hamlet.
Comedy: A dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over
adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.
(http://dictionary.reference.com). Comedy can be divided into visual comedy or verbal comedy - farce and slapstick.
Verbal Comedy includes satire, black comedy and comedy of manners.
Comic Relief: Comic relief does not relate to the genre of comedy. Comic
relief serves a specific
purpose: it gives the spectator a moment of “relief ” with a light-hearted
scene, after a succession
of intensely tragic dramatic moments. Typically these scenes parallel
the tragic action that they
interrupt. Comic relief is lacking in Greek tragedy, but occurs
regularly in Shakespeare's
tragedies.
Example: The opening scene of Act V of Hamlet, in which a gravedigger
banters with Hamlet.
Conflict: There is no drama without conflict. The conflict between
opposing forces in a play can
be external (between characters) or internal (within a character) and is
usually resolved by the
end of the play.
Example: Lady Gregory's one-act play The Rising of the Moon exemplifies
both types of
conflict as the Policeman wrestles with his conscience in an inner
conflict and confronts an
antagonist in the person of the ballad singer.
Complication: An intensification of the conflict in a play
Convention: Literary conventions are defining features or common
agreement upon strategies
and/or attributes of a particular literary genre.
Examples: The use of a chorus was a convention in Greek tragedy.
Soliloquies, (which are not
realistic) are accepted as part of the dramatic convention.
Denouement / Resolution: Literally the action of untying. A denouement
(or resolution) is the
final outcome of the main complication in a play. Usually the denouement
occurs AFTER the
climax (the turning point or "crisis"). It is sometimes
referred to as the explanation or outcome
of a drama that reveals all the secrets and misunderstandings connected
to the plot. (See
Appendix 1: Freytag’s Pyramid)
Example: In Shakespeare’s Othello, the climax occurs when Othello kills
his wife. The
denouement occurs when Emilia, proves to Othello that his wife was in
fact honest, true, and
faithful to him.
Deus Ex Machina: When an external source resolves the entanglements of a
play by
supernatural intervention. The Latin phrase means, literally, "a
god from the machine." The
phrase refers to the use of artificial means to resolve the plot of a
play.
Examples: Many of Euripides’ plays have gods coming to rescue the day.
In Medea a dragondrawn chariot is sent by Apollo, the Sun-God, to rescue Medea
who has just murdered her
children. In Joe Orton’s classic play, What the Butler Saw (1969) the
deus ex machina comes in
the form not of a god but of a policeman who saves the day.
Dialogue: The conversation of characters in a literary work. In plays,
characters' speech is
preceded by their names. (See Appendix 2 for discussion on what is
dialogue in dramatic terms.)
Diction: According to the Cambridge Dictionary, diction is “the manner
in which words are
pronounced.” Diction, however, is more than that: it is a style of
speaking. In drama diction can
(1) reveal character, (2) imply attitudes, (3) convey action, (4)
identify themes, and (5) suggest
values. We can speak of the diction particular to a character.
Example: Iago's and Desdemona's very different ways of speaking in
Othello.
Dramatic Irony: A device in which a character holds a position or has an
expectation reversed or
fulfilled in a way that the character did not expect but that the
audience or readers have
Glossary of Dramatic Terms 3 anticipated because their knowledge of events or individuals is more
complete than the character’s.
Example: In Shakespeare’s Othello Othello blames Desdemona for cheating
on him. The
audience knows that she is faithful and Iago deceives him.
Dynamic Character: Undergoes an important change in the course of the
play- not changes in
circumstances, but changes in some sense within the character in
question -- changes in insight or
understanding or changes in commitment, or values. The opposite is a
static character who
remains essentially the same.
Exodos: The final scene and exit of the characters and chorus in a
classical Greek play.
Exposition: “The first stage of a fictional or dramatic plot, in which
necessary background
information is provided” (highered.mcgraw-hill.com). (See Appendix 1:
Freytag’s Pyramid). In
most drama the characters have to expose the background to the action
indirectly while talking in
the most natural way. What any person says must be consistent with his
character and what he
knows generally. Exposition frequently employs devices such as gestures,
glances, “asides” etc.
(See Prologue for explicit exposition).
Example: Ibsen's A Doll's House, begins with a conversation between the
two central characters.
This dialogue gives the audience details (in the most natural way) of
what has occurred before
the play began, details, of importance to the development of the plot.
Falling Action: This is when the events and complications begin to
resolve themselves and
tension is released. We learn whether the conflict has or been resolved
or not.
Flashback: An interruption of a play's chronology (timeline) to describe
or present an incident
that occurred prior to the main time-frame of the play's action.
Examples: In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello recalls how he courted
Desdemona.
Flat Characters: Flat characters in a play are often, but not always,
relatively simple minor
characters. They tend to be presented though particular and limited
traits; hence they become
stereotypes. For example, the selfish son, the pure woman, the lazy
child, the dumb blonde, etc.
These characters do not change in the course of a play.
Foil: A secondary character whose situation often parallels that of the
main character while his
behavior or response or character contrasts with that of the main
character, throwing light on
that particular character’s specific temperament.
Examples: In Hamlet, Laertes’, father is murdered. His situation
parallels Hamlet’s situation
but his response is very different. In Othello, Emilia and Bianca are
foils for Desdemona.
Foreshadowing: Anton Chekhov best explained the term in a letter in
1889: "One must not put a
loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it."
Chekhov's gun, or foreshadowing is a
literary technique that introduces an apparently irrelevant element is
introduced early in the
story; its significance becomes clear later in the play. (Taken from and
adapted: Wikipedia on
Chekhov)
Examples: At the beginning of the Ibsen's A Doll's House, the
protagonist Nora goes against
the wishes of her husband in a very minor way. This action foreshadows
her later significant
rebellion and total rejection of her husband. In Synge's Riders to the
Sea the mother’s vision of
her recently drowned son foreshadows the death of her remaining son.
Fourth Wall: The imaginary wall that separates the spectator/audience
from the action taking
place on stage. In a traditional theatre setting (as opposed to a
theatre in the round) this
Glossary of Dramatic Terms 4 imaginary wall has been removed so that the spectator can “peep” into
the fictional world and see what is going on. If the audience is addressed directly, this is
referred to as “breaking the fourth wall.”
Gesture: The physical movement of a character during a play. Gesture is
used to reveal
character, and may include facial expressions as well as movements of
other parts of an actor's
body.
Example: Most modern playwrights explicitly mention both bodily and
facial gestures,
providing detailed instructions in the play's stage directions.
Hubris: The Greek term hubris is difficult to translate directly into
English. This negative term
implies both arrogant, excessive self-pride or self-confidence, and a
lack of some important
perception or insight due to pride in one's abilities. This overwhelming
pride inevitably leads to a
downfall. (Taken from http://web.cn.edu)
Example: In Sophocles Oedipus, Oedipus’ refusal to listen to anyone
illustrates hubris. He
believes he knows best – even better than the prophet Tiresias – and his
refusal to listen leads
to his downfall.
In medias res: "In the midst of things" (Latin); refers to
opening a plot in the middle of the
action, and then filling in past details by means of exposition or
flashback.
Inciting Incident: The first incident leading to the rising action of
the play. Sometimes the
inciting incident is an event that occurred somewhere in the character’s
past and is revealed to the
audience through exposition.
Irony: In general, a term with a range of meanings, all of them
involving some sort of
discrepancy or incongruity between what is expected or understood and
what actually happens or
is meant. Irony is used to suggest the difference between appearance and
reality, between
expectation and fulfillment, and thus, the complexity of experience.
A. Verbal irony: the opposite is said from what is intended. It should
not be confused with
sarcasm which is simply language designed to wound or offend.
Verbal irony, also called rhetorical irony, is sometimes viewed as a
figure of speech, since it is a
rhetorical device that involves saying one thing but meaning the
opposite. Verbal irony is the
most common kind of irony and is characterized by a discrepancy between
what a speaker (or
writer) says and what he or she believes to be true. More specifically,
a speaker or writer using
verbal irony will say the opposite of what he or she actually means.
B. Dramatic irony: the contrast between what a character believes and/or
says and what the
audience knows to be true. Dramatic irony (sometimes referred to as
tragic irony when it occurs
in a tragedy) may be used to refer to a situation in which the
character’s own words come back to
haunt him or her. However, it usually involves a discrepancy between a
character’s perception and
what audience (or reader) knows to be true. They reader possess some
material information that
the character lacks, and it is the character’s imperfect information
that motivates or explains his
or her discordant response.
C. Irony of situation :discrepancy between appearance and reality, or
between expectation and
fulfillment, or between what is and what would seem appropriate. This
includes both dramatic &
cosmic irony.
Glossary of Dramatic Terms 5
The term dramatic irony (sometimes referred to as tragic irony when this
occurs in a tragedy)
may be used to refer to a situation in which the character’s own words
come back to haunt him or
her. However, it usually involves a discrepancy between a character’s
perception and what
audience (or reader) knows to be true. They reader possess some material
information that the
character lacks, and it is the character’s imperfect information that motivates
or explains his or
her discordant response.
Cosmic irony, or irony of fate, is characterized by four elements.
First, it involves a powerful
deity (or fate itself) with the ability and desire to manipulate events
in a character’s life. Second,
the character subject to this irony believes in free will. Thus, whether
or not the character
acknowledges the deity’s existence, he or she persists in attempting to
control, or at least affect,
events. Third, the deity “toys” with the character in such a way that
the outcome is clear to the d
observer, but the character hopes for escape. The deity may permit—or
even encourage—the
character to believe in self-determination, thereby raising false hopes
that the audience knows will
be crushed. Fourth, cosmic irony always involves a tragic outcome.
Ultimately, the character’s
struggle against destiny will be in vain.
Linear Plot: A traditional plot sequence in which the incidents in the
drama progress
chronologically; in other words, all of the events build upon one
another and there are no
flashbacks. Linear plots are usually based on causality (that is, one
event "causes" another to
happen) occur more commonly in comedy than in other forms.
Monologue: A speech by a single character without another character's
response. The character
however, is speaking to someone else or even a group of people. (see
soliloquy below)
Examples: Shakespeare’s plays abound with characters talking with no one
responding. A clear
example of how a monologue addresses someone occurs when Henry V
delivers his speech to
the English camp in the Saint Crispin's Day speech. He wants to inspire
the soldiers to fight
even though they are outnumbered. This is a monologue because (a) he
alone speaks (b) he is
addressing other characters.
Motivation: The thought(s) or desire(s) that drives a character to
actively pursue a want or need.
This want or need is called the objective . A character generally has an
overall objective or longterm goal in a drama but may change his or her
objective, and hence motivation, from scene to
scene when confronted with various obstacles.
Example: In the play Othello, Iago’s objective is Othello’s downfall.
Plot: The sequence of events that make up a story. According to
Aristotle, “The plot must be ‘a
whole’ with a beginning, middle, and end” (Poetics, Part VII). A plot
needs a motivating purpose to
drive the story to its resolution, and a connection between these
events.
Example: “The king died and then the queen died.” Here there is no plot.
Although there are
two events – one followed by the other – there is nothing to tie them
together. In contrast,
“The king died and then the queen died of grief,” is an example of a
plot because it shows one
event (the king’s death) being the cause of the next event (the queen’s
death). The plot draws
the reader into the character’s lives and helps the reader understand
the choices that the
characters make.
Plot Structure: See Appendix 1: Freytag’s Pyramid
Point of attack: The point in the story at which the playwright chooses
to start dramatizing the
action; the first thing the audience will see or hear as the play
begins.
Glossary of Dramatic Terms 6 Proscenium Arch: An architectural element separating the performance
area from the auditorium in a theatre. The arch functions to mask stage machinery and
helps create a “frame” for the stage action. First used in Europe during the Renaissance, the
arch developed throughout the 18th and 19th centuries into the “picture frame” stage of the late
19th century.
Prologue: (1) In original Greek tragedy, the prologue is either the
action or a set of introductory
speeches before the first entry of the chorus. Here, a single actor's
monologue or a dialogue
between two actors would establish the play's background events. (2) In
later literature, the
prologue serves as explicit exposition introducing material before the
first scene begins. (Taken
and adapted from: web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_A.html). The prologue is
performed/delivered
by the chorus. (See Chorus)
Examples: A chorus gives a prologue with the background information as
to the feud between
the families in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Tom, one of the
protagonists in William’s A
Glass Menagerie gives a prologue both of the background of the play and
the character’s
philosophy.
Props: [Property] Articles or objects that appear on stage during a
play. Props can also take on a
significant or even symbolic meaning.
Examples: The Christmas tree in Ibsen’s A Doll's House and Laura's
collection of glass animals
in Tennessee William’s The Glass Menagerie.
Protagonist: The main character of a literary work.
Recognition: See denouement.
Repertory: A system of producing plays in which a company of actors is
assembled to stage a
number of plays during a specific period of time. The repertory company
included actors, each of
whom played roles in several plays throughout a theatrical season and
who often specialized in a
specific type of role
Resolution: The sorting out or unraveling of a plot at the end of a
play, novel, or story. (See
Appendix 1: Freytag’s Pyramid)
Reversal or Peripeteia: The point at which the action of the plot turns
in an unexpected
direction for the protagonist- from failure to success or success to
failure.
Examples: Oedipus's and Othello's moments of enlightenment are also
reversals. They learn
what they did not expect to learn.
Rising Action: An event, conflict or crisis or set of conflicts and
crises that constitute the part of
a play's plot leading up to the climax. (See Appendix 1: Freytag’s
Pyramid)
Example: The result of Othello promoting Cassio rather than Iago sets in
motion everything
else that follows.
Round Characters: A round character is depicted with such psychological
depth and detail that
he or she seems like a "real" person. The round character
contrasts with the flat character who
serves a specific or minor literary function in a text, and who may be a
stock character or
simplified stereotype. If the round character changes or evolves over
the course of a narrative or
appears to have the capacity for such change, the character is also
dynamic. In longer plays, there
may be several round characters.
(http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_A.html).
Glossary of Dramatic Terms 7 Satire: A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules
vices, stupidities, and follies.
Example: Joan Littlewood’s Oh! What a Lovely War about World War I. Even
the title indicates
this is a satire.
Scene: A traditional segment in a play. Scenes are used to indicate (1)
a change in time (2) a
change in location, (3) provides a jump from one subplot to another, (4)
introduces new characters
(5) rearrange the actors on the stage. Traditionally plays are composed
of acts, broken down into
scenes.
Scenery: The physical representation of the play's setting (location and
time period). It also
emphasizes the aesthetic concept or atmosphere of the play.
Strophe (& Antistrophe): A portion of a choral ode in Greek tragedy
followed by a metrically
similar portion, the antistrophe. The words mean “turn” and
“counter-turn,” suggesting
contrasting movements of the chorus while the ode was being sung. These
two parts are
sometimes followed by an epode, during which the chorus may have
remained stationary
Soliloquy: A speech meant to be heard by the audience but not by other
characters on the stage
(as opposed to a monologue which addresses someone who does not
respond). In a soliloquy only
the audience can hear the private thoughts of the characters.
Example: Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" speech.
Stage Direction: A playwright's descriptive or interpretive comments
that provide readers (as
well as actors and directors) with information about the dialogue,
setting, and action of a play.
Modern playwrights tend to include substantial stage directions, while
earlier playwrights
typically use them more sparsely, implicitly, or not at all. (See
gesture).
Staging: The spectacle a play presents in performance, including the
position of actors on stage,
the scenic background, the props and costumes, and the lighting and
sound effects.
Static Character: A dramatic character who does not change.
Suspension of Disbelief: Samuel Taylor Coleridge first used the term in
1817. In its most basic
form the term means that we accept something as real or representing the
real when it obviously
is not. In drama this is a crucial condition, as we must put aside put
aside our disbelief and accept
the premise presented as real for the duration of the performance.
Example: The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, …
can this cockpit [stage] hold
The vast fields of France? …
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest in little place a million;
And let us, …,
On your imaginary forces work.
Shakespeare, Prologue Henry V
Shakespeare expresses it clearly in the speech above. On entering the
theatre, the audience let
their imagination take them into another world and ignore their literal
surroundings. In this
example, they accept that the few actors playing soldiers represent the
thousands that took part
in the battle.
Glossary of Dramatic Terms 8 Stock Character: A recognizable character type found in many plays.
Comedies have traditionally relied on such stock characters as the miserly father, the
beautiful but naïve girl, the trickster servant.
Subplot: A subsidiary or subordinate or parallel plot that coexists with
the main plot.
Example: The story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern forms a subplot
within the overall plot
of Hamlet.
Theatre of the Absurd: A type of drama and performance that conveys a
sense of life as devoid
of meaning and purpose. The term was coined by the critic Martin Esslin,
who described and
analyzed a group of mid-twentieth-century play in his book, The Theatre
of the Absurd, including
the work of Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco.
Theme: A central idea or statement that unifies and controls an entire
literary work. The theme
can take the form of a brief insight or a comprehensive vision of life;
it is not a message or a
moral. A theme must be expressible in the form of a statement - not
"motherhood", but
"Motherhood sometimes has more frustration than reward", and
as such is the author's way of
communicating and sharing ideas, perceptions, and feelings with readers.
A theme must be stated
as a generalization about life; names of characters or specific
situations in the plot are not part of
the theme. It must account for all the major details of the play and be
reflected in its core aspects
of character, setting and plot. The theme reflects the author’s
perspective of what it means to be
human in the circumstances of the play, unifying and controlling it.
There is no one “correct”
way of expressing the theme of a play.
Tragedy: A type of drama in which the characters experience reversal of
fortune, usually for the
worse. In tragedy, suffering awaits many of the characters, especially
the hero. See Appendix 4 on
Tragedy.
Tragic flaw: A weakness or limitation of character, resulting in the
fall of the tragic hero.
Example: Othello's jealousy and too trusting nature is his tragic flaw.
Tragic hero: A privileged, exalted character of high repute, who, by
virtue of a tragic flaw
and/or fate, suffers a fall from a higher station in life into
suffering.
Example: Sophocles' Oedipus.
Unity of time, place, and action ("the unities"):
Limiting the time, place, and action of a play to a single spot and a
single action over the
period of 24 hours.
Glossary of Dramatic Terms 9
Sources
web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_A.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov's_gun
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072405228/student_view0/drama_glossary.html
http://www.bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/litgloss
http://www.mediacollege.com/glossary
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nadrama/content/review/glossary/welcome.aspx
www.paulreuben.website/pal/append/axh.html
Must-Know Terms for Musical Theater Auditions
Audition and Theater Terms - Auditions
Accompanist: a piano player hired (either by you or the theater) to
accompany you on your sheet music
Callback: an additional audition after the first… sometimes you’ll be
called back as many as 10 times!
Cold reading: part of an audition in which you’re given very short
notice to read from a script, either as a monologue or with a scene partner
(may be given to you on the spot)
Dance call: a dance audition
Headshot: a professional picture of yourself printed on quality photo
paper, usually 8 x 10, in either color or black and white
Monitor: a person who helps run the audition process (signing people up,
calling names, etc.)
Open call: an open audition, meaning both non-union and union members
can attend
Showreel: video clips (usually no more than 10 minutes) of you in your
favorite performances, sometimes required for an audition
Sight reading: part of an audition in which you must read music on the
spot, without seeing it or practicing it before (more sight reading tips for
singers here).
Typecasting: when actors are put in a room, and based on appearance
(height, age, weight, hair color) are asked to stay and audition or leave. This
may either be announced before an audition or happen on the spot.
Monologue: a solo acting speech
Theater Terms / Repertoire and Monologues
Audition Terms / Repertoire & Monologues
8-bar, 16-bar, or 32-bar cut:
requirements for limiting your audition song to a specific number of measures
A cappella: singing a song with just voice, no instruments or accompanist
Book: your binder of audition repertoire, which should be brought into
the audition room in case they ask for additional material
Lead sheet: a piece of sheet music with just chords and melody — some
auditions may state “no lead sheets,” meaning your music must include the full
piano part
Sheet music: full piano accompaniment, with voice and lyrics included
Contemporary repertoire: music written after 1970
Classical/traditional repertoire: music written before 1970
Classical ballad: A slow song from an older musical
Classical uptempo: A fast song from an older musical
Contemporary ballad: A slow song from a modern musical
Contemporary uptempo: A fast song from a modern musical
Theater Terms / Rehearsals and Performances
Theater Terms / Rehearsals & Performances
Broadway: commercial theaters with a minimum of 499 seats in NYC
Call time: when you’re expected to report to the theater for a rehearsal
or performance
Costume fitting: when measurements are taken for your costume; may be a
separate appointment
Dark: when the theater is closed (usually on Mondays).
Dressing room (or green room): where the actors get ready with their
costumes and makeup; a safe space to warm up before the performance
Dress rehearsal: one of the last final performances before the show
opens, with costumes added
Ensemble: the chorus that sings and acts throughout the show.
Limited engagement: when a show runs for a specific length of time,
anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks
Marquis: a poster outside the theater with the show’s name, picture, and
headlining actors
Matinee: a performance during the day, usually between 1 and 3 on
Wednesdays and Saturdays.
National tour: a production that tours around a number of cities each
week, instead of being established in one venue
Off-book: rehearsing without your script, so you must have your lines
memorized
Off-Broadway: a theater in NYC with fewer than 499 seats, but more than
99 seats
Off-Off Broadway: a theater in NYC with fewer than 99 seats, and usually
not-for-profit
Playbill: the official program given at each performance with the cast
credits, pictures, and info about the show
Previews: when the show is running in previews, this means it isn’t the
official opening yet, so there’s still time to work out any problems
Prop table: backstage where all of the props and materials for the show
are placed
Sitzprobe: one of the first rehearsals with the orchestra or band, meant
to review the music together
Stage directions: quick terminology to use on stage when blocking a scene
on a stage (see expanded section below)
Standing only: a limited number of tickets sold for the back of the
theater, where patrons can stand and watch the show when seating is sold out
Striking the set: taking the set apart after a show ends.
Summer stock: professional musical theater performed during the summer,
either indoor or outdoor
Swing: an understudy who learns many roles (sometimes as many as 10!)
Tech week: the week before opening where lights, sound, and scenery are
incorporated in the rehearsals
Understudy: the person who learns the main roles, in case they have to
go on in an emergency
Waiver: if you are doing “background” or “extra work,” whether you are
union or non-union, this essentially is your receipt of your paystub, where you
will record the hours worked, lunch breaks taken, etc.
Theater Terms / Other Terms
Theater and Acting Terms / Other Vocab to Know
Non-Union: a person who doesn’t have a membership or an invitation to
the Actors’ Equity Union
Union: a person belonging to and being a paid member of the Actors’
Equity Union
EMC: stands for Equity Membership Candidate, meaning you have acquired
enough points at equity theaters to be considered for membership in the Actors’
Equity Union
Actors’ Equity: the official union for professional actors
Backstage Magazine: A subscription magazine (also available online) that
announces all upcoming auditions in major cities
Important Notes
Your Headshot
This is a very important theater term to know, because many auditions
will require one! This is a clear, professional picture of yourself, usually on
high-quality stock paper and 8×10. It can be in either black & white or
color, and should be from the shoulders up or can be a close-up of your face.
Please note that this is different from a “selfie” because of the
lighting, contrast, and angle. It’s definitely worth researching professional
photographers in your area; the cost will usually range from $200 to $1,200 and
you’ll get few different headshots. If you’re on a budget, you can even find a
local high school or college student to take them for you.
Before you book a photographer, check out their portfolio and make sure
you have a contract in writing. Wear something you feel comfortable in that
brings out your personality. Also, these photos should look like you do
naturally — so don’t wear heavy makeup if you don’t normally, and don’t dye
your hair right before!
Additional Resources:
• 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before
Getting Headshots, via Backstage.com
• Headshot Do’s and Don’ts, via
Actors Casting Agency LLC
• How to Get Great Headshots for
Musical Theatre, via Musical Theatre U
Showreel
Usually casting directors will want to see video of you acting or
performing to be considered for a role. Your showreel should be no more than 10
minutes, and include a variety of video clips of you in your favorite
performances. Include clips of your dramatic acting, comedic acting, singing,
and dancing, if you have them!
If you don’t have a lot of performing experience, you can record
yourself in a practice studio or room performing your favorite monologue — or
grab a partner and perform a strong scene.
And don’t worry about having expensive recording equipment — you can
easily make your showreel through iMovie.
Additional Resources:
• How to Make a Good Showreel, via
StageMilk
• 11 Tips for Creating a Memorable
Acting Showreel, via Daniel Johnson
• 5 Mistakes Actors Make When
Creating a Showreel From Scratch, via Raindance
Cold Reading
At some auditions, you’ll be given very short notice to read from a
script, either as a monologue or with a scene partner. It might be as little as
5 minutes! This is to see how well you can act on the spot, and how well you do
with improvising. It can be nerve-wracking, but have fun with it!
If you’re nervous, practice cold reads before the audition, and bring a
pencil, glasses if you need them, and anything else that will make you
comfortable.
Additional Resources:
• 10 Ways to Master the Dreaded
Cold-Read, via Backstage.com
• How to Prepare for a Cold Reading
Audition in 4 Easy Steps
Typecasting
This is one of the most difficult casting calls! A “type call” usually
happens when thousands of actors show up to an audition, and the casting
director knows they will not have the time to see everyone.
The directors line up a small group of actors at a time, and based on
your height, weight, eye color, hair, etc., they’ll decide on the spot if
you’ll be continuing on. Sometimes the director will look at resumes, sometimes
not. There’s nothing you can really do in these circumstances except for be
yourself! Also, don’t lie or pretend… for example, don’t say you can do the
splits if you can’t!
These often occur in dance auditions, or if they need people to fit
specific costumes or requirements. Sometimes they are announced on the audition
notice, and sometimes it’s a surprise!
Open Call
If you see this theater term, be prepared for a busy day. This type of
audition is usually held in major cities, and it means anyone can show up,
regardless of age, union status, location, height, and experience.
Because these get so crowded, I recommend getting there several hours
before the audition. Sometimes after 100 people sign up, they will cut the
number or line off. Bring a book and some patience, as you may be waiting a
long time to be seen!
Stage Directions
If you get the part, knowing these theater terms will make your life a
lot easier. Here’s the run-down:
Center stage: The dead center of the whole stage (CS)
Downstage: Closest to the audience or orchestra pit (DS)
Upstage: Behind you, if standing center (US)
Stage Left: Your left, when you’re on stage, not the audience’s (SL)
Stage right: Your right, when you’re on stage (SR)
Memorize these, so you’re not confused the first day of blocking on
stage! Fortunately, these are the same no matter what theater you perform in.
Off-Book
Usually a month or a few weeks before the show or film is set to start,
your director will call for rehearsals to be off-book — meaning you’re not
allowed to look at your script. This is hard for many actors, as memorizing can
be difficult. Start memorizing early!
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