Theatre Terms
As a service to the theatre community, AACT provides over 1000 definitions of theatrical terms. Fully searchable, our glossary is helpful for technical staff, directors, actors, producers, or anyone wanting to better understand the inner workings of theatre.
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Term | Definition | Link |
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TEASER | Border, usually black, set behind the proscenium and linked with tormentors to form an inner frame to the stage, and to mask the upper parts of the fly tower. | |
TECH | ||
TECHIE | A stage technician. Some find this term endearing, others think it demeaning. | |
TECHNICAL REHEARSAL or TECH REHEARSAL | Usually the first time the show is rehearsed in the venue, with lighting, scenery and sound. Costumes are sometimes used where they may cause technical problems (e.g. Quick changes). Often a very lengthy process. Often abbreviated to "the tech." | |
The Scottish Play |
It's a common superstition among actors, directors, and stagehands to avoid saying aloud the name Macbeth while in the theatre itself, under the belief that to do so will bring bad luck and/or curse the production. To avoid it, most theatre people refer to the Shakespearean tragedy as "The Scottish Play." According to folklore, Macbeth was cursed from the beginning. It was widely believed that a coven of witches objected to Shakespeare using real incantations in the script, so they put a curse on the play. Legend has it the play’s first performance (around 1606) was riddled with disaster. The actor playing Lady Macbeth died suddenly, so Shakespeare himself had to take on the part. Other rumored mishaps include real daggers being used in place of stage props for the murder of King Duncan (resulting in the actor’s death). The Astor Place Riot in New York in 1849, caused by rivalry between American actor Edwin Forrest and English actor William Charles Macready, resulted in at least 20 deaths and over 100 injuries. Both Forrest and Macready were playing Macbeth in opposing productions at the time. Other productions have been plagued with accidents, including actors falling off the stage, mysterious deaths, and even narrow misses by falling stage weights, as happened to Laurence Olivier at the Old Vic in 1937. Macbeth was also seen as unlucky by theatre companies as it usually meant that the theatre was in financial trouble. Macbeth was (and still is) a popular play that was guaranteed an income so if it was suddenly announced it could mean that the theatre was struggling. So how can you avoid catastrophe if you accidentally utter the play that shall not be named? Exit the theatre, spin around three times, spit, curse and then knock on the theatre door to be allowed back in. |
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THESPIAN | Pertaining to acting, or an actor, as in "she is a true thespian." Derived from the name of Thespis, a Greek tragic poet of the sixth century BC, who is said to have first introduced an actor into dramatic presentations, which until then had been performed only by a chorus with a leader. | |
THROW | Distance between a light source (e.g. lantern or projector) and the actor or object being lit. | |
THROW AWAY or THROW-AWAY | To underemphasize or underplay lines or stage business, either deliberately (in order to bring out other lines or business by contrast) or aimlessly (from weakness of technique). Thus, to throw away one's lines, or a throw-away line. | |
THROW LINE | A rope used to hold adjacent flats together as one via cleats. | |
THRUST | Form of stage that projects into the auditorium so that the audience are seated on at least two sides of the extended piece. | |
THUNDER SHEET | Large suspended steel sheet with handles which produces a thunder-like rumble when shaken or beaten. | |
TOP HAT | Cylinder of metal inserted into color runners on the front of a Par Can or other lantern to limit spill light. | |
TORMENTORS | Narrow masking flats adjacent and sometimes at right angles to the proscenium arch. | |
TRANSDUCER | A device that converts energy from one form to another. A microphone is a transducer that converts sound wave energy into electrical pulses. | |
TRANSFORMATION | An instant scene change, often effected by exploiting the varying transparency of gauze under different lighting conditions. | |
TRANSVERSE | Form of staging where the audience is on either side of the acting area. | |
TRAP | An opening through the stage floor. A grave trap is a lowered rectangular section used in Hamlet etc. A cauldron trap is a simple opening through which items can be passed into a cauldron on stage. A star trap is a set of triangular sprung flaps in the stage floor through which an actor can be propelled from a lift below stage. | |
TRAP ROOM | The area directly below the trapped part of the stage. Used for accessing the traps. | |
TRAVELER | A draw curtain that opens and closes from one side only. | |
TRAVELLER | Curtain or scenic piece moving on horizontal tracks. |