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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Click on a letter (A-Z) below to find terms beginning with the specified letter, OR enter a word in "Search for Term" OR search by entering a word in "Words in Definition." For example, entering the word "curtain" would display all words whose definition includes that word. (Note: If the A-Z or word search has been activated, it must be reset before using "Search for Term" or "Words in Definition." To reset the A-Z search: Click Here)
| Term | Definition | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NEON | 1) A type of discharge lighting generated by a high voltage across two electrodes at opposite ends of a long, thin glass tube filled with neon gas. Different colors can be obtained by mixing other gases, or by using fluorescent coatings. Mostly used for advertising signs - the glass tube is bent to form letters. 2) A small mains voltage indicator lamp. | |
| NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER | Lighting filter that reduces the brightness of a light source without changing its color. | |
| NOISES OFF | Offstage sound effects, such as thunder, breaking glass, a crash, voices, etc. | |
| NON DIMS | Channels, usually controlled from the lighting desk which are switched, rather than dimmed. This enables motors, slide projectors, smoke machines etc to be controlled from the lighting desk. | |
| NONPROFESSIONAL or NON-PROFESSIONAL | Said of a theatre or production, as opposed to professional, to avoid the derogatory connotation sometimes understood by the term "amateur." In recent decades, however, "nonprofessional" has taken on the same derogatory connotation, sometimes used to mean "not of high quality." | |
| NUMBER | A song or dance in a musical production, so called because each musical selection is numbered for the convenience of the orchestra. | |
| NUT | The actual or estimated cost of producing a show, often figured on a weekly basis. | |
| OFF BOOK or OFF-BOOK | An actor or cast who has memorized their lines is said to be "off book." Often given as a reminder in a rehearsal schedule ("We will be off-book July 1.") | |
| OFF-BROADWAY or OFF BROADWAY | Said of professional theatres in New York City, not located in the traditional Broadway theatre area. | |
| OFFSTAGE | 1) Towards the nearest side of the stage from the center. (e.g. "Focus that spot offstage a bit, please") 2) The area out of sight of the audience (e.g. "Get that couch offstage!") | |
| OHM | The unit of electrical resistance. | |
| OMNIDIRECTIONAL | A type of microphone. | |
| ON BOOK or ON-BOOK | 1) To serve as prompter. 2) An actor who has not yet memorized his/her lines is said to be "on book." | |
| ONSTAGE | 1) The stage area visible from the audience. Thus, an onstage chair. 2) A command from a stage manager, as in "Cast onstage!" | |
| OPEN THE HOUSE | Clearance given to Front of House staff by stage management that the stage is set and the audience can begin to take their seats. When this clearance is given, the backstage call "The House is now open, please do not cross the stage" is made. | |
| OPEN WHITE | Lighting with no color filter. Sometimes written as o/w. | |
| OPENING | Short for opening night. | |
| OPENING NIGHT | The first performance of a production. | |
| OPERA | A dramatic composition for the stage in which all or most of the lines are sung, and typically dealing with heavily dramatic and/or tragic characters and situations. | |
| OPERA BOUFFE | A French expression for "comic opera." |
