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Theatre Terms

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Displaying 641 - 660 of 998
Theatre Terms (A-Z) Definition
LOADING DOCK or LOADING BAY

Exterior access into the rear area of theatre stage for bringing in scenery and other equipment. 
LOGE Seating area in traditional proscenium arch venues. Exact location varies according to the venue, but is usually a "box" position at the dress circle level. (From the French Logè).
LORT League Of Resident Theatres. It is an agreement with Actor's Equity regarding payment/treatment of actors. Prior to this agreement, Equity basically dealt with Broadway type productions and nothing else.
LOUDSPEAKER Device for converting the electrical signal from an amplifier back into sound waves, most commonly by vibrating a paper cone. Most speaker systems are composed of a number of sources - each designed to handle a specific range of frequencies. Usually shortened to just "speaker."
LOW VOLTAGE Lower voltage lamps give more intense light than mains voltage lamps of the same wattage.
LUAUN or LUAN A flexible thin plywood used for covering flats, also known as "doorskin." Also known as Philippine mahogany. Use is declining due to the fact that it is sourced from environmentally unsustainable resources in the Brazilian Rainforest.
LUMEN A measure of light output from a source.
LUMINAIRE

Theatrical luminaires are specialized lighting fixtures designed to enhance stage performances by controlling intensity, color, and focus to create atmosphere, mood, and visibility. Key types include ellipsoidals (for sharp, shaped light), Fresnels (for soft-edged washes), PAR cans (for intense, raw light), and moving lights, with modern systems using LED technology. 
LYRIC The words to a song; also ''lyrics."
M.C. Abbreviation for master of ceremonies.
MacGuffin (McGuffin)

A MacGuffin (or McGuffin) is an object, device, or event necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but typically unimportant or irrelevant in itself. Usually, the MacGuffin is revealed early on, and becomes less important once the storyline is set in motion.

Primarily a film term, it was popularized by Alfred Hitchcock, who called it "the mechanical element that usually crops up in any story. " Examples in his films include the meaning of "The 39 Steps" (also key in the stage version), the uranium granules in Notorious, and the stolen money that motivates all of Marion Crane's actions in Psycho. These are known as "pure MacGuffins" because they follow Hitchcock's strict criteria: they must be incredibly important to the characters, but otherwise quite vague and sometimes meaningless. Some non-Hitchcock films use the same device:  The Maltese Falcon has the falcon itself, and Citizen Kane has "Rosebud," uttered by a dying Charles Foster Kane.

While not always named as such, a MacGuffin-like element can be found in plays and musicals. In Into the Woods, for example, there are the four items the  Baker and his Wife must collect to break the family curse. The items themselves are of minimal value. The only thing that gives them importance is that they're all required for the Witch's potion. And yet, from a structural perspective, the four items connect all major characters and drive the main plot.

 

MAHL STICK A short stick used by scenic painters to steady the hand by resting its padded end against the surface being painted.
MAIN STAGE or MAINSTAGE The principal performance space for a theatre company.
MAKE AN ENTRANCE The act of walking onto the stage in view of the audience.
MAKE FAST To tie a rope line, or to tie off, in order to secure a flat, curtain, or other stage object.
MAKEUP or MAKE-UP 1) verb. To change the appearance of one's face and other exposed surfaces of the body for acting through cosmetics, false hair, etc., as in "Where do we go to make-up?" 2) noun. The cosmetics themselves, as in theatrical makeup. Thus, make-up table, make-up room, make-up kit (a portable box for carrying make-up supplies).
MANUSCRIPT The unprinted text of a dramatic composition, often in the handwriting of the author. Some scripts are available from publisher/agents as photocopies of typewritten or computer printed pages. Normally this indicates an older or seldom-performed title. The word "script" is a shortened form of this word, but now refers to the printed text.
MARIONETTE A puppet controlled by strings.
MARKING OUT Sticking tapes to the floor of the rehearsal space to indicate the groundplan of the scenery. Also for marking position of furniture etc. within a set.
MAROON An electrically detonated pyrotechnic device giving the effect of a loud explosion. Made from gunpowder encased in stout cardboard or string. Must be used within a metal bomb tank. Originally developed in the second half of the last century to simulate the sound of cannon. It was often used to call out the volunteer lifeboat crew in an emergency.