Theatre Terms
HOW TO SEARCH:
- Enter a word in the "Search Terms and Definitions" box.
- For example, entering the word "curtain" would display all terms whose definition includes that particular word.
- When in doubt, use the simplest version of the term--for example, search for "prop" instead of "props" or "properties," and "Fade" instead of "Cross-Fade."
| Theatre Terms (A-Z) Sort descending | Definition |
|---|---|
| AT LIBERTY | Having no current acting engagement, out of work, available for casting. |
| AT RISE | At the moment when the rising curtain first discloses a scene. |
| ATMOSPHERE | 1) The mood, the general emotional quality, of all or part of a dramatic piece or of its representation. Hence (of lighting, scenery, etc., created to establish a mood) atmospheric, atmospheric lighting, etc. 2) The normal background sound at any location. |
| ATTENUATE | To reduce the intensity of a sound signal. |
| AUDITION | 1) A try-out hearing, usually competitive, of an actor or other performers seeking employment or to be cast in a play. Hence, to audition for, to be auditioned. 2) A reading aloud of a dramatic work to prospective investors. |
| AUDITORIUM | The part of the theatre accommodating the audience during the performance. Sometimes known as the "house." |
| AUTOCAD | The term given to the industry-standard CAD (Computer Assisted Design) software program for architects and designers. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) contains a cut-down version of Autocad, along with visualisation tools. |
| AUTOMATED LIGHT | A lighting instrument in which certain functions such as panning, tilting, focusing, dimming, beam shaping and coloring, etc., are motorized and remotely operated from a control console. Sometimes called an "intelligent light." |
| AUTOMATION | 1) Facility available on larger sound mixing desks allowing channel muting or even fader moves to be taken under the control of a computer to ensure accurate and repeatable mixing. 2) Describes the method used instead of stage crew for moving bits of set around shows with a big budget. |
| AUXILIARY INPUT | A route back into the sound desk for a signal sent to a piece of outboard equipment via an auxiliary send. |
| AUXILIARY OUTPUT | An additional output from a sound desk which can be used for foldback or monitoring without tying up the main outputs. Each input channel will have a path to the Aux buss. Also used for feeding a signal to an effects processor. Also known as "Return." |
| AVANT GARDE | Any fresh leadership in theatrical production, but more especially a realistic movement toward greater freedom in expression. Daring, unusual. From the French expression meaning "advanced guard" or "vanguard." |
| BABY SPOT | A small, usually hooded, spotlight used to concentrate light on an object or area on a stage from a short distance. |
| BABY SPOTLIGHT | A small spotlight used at a short distance to give sharp illumination to an actor's face, or to a limited portion of the acting area. |
| BACK | (verb) To invest in a prospective production. |
| BACK DROP or BACKDROP | A large curtain, usually painted to represent the sky, a landscape, or some other background, dropped upstage to form the back of a wing set and to mask the backstage space; now commonly supplanted by a cyclorama. |
| BACK FLAT | A flat used at the back of the stage. |
| BACK LIGHTING or BACKLIGHTING | The illumination of a scene from behind the actors, usually from the back of the stage. |
| BACK OF THE HOUSE | The parts of the theatre behind the proscenium, or behind the stage setting. |
| BACK PIECE or BACK-PIECE | A wig for the back of the head only. |