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 |
|---|---|
| BUTTON | In staging musicals, the "button" is a final stage picture usually before a blackout or fadeout. It is a visual clue to the audience that works much like an exclamation point at the end of a sentence. It's also an obvious way to beg for applause and, in effect, the applause becomes the "button." Thus “buttoning a scene” means finding a satisfactory conclusion that also leaves the audience wanting more. |
| C CLAMP | Heavy metal clamp used for securing heavy items to a batten, pole, standard, etc. Requires a spanner/wrench to tighten. |
| C-WRENCH | A crescent wrench. A wrench with a head shaped like a crescent, having one movable jaw, adjusted by a screw to fit various sizes of nuts, bolts, etc. |
| CABARET | A night club, restaurant, or the like, where performers dance and sing; the entertainment so provided. The audience is normally seated at small tables. |
| CABLE | 1) Noun: Wiring, temporarily rigged, to carry electrical current. Depending on the size of the cable (current carrying capacity), cables are used to supply individual instruments, whole dimmer racks, or carry signals from a microphone etc. 2) Verb: As in "to cable," meaning to link two electrical elements with cabling. |
| CABLE GRIP | A U-shaped clip and saddle used for terminating wire rope. Also known as a Bulldog, Dog Grip or Wire Rope Clip. |
| CABLE TIE | Lockable (and sometimes releasable) plastic strap used to tie a bundle of cables together, among many other things. |
| CAD | Computer-Aided Design. Using a computer to help with 2D plans and drawings, or increasingly for 3D visualization of how a set will look, and how lighting will affect it. |
| CALL | 1) A notification of a working session, such as a rehearsal call. 2) The period of time to which the above call refers--for example, "Your call for tomorrow night's show is 7:00 p.m." 3) A stage manager's announcement to summon actors to the stage. A request for an actor to come to the stage because an entrance is imminent is a courtesy call and should not be relied on by actors - e.g. "This is your call for the finale Mr. Smith and Miss Jones") 4) An acknowledgement of applause (e.g. Curtain Call) 5) A technical staff person with the script (book) is said to be "calling the cues," especially in terms of stage lighting cues. |
| CAMEO ROLE | A minor role with particularly attractive acting possibilities. |
| CAMLOCK | (Trade Name) Single pole connector used on professional power distribution & dimming systems. A separate connector is used for each phase/neutral of the supply. Originally developed for touring concerts, as power demands increase it's finding more use in theatres. |
| CANTILEVERED STRUCTURE | A concealed support behind an overhanging scenic piece onstage, such as a balcony. |
| CANVAS | Sturdy material, usually heavy cotton, used to cover flats as a less heavy (and less expensive) alternative to plywood. |
| CAPACITY | The total number of seats available for the audience, as in seating capacity. |
| CARDIOD | A cardioid microphone exhibits an acoustic pickup pattern that, when graphed in two dimensions, resembles a cardioid shape. |
| CARPET HOIST | In the counterweight system of stage rigging, a way of separately counterbalancing a scenic piece, or a property such as a carpet, so that it can be lowered and detached from its lines for use during a performance without the removal of the weights. |
| CARRY | 1) To act so that the audience can see and hear clearly. "His voice carries to be back row." 2) To be the acting mainstay of a production, as in "The supporting actors are fine, but Cyrano really carries the show." |
| CAST LIST | A list of actors with their roles. |
| CASTING | The process of the director choosing actors to perform the characters in the play. |
| CASTING AGENT | A person who engages to find actors for a production. |