Tech Theater Terms

Aircraft Cable

An immobile platform above the stage that reaches from one end of the stage, or house, to the other, used to gain access to the stage equipment

American Seating

Seating with walkways in between every few rows

Apron

The flat extension of the stage that projects from the proscenium towards the audience

Arbor

a main shaft or beam

Arena Stage

A theater space wherein the audience surrounds the playing area

Auditorium

the part of a public building where an audience sits, also known as the house

Backdrop

a drop that's used to set a scene

Back Flap Hinge

These hinges have wide hinge leaves that provide a large mounting surface

Backstage

the part of the stage and theatre which is out of the sight of the audience

Batten

pipes suspended above a stage used for supporting scenery, drapery, and lighting

Black Box Theatre

a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor

Blocking

The planned movement of an actor around the playing area, crew members can also use blocking

Block

pulley system used for rigging systems

Border Light

A multi-cell fixture primarily used to light drops, also known as a strip light

Box Boom

A type of lighting position located on the side walls or in the box seat area of a theatre, also known as a cove

Box Set

a box set is a set with a proscenium arch stage and three walls

Catwalk

A walkway, giving access to technical and service areas above the stage or auditorium, or linking fly-floors

Center Line

An imaginary or real line that divides the stage area into two equal parts, running from downstage to upstage

Continental Seating

Seating that has no walkways between rows

Corner Block

a triangular piece of plywood that connects and braces the rails to the stiles

Cue

A directive for action

Cyclorama

A large backdrop often used to represent the sky. Traditionally wraps around the upstage wings. Commonly called a cyc

Dead Hung

simplest rigging is dead hung, consisting of battens or tracks that are hung from the ceiling

False Proscenium

A portal that sits in front or inside of the natural proscenium creating a new frame for the stage

Fire Curtain

a fire safety precaution used in large proscenium theatres. It is usually a heavy fiberglass or iron curtain located immediately behind the proscenium arch

Flat

theatrical walls built as scenery

Floor Pocket

a metal box containing one or more electrical outlets set into the floor of a theatrical stage

Fly Gallery

A system of ropes or cables allowing the scenery to be rigged to a grid over the stage

Found Spaces

a building that has been altered from its original purpose to support ongoing theatre production

Front Elevation

A working drawing usually drawn to scale, showing a view of a set or lighting rig

Gel

A common term used to refer to color filters for lights. A gel is a holdover term from days when filters were made of gelatin

Ghost Light

an electric light that is left energized on the stage of a theater when the theater is unoccupied and would otherwise be completely dark

Gobo

A common term used to refer to cut-out template patterns for lights

Grand Drape

The main curtain on a stage, often richly colored

Grand Valence

a short curtain that hangs between the proscenium and the grand drape

Green Room

the space in a theatre or similar venue that functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers and crew before, during, and after a performance

Grid

The network of beams above the stage that support the rigging system components

Ground Plan

a blueprint or floor plan of stage design that outlines the various levels on the stage and indicates the placement of scenery, furniture, doors, windows, and other necessary scenic elements

Hand Props

a prop held by a performer

Lamp

The bulb, base, and filament unit for a lighting instrument, also known as a Bottle

Legs

A style of drapery, these tall narrow drapes mask the wing space along the sides of a stage

Light Tree

a "tower" that is used to hold and hang lights

Locking Rail

typically a steel angle or rectangular tube to which the rope locks of a counterweight system are mounted, also known as a fly rail

Muslin

a plain woven cotton sheeting fabric that is probably the most ubiquitous in theatre, used for costumes, scenery flats, backdrops, and cycloramas

Offstage

All areas outside the acting area.

Orchestra Pit

The space between the stage and the auditorium, usually below stage level, where an orchestra can be held

Plaster Line

A reference point onstage that runs perpendicular to the center line of the stage, usually denoted by the upstage side of the Proscenium Arch, also known as an operating line

Practical

An item that must function onstage as it would in real life

Proscenium

the arch over the stage where the curtain can be attached

Purchase Line

The dividing wall or barrier between the audience and the stage, also known as an operating line

Rake

A stage for which the floor of the playing area has been raised at the back so it's up and away from the audience

Rigid Caster

remain in one position

Scale Drawing

the scale for most theater drawings is 1/2" = 1'-0" though 1/4 and 3/8 inch scales are also used. 1/2 inch scale is small enough to allow placement of many scenic units on a manageable size sheet of paper, yet large enough to specify most detail

Scale Rule

A tool used for a scale drawing to make the scale accurate

Scrim

a theater drop that appears opaque when a scene in front is lighted and transparent or translucent when a scene in the back is lighted

Set Props

Large prop items and furniture pieces

Sight Lines

refer to what your audience sees on-stage

Slip Stage

A stage wagon, often large enough to hold an entire setting

Stage Jack

used for rapid scene-shifting, consisting of a platform or two on casters, pivoted at one corner to swing off- and onstage

Stock Scenery

items are those that the theatre stores between productions and can be reused, redressed, or altered for a production

Straight Caster

A wheel mounted on a steel plate, where the wheel can rotate around a horizontal axis

Strike

tear down the set, clean the theatre from top to bottom, and return the space to its regular, unadorned, clean, and tidy state; this can also refer to a set or prop being removed from a scene

Swivel Caster

providing directional control of the cart

Tennis Court Seating

when the audience is on either side of the play area, also known as an ally way

Thrust Stage

A theatre space where the audience surrounds the three sides of the play area

Trap Room

The room underneath a trap that the actors appear or disappear from

Traps

An opening in the floor of a stage or platform used to facilitate appearances and disappearances

Traveler

remains at a fixed elevation and opens and close horizontally, breaks up and meets in the middle, and consequently requires a minimum of fly space

Trim

Any black drapes or tabs, permanently or temporarily rigged

Turntable

a revolvable platform

Velour

a tried-and-true theater fabric, known for its light-absorbing qualities, super durable and versatile in use

Wings

The area outside the playing area of a stage that is unseen by the audience

Work Lights

a high-intensity light fixture that is used to illuminate the stage for the benefit of technicians so they don't have to work in the dim lighting of the stage