Parts of the Stage

Front of House

Lobby area of the theatre

House

The area of the theatre where the audience sits

House lights

The lights in the house

Aisle

Rows between the sections of the seats

Aisle lighting

Lighting so patrons can see while walking up or down the isles during the performance

Raked seating

Seating that inclines toward the back of the theatre

Orchestra

Main floor seating area

Balcony

Second tier seating

Control booth

Small enclosed room at the back of the auditorium used to house light and sound equipment

Pit

area immediately below the stage which is usually lower than the auditorium level, used primarily by the stage orchestra

Stage

The playing space

Apron

area in front of the curtain to the end of the stage

Proscenium arch

The structure that creates a “box” for the audience to see into

Front curtain

Main large curtain to the stage

Teaser

heavy curtain hung above the proscenium opening to adjust height of opening

Tormentors

Curtain at each side of the proscenium opening to regulate width of opening

Legs

Curtains placed on either side of the Stage (behind tormentors) in order to mask the wings from the view of the audience hung in pairs stage right and left.

Wings

Offstage areas to the right and left of the stage

Borders

Short curtains hung at intervals above the acting area to mask lights and scenery from audience

Battens

Long pipes from which curtains are hung

Grid/Gridiron

framework of beams above stage to support lighting

Flies

area above the stage where scenery is hung out of view

Fly gallery / floor

Where lines for flying scenery are worked

Cyclorama/cyc

Background curtain covering the stage back and sides can be used for backgrounds and projections

Scrim

loose weave curtain on battens - opaque when lit from front and transparent when lit from back

Work Lights

basic lights that allow the stage to be lit to work, but does not come from stage instruments

Strip lights

a strip of lights in one instrument that usually provides color to the scene

Spotlights

lights used to highlight a specific area or person onstage. also called a “special”

Footlights

Lights at the edge of the stage at the feet of the actors

Fresnel

Boxy - better for general wash

Leko/ellipsoidal

More direct beams

Gelatins (Gels in gel frame)

gives color to beam of light patched into dimmers controlled at light board by channels

Barn doors/cuts

sides of the instrument that focus the beam of light

Cove

Lighting in ceiling that is concealed from view

Flats

Frame constructed of 1 by 3 board, covered with canvas, painted, and used most often for interior or exterior walls of a building in a stage setting.

Proscenium

Most common, developed in Italy during the Renaissance - creates picture frame theatre with hidden areas can break the 4th wall

Thrust or ¾ stage

Pioneered in North America by Tyrone Guthrie favored format in ancient Greece and Elizabethan England - places much more action in the midst of the audience

Arena theatre (theatre in the round)

Audience surrounds action on all sides

Black Box

Format less space that can be adjusted to any desired arrangement

Stadium

Seating on two sides of the stage