GCSE drama glossary 3

Proscenium arch stage

A box-shaped stage which is set back from the audience so that only the front end is open to them, framed by the proscenium arch itself.

Protagonist

The main character in a story

Proxemics

The use of the physical space between the actors on stage to create meaning.

Pyrotechnics

A theatrical firework display which is used to create dramatic effects on stage.

Received Pronunciation

An accent that is considered the accent of Standard English in the UK and has the highest social status.

Recession

A period of economic decline where business activity slows down and people earn and spend less money.

Reverb

An effect that can be applied to a record sound to make it echo.

Revolving stage

A stage or part of a stage which can spin around.

Rostrum (plural rostra)

A raised platform which is used to introduce different levels to the stage.

Silhouette

A dark outline of the performers or scenery which is created using a backlight.

Strobe

A type of stage lantern which rapidly flashes on and off.

Site-specific theatre

A style of staging which temporarily transforms somewhere that isn’t a theatre into a performance space. This space often resembles the play’s setting in some way.

Soundscape

A collection of individual sounds that are layered up to create a strong sense of place

Stage directions

Any instructions written in a script by the playwright to explain how a play should be performed

Stage furniture

Any moveable object on stage which isn’t a costume, a prop or a part of the scenery

Stereotype

An oversimplified idea about what a person is like that is based on a group they belong to

Straight play

A non-musical play that uses dialogue to tell its story, rather than music or dance

Stress

In a vocal performance, the emphasis a performer places on certain words and phrases

Structure

The shape of a play’s narrative, including the order in which it’s shown to the audience

Style

The way in which a director chooses to interpret a performance text on stage

Symbolism

The use of props, gestures, setting, lighting, ext. to represent other things to create meaning

Theatre in education

A m movement that encourages the use of theatre to enhance education in schools

Theatre in the round

A style of staging which seats the audience on all sides of a central stage

Thrust stage

A stage which extends out into the audience, so that they’re standing or sitting on three sides

Tragedy

a genre of play which features a serious plot and an unhappy ending

Traverse stage

A long, narrow stage which runs between the audience, who face the stage on both sides

Truck

A structure on wheels which can be painted on both sides and used as scenery

Underscoring

Incidental music that is played quietly during a scene under spoken dialogue or visual action

Uplighting

When the stage is lit from below to create an unusual or unsettling effect

Wings

The space to the side of a stage which is used for storage and as a waiting area For the actors