drama vocab

apron

apron

the part of the stage in front of the curtain

Backlighting

Lighting from behind to create a silhouette of the performers

blackout

when all stage lights go out at the same time

blocking

The planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage.

body language

nonverbal communication through gestures, facial expressions, behaviors, and posture

Brecht, Bertolt

A German theatre maker who played a major role in the development of epic theatre

catharsis

the sense of release felt by an audience when a play makes them feel strong feelings

cliffhanger

when a conflict isn't fully resolved, leaving the audience wondering what happens next

climax

the most intense, exciting, or important point of a play; a culmination or apex.

crime thriller

a genre where the plot revolves around a crime and the question of 'Whodunnit?'

cyclorama

A screen or curtain at the back of the stage which can be lit or projected onto

dialogue

the general term for lines spoken between characters

diction

the quality (or clarity) of a performers vocal expression

diegetic sound

a sound that can be heard by the characters in the play

downlighting

when the stage is lit from above to highlight certain characters or cast shadows

dramatic irony

when the audience is aware of something that a character isn't

end-on stage

A performance space with the audience on one side

Epic Theatre

A style of theatre made famous by Brecht. It tries to distance the audience from the action of the play so that they can concentrate on the overall message

flat

A wooden frame, usually covered with painted cloth, used to create walls or separations on stage.

floodlight

a type of stage lantern which casts a broad wash of light onto the stage

Fourth Wall

an imaginary wall between the audience and the actors in play

Fresnel Spotlight

One of the most common spotlights, named after the inventor of its lens. Its lens has steplike concentric rings. It creates a beam with a softly defined edge

gel

piece of colored plastic that fits over a light to change color on stage and create mood

genre

the type of story that the play is telling (comedy/ history/ tragedy)

gesture

a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.

gobo

Thin metal plate cut out in a pattern and placed in a lantern to project pattern or shape into the acting area

incidental music

music used in a play as a background to create or enhance a particular atmosphere.

inflection

changes in the pitch and tone of voice

intonation

the rising and falling pitch of the voice

mood

the atmosphere at a particular moment that creates a feeling or emotion for the audience

morality play

a genre of religious play from the Middle Ages, performed to warn against the dangers of a sin

Naturalism

a style of theatre which tries to recreate real life on stage as closely as possible.

non-diagetic sound

a sound that can't be heard by the characters in the play

phrasing

the way a characters dialogue is broken up into sections when spoken by an actor

physicality

how an actor uses their body

pitch

How high or low an actor's voice is

posture

position of the actor's body when sitting or standing

profile spotlight

a type of stage lantern which can produce a sharply define beam and is used to focus on particular characters or a specifc part of the stage

prop

an item on stage that the performer can interact with

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.

Proxemics

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

received pronunciation

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

rostrum

a raised platform which is used to introduce different levels to the stage (plural: rostra)

silhouette

the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background, especially in dim light.

site-specific performance

a style of staging which temporarily transforms somewhere that isn't a theatre into a performance space.

socialism

a set of polititcal beliefs based on the idea of sharing power and wealth more equally

soundscape

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

stage directions

instructions for actors and stage crew, usually set in italics

Stage furniture

Parts of the set that the performers can use or move during the performance

stereotype

An oversimplified and distorted belief about a person or group.

Strobe

A lighting device that produces bright, flashing light.

structure

the shape of a play's narrative, including the order that it's shown to the audience

style

the way a director chooses to interpret a performanec text on stage

subtext

the hidden or underlying meaning behind a character's speech or actions

symbolism

the use of props, gestures, setting, lighting etc to represent other things and create meaning

theatre in the round

Audience seated all around the acting area

thrust stage

a theater stage that extends out into the audience's part of a theater and has seats on three sides

Traverse Stage

A stage in which the audience is seated on two sides of the acting area. Seats are often raked.

Underscoring

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

Uplighting

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