Lighting from behind to create a silhouette of the performers
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blackout
when all stage lights go out at the same time
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blocking
The planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage.
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body language
nonverbal communication through gestures, facial expressions, behaviors, and posture
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Brecht, Bertolt
A German theatre maker who played a major role in the development of epic theatre
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catharsis
the sense of release felt by an audience when a play makes them feel strong feelings
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cliffhanger
when a conflict isn't fully resolved, leaving the audience wondering what happens next
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climax
the most intense, exciting, or important point of a play; a culmination or apex.
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crime thriller
a genre where the plot revolves around a crime and the question of 'Whodunnit?'
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cyclorama
A screen or curtain at the back of the stage which can be lit or projected onto
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dialogue
the general term for lines spoken between characters
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diction
the quality (or clarity) of a performers vocal expression
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diegetic sound
a sound that can be heard by the characters in the play
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downlighting
when the stage is lit from above to highlight certain characters or cast shadows
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dramatic irony
when the audience is aware of something that a character isn't
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end-on stage
A performance space with the audience on one side
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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
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flat
A wooden frame, usually covered with painted cloth, used to create walls or separations on stage.
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floodlight
a type of stage lantern which casts a broad wash of light onto the stage
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Fourth Wall
an imaginary wall between the audience and the actors in play
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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
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gel
piece of colored plastic that fits over a light to change color on stage and create mood
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genre
the type of story that the play is telling (comedy/ history/ tragedy)
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gesture
a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.
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gobo
Thin metal plate cut out in a pattern and placed in a lantern to project pattern or shape into the acting area
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incidental music
music used in a play as a background to create or enhance a particular atmosphere.
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inflection
changes in the pitch and tone of voice
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intonation
the rising and falling pitch of the voice
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mood
the atmosphere at a particular moment that creates a feeling or emotion for the audience
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morality play
a genre of religious play from the Middle Ages, performed to warn against the dangers of a sin
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Naturalism
a style of theatre which tries to recreate real life on stage as closely as possible.
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non-diagetic sound
a sound that can't be heard by the characters in the play
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phrasing
the way a characters dialogue is broken up into sections when spoken by an actor
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physicality
how an actor uses their body
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pitch
How high or low an actor's voice is
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posture
position of the actor's body when sitting or standing
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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
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prop
an item on stage that the performer can interact with
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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.
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Proxemics
the use of the physical space between the actors on stage to create meaning
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received pronunciation
an accent that is considered the accent of Standard English in the UK and has the highest social status
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rostrum
a raised platform which is used to introduce different levels to the stage (plural: rostra)
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silhouette
the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background, especially in dim light.
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site-specific performance
a style of staging which temporarily transforms somewhere that isn't a theatre into a performance space.
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socialism
a set of polititcal beliefs based on the idea of sharing power and wealth more equally
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soundscape
a collection of individual sounds that are layered up to create a strong sense of place
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stage directions
instructions for actors and stage crew, usually set in italics
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Stage furniture
Parts of the set that the performers can use or move during the performance
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stereotype
An oversimplified and distorted belief about a person or group.
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Strobe
A lighting device that produces bright, flashing light.
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structure
the shape of a play's narrative, including the order that it's shown to the audience
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style
the way a director chooses to interpret a performanec text on stage
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subtext
the hidden or underlying meaning behind a character's speech or actions
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symbolism
the use of props, gestures, setting, lighting etc to represent other things and create meaning
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theatre in the round
Audience seated all around the acting area
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thrust stage
a theater stage that extends out into the audience's part of a theater and has seats on three sides
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Traverse Stage
A stage in which the audience is seated on two sides of the acting area. Seats are often raked.
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Underscoring
Incidental music that is played quietly during a scene under spoken dialoge or visual action
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Uplighting
When the stage is lit from below to create an unusual or unsettling effect.
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