Theatre terms

FARCE
Form of comedy play originated in France, using fast-paced physical action and visual comedy more than humour based on language

MIME
Form of performance with no spoken words. Plot, character etc. are conveyed to the audience by movement and gesture.

OPERA
1) European terminology meaning Opera House - lavishly decorated proscenium theatre with orchestra pit. See TOSCA. 2) Musical form. Highly dramatic and stylised form where the text is completely sung.

PHYSICAL THEATRE
Physical theatre is a genre of performance which makes use of the body (as opposed to the spoken word) as the primary means of performance and communication with an audience. In using the body, the performer or actor will concentrate on: The use of body shape and position Facial expressions Rhythmical movement, pace and the energy of the body Gesture Posture Gait Physical theatre can be distinquished from dance in that it tends to focus more on narrative, character and action. However, the boundaries between the two are rather blurred. There are various styles and genre of physical theatre. These include: Physical comedy - where the body is the primary means of comic creation Mime Stomp- where the body, with external objects, is used for its percussive potential Some forms of puppetry Circus The most famous institution devoted to physical theatre is the Lecoq school in Paris. Students here follow the method of Jacques Lecoq, which developed out of his experience of mask work, commedia dell'Arte and his interest in the physicality of performance.

acting -- creating an illusion with behavior attributed to a particular character, project by voice and movement to an audience. Actor's Studio -- a well-known American training school devoted to teaching the Stanislavski system of acting. ad lib -- to improvise words and actions adaptation -- a play taken from a novel, a movie or other literary material; pdates of earlier plays; musical adaptations of straight plays.

aside -- unspoken thoughts of a character delivered directly to the audience with the other characters on stage but unable to hear what is being said assistant stage manager -- the all-purpose technical assistant; the backstage entry-lever position atmosphere -- the mood of the play conveyed through stage business, lights, props, costumes, makeup, sound. Blocking- The setting of the actors' positions and moves at the beginning of rehearsals. Occasionally known as plotting, a term usually reserved for use in lighting. Cheat -To make an action on stage look realistic without actually doing what you seem to be doing; e.g. an actor looking towards the audience in the general direction of the person he is talking to, is cheating. Cue An instruction given by the Stage Manager to one of the technical departments to take some action; e.g. LX cue 7 is the seventh instruction in the play to the lighting department. Also used in the sense of the point at which an actor must enter or speak. Curtain Call Taking a bow in front of the audience at the end of a show. Abbreviated to "curtain" or "calls". DSL Down stage left: towards the front of the stage on the left-hand side as you look at the audience. DSR Down stage right. Downstage Towards the audience. Go Up In theatre slang, a show does not start, it "goes up"; i.e. the curtain goes up. Grid The main structure above the stage which supports the flying bars: usually made from steel or, usually in older theatres, wood. Groundrow A battern (qv) placed on the floor of the stage, usually to light a cyclorama (qv). Also occasionally used to mean freestanding scenery, of a low height, running along the back of the stage in front of the back wall or cyclorama. House See FoH. House Manager In charge of everything which happens front of house (FoH (qv)): box office, ushers/usherettes, the bars, cash, etc..

Lighting Designer Responsible for designing, focusing and plotting the lighting for a production. In the professional theatre he is not normally responsible for operating the lighting, although he will usually do that in the amateur theatre. Responsible to the Director, not the Stage Manager. Works in close co-operation with the Designer (qv). Property Master (or Mistress) Responsible for the obtaining and/or construction of the properties (qv). Proscenium The traditional picture frame type of stage, usually with a curtain. Often abbreviated to "pros". That should really be written as it's pronounced - "pross" - but it just looks wrong to me! Proscenium Arch (Or "pros arch"). The actual opening of a proscenium stage.