TheatreFix - Theatre Jargon

Here are a few words which you may have heard of, but may not know the real meaning of:

Assistant Director Helps the director in a variety of roles which may include arranging and taking some rehearsals.

Assistant Stage Manager Ensures props are in the right place at the right time. They may also do some cues during the show which have props or other onstage effects involved. ASMs will often be in close contact with the cast as they will have become familiar during the rehearsal period.

Balcony Present in some theatres, this is the highest level of seating for theatre-goers, normally above the dress circle and upper circle.

Beginners Cast members who are on-stage when the curtain goes up.

Blocking The arranging of the cast's positions and direction which takes place at the beginning of rehearsals.

Book A copy of the script, which includes all cues and notes.

Box A small area separate from the main auditorium where small groups can watch the show from. Although you get more space, the views you get from them are often restricted.

Box Office The place in the theatre, normally in the foyer, where tickets are sold and in many cases collected.

Cobo This is an abbreviation for 'Care of Box Office' which is used when describing where tickets may be collected.

Company Manager Responsible for everything that happens off-stage such as cast welfare and logistics.

Critic Journalist who will watch and write reviews on shows for their publications.

Curtain Call When the cast bow to the audience at the end of a performance. In most productions, main characters will have their own bows before the main ensemble bows.

Director Responsible for all areas of the production. Most decisions such as staging, design, music etc are made through the director.

Downstage Towards the audience.

Dress Circle A section of seats in a theatre or opera house, usually the first tier above the orchestra.

Entr'acte An 'overture' played at the start of the second part or act of a performance. Can be used to describe any music played in the interval.

First Night The opening night of a production, which can also be called the 'Press Night'. The audience normally consists of people connected with the show such as producers, marketing agencies and contractors, as well as the critics.

Front of House (FOH) Any part of the theatre in front of the arch above the stage. This includes foyer areas open to the public.

Foyer Area at the entrance to the theatre where there is normally the Box Office and the bar area for people watching the show from the stalls.

Green Room A room normally close to the stage where actors can meet and relax, sometimes before going onstage to perform.

House Lights Auditorium lighting which is faded out when performances start.

Interval Break between sections of the performance. There are sometimes more than one interval during the course of a performance.

Lighting Designer Member of the creative team for a production responsible for the lighting. They liaise with the director, set designer and costume designer about intended styles and then decide on the way the lighting is to be set up.

Marketing Promotion of the production normally undertaken by an external marketing company.

Matinee Afternoon performance of a show. In the West End there are normally two matinees during a week for performances; on a Saturday afternoon and another afternoon during the week.

Mr Sands Code warning theatre employees of a fire without frightening the audience.

Musical Director (MD) Responsible for any music in a production, ultimately reporting to the director. Rehearses all musical aspects of the production, conducts the band, and may also arrange the music too.

Notes Instructions given to the cast by the director following a rehearsal run giving recommendations and instructions that are intended to improve the production.

Pit A sunken area in front of the stage in which the orchestra sits. Some productions have changed where the band sit, such as Chicago where the band are situated on-stage.

Preview Many shows have previews before they open officially. These are performances which are used to gauge the audience reaction throughout the production. Changes to the production are often made as a result of the previews. The recorded first night is also called the press night, when members of the media are invited to review the show.

Producer The person who makes the production viable. Responsibilities include finding finance, and generally providing support in which the director may need assistance. The producer needs to be business-minded and also able to spot a good show early on in development.

Rake This is the term for the auditorium floors being higher further away from the stage and lower closer the stage. Auditoriums are raked to ensure better views for all audience members. Raking used to occur to the stage, however, most occurs in the auditorium nowadays.

Reprise The repetition of all or part of a song which has already been performed during the show.

Run Either a sequence of performances of the same production or a run through of a show in rehearsals.

Stage Door The entrance to the theatre for anyone involved in the show. It is usually situated towards the rear of the theatre.

Stage Manager (SM) In charge of anything that happens backstage once the show starts its run. They would normally make notes on each performance and notify the cast to improve the show.

Stalls The lowest level of seating for the audience, normally just below the stage. Many of these seats are top price.

Swing A performing member of the production who is able to take over almost any part in the production at a moment's notice. This may include lead roles too.

Understudy A performer who learns the part of a main character and is able to perform that role when required.

Upper Circle The second tier of seats in a theatre. This is the tier above the dress circle.

Wings The sides of the stage that are out of sight of the audience, where the cast stand before going onstage and where props are situated before being brought onstage.