theatre terms

1. Theater Stages

2. Different types of Staging
Proscenium Arch
Stage within an enclosing archSTAGE
Wings
Wings
Apron
Audience

3. Different types of Staging
Thrust Stage
Audience seated on three
sides of the acting area
Stage
Audience
Audience
Audience

4. Different types of Staging
End On Stage
Audience seated at one
end – acting area at the
other
Audience

5. Different types of Staging
Theatre in the round
Audience seated all around
the acting area
Stage
Audience
Audience
Audience
Audience

6. Different types of Staging
Avenue Stage (also
known as Traverse Stage)
Audience seated on two sides of
the acting area. Seats are often
raked.
Stage
Audience
Audience

7. Different types of Staging
Promenade Theatre
Audience follows the
action on foot, moving
from one location to
another.
Stage
Stage
Stage

8. Theatre Stages
•You have now revised your knowledge of the different
types of staging.
•We will work our way through the following slides and
write down your answers to the given definitions. You can
check your answers at the end.
•At the end you will find some types of stage and theatre
stage revision questions to complete.

9. Theatre Stage Vocabulary
What is the term given to the part of the
stage in front of the curtain?
Apron

10. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What name is given to the areas of seating
above the stalls?
Balcony

11. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What name is given to the area for the
audience, generally filled with seats?
House
Sometimes called the
Auditorium

12. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What term is given to any job in the theatre
which involves dealing with the audience
e.g. box office, refreshments, usher?
Front of
House

13. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to the non-acting
area behind the stage?
Backstage

14. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to the area of
seating above the stalls and below the
balcony?
Dress
Circle

15. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to the canvas cloth
which covers the back of the stage: can be
lit?
Cyclorama

16. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to the area above
the stage from where scenery/actors are
flown in on pulleys ?
Flies

17. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to the drapes which
curtain off the sides, or back, of the stage?
Generic term: Blacks
Teasers
Legs
Borders

18. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to the area in which
actors wait when not on stage during a
performance?
Green room

19. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to the back white
drop which can be lit?
Cyclorama

20. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the term given to the side of the
stage where prompter and stage manager sit
during performance?
Stage Manager’s
stations

21. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name for the see-through
material which cannot be seen through
when lit from the front, but can be seen
through when lit from behind?
Click HERE to see some examples of this.
Skrim

22. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name for
stage fireworks?
Pyrotechnics

23. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the term for a piece of scenery on
wheels for ease of movement?
Wagons

24. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to a stage which
turns in a circle?
Revolving Stage

25. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the term given to the sides of a
theatre stage?
Wings

26. Theatre Stage Vocabulary Revision
What is the name given to a
door in a floor?
Trapdoor

27. Revision Questions
Now you have revised your
knowledge of the different types of
staging and the Theatre Stage
vocabulary, answer the following
questions on paper or on WORD
and email to your teacher. Choose
either General or Credit level.

28. General Level Revision Questions
1. Take ‘Theatre in the round’, ‘Thrust Stage’ and a ‘Proscenium Arch’
stage in turn and say what you would consider to be the advantages
and disadvantages of using each of these types of staging for a
performance.
2. Think of a recent stimulus drama. What would have been the ideal
venue and target audience for your drama? Say why.
3. Draw the stage, marking the audience position clearly for this
IDEAL venue. Use slides two to seven to help you.
4. Imagine you have to design a Backcloth for the scenery of a play set
in a busy street. Outline what ideas you would have and why these
would help set this scene.
5. Can you think of two reasons why having stage Wings would be
useful during a performance?

29. Credit Level Revision Questions
1. Take each type of staging and write down the advantages and
disadvantages of using this type of stage for a performance.
2. Think of a recent stimulus drama. What would you choose as the
ideal venue for this performance? Give reasons why.
3. Click HERE or visit the site to try the 2009 SQA Credit Past Paper
question number four, which asks about the staging and seating
arrangements in a Theatre. If you are unsure go back through the
slides.
4. Give reasons why you think using a Revolving stage would be
effective for a performance.
5. Write down your design ideas for using either a Gauze, backcloth
or Cyclorama for a performance which is set in a Graveyard.
Explain your choice.
6. Give an example of a performance you have either seen or created
where you could have used Flies?

30. Well Done
You have now completed revision on Staging and Theatre Stage vocabulary.
NOW evaluate your understanding:
If you require more help inform your teacher and refer to the ‘Body of
Knowledge.’
Red- still struggling
Amber -
understand some
of this revision
Green- fully
understand