Glossary of Theatre Terms (A-C)

A Glossary of Theatre Terms (A-C)

Above the title	In advertisements, when the performer's name appears before the title of the show or play. Reserved for the big stars!
Amplifier	Sound term. A piece of equipment which ampilifies or increases the sound captured by a microphone or replayed from record, CD or tape. Each loudspeaker needs a separate amplifier. Usually abbreviated to "amp", which is not to be confused with the measurement of electrical power.
Apron	In a traditional theatre, the part of the stage which projects in front of the curtain. In many theatres this can be extended, sometimes by building out over the pit (qv).
Assistant Director	Assists the Director (qv). In many ways the job varies according to the director and the assistant, but it may involve taking some rehearsals, arranging rehearsal calls...
Assistant Stage Manager	(ASM) Generally deals with props and will do certain cues during the show that are specifically to do with props, onstage effects and so on. ASMs tend to do cues that involve more direct contact with the cast because the cast will know them from the rehearsal period.
Auditorium	The part of the theatre in which the audience sits. Also known as the House.
Aux	Abbreviation for auxiliary: an output on a sound mixing desk which sends a signal to an exterior unit, such as a signal processor (qv).
Auxiliary Return	An input on a sound mixing desk through which the signal is returned to the mix (qv) after processing by an exterior unit, such as a signal processor (qv).
Backing Flat	A flat (qv) which stands behind a window or door in the set (qv).
Banjo	Not the musical instrument! A rail along which a curtain runs.
Bar	An aluminium pipe suspended over the stage on which lanterns are hung. These are usually designated either FoH (front of house) bars or onstage bars. They will normally be further referred to as no. 1 bar, no. 2 bar, etc. Also the place where you will find actors after the show - the stage crew will still be working!
Barn Door	An arrangement of four metal leaves placed in front of the lenses of fresnel spotlights (qv) to control the shape of the light beam.
Bass Cab	(Cab = cabinet) Loudspeakers (qv) which relay only low frequencies.
Bastard Prompt	See Corner.
Battern	A long row of floodlights (qv), wired as three or four circuits.
Beamlight	Lighting term: a type of lantern which produces a parallel beam of light. In construction rather like a car headlamp, being a sealed-beam unit. Also known as a parcan or parblazer.
Beam Spread	Lighting term: the area that the beam from a given lantern covers. It is usually expressed as the angle that the beam subtends at the focal plane: the smaller the angle, the narrower the beam. For example, a 16-30 profile spot will have a beam spread varying from 16° to 30°.
Beginners	Those members of the cast who are on-stage when the curtain goes up. The call (qv) "Overture and beginners" is a signal to the orchestra to start the introductory music and to the cast to get into position on-stage.
Blackout	Lighting term: switching all lights out at once, leaving the stage in complete darkness. See also DBO.
Blacklight	Ultra-violet light. Can be in bulb or, more usually, tube form.
Blacks	Black curtains at the back and sides of the stage. Also ther black clothing worn by stage crew so that they don't attract attention to themselves during scene changes when house tabs are either not used or not there!
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.
Board	Another name for a control desk, either lighting (most usually) or sound.
Book (The)	A copy of the script, kept by the Deputy Stage Manager, which includes all cues (qv) and notes. Also known as the "prompt copy."
Boundary Zone Mics	A type of condenser mic (qv), usually on the floor of the stage at the front, which picks up everything happening onstage but able to filter out low frequencies, such as thsoe produced by footsteps.
Box Office	The place where the tickets are sold. Occasionally used colloquially to mean the size of the audience ("What's the box office like tonight?"). Often abbreviated to box.
Box Set	A set (qv) which consists of three walls, around a proscenium arch (qv) stage. The proscenium opening is the fourth wall. Also known as a "room set".
Break	A movement made by an actor, when the direction of travel is changed: i.e. the actor breaks down left, makes a sudden movement donstage left.
Build	Lighting term: the gradual increasing of brightness, as, for example, in a song the brightness might build from 80% to full by the end.
Call	Generally, some sort of instruction to the company: a rehearsal call is an instruction to attend a rehearsal at a particular time; time calls are given just before each performance ("Ladies and gentlemen, this is your thirty minute call"); treasury call is pay day in the professional theatre. Note that time calls are all related to the "Beginniners" call, not to the actual time of starting the show. In other words, the 30 minute call is given 30 minutes before "Orchestra & Beginners" is called, or 35 minutes before the curtain goes up.
Cans	Headphones
Cardioid	A type of microphone which picks up sound in a heart-shaped (hence "cardioid") area in front of it.
Cast	The list of characters in a play and the actors who play them. Also, as a verb, to allocate parts to members of a company.
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.
Check	Lighting term: to lower the brightness of a lantern (qv) to zero. Synonyms are "fade out", "fade down" and "fade to blackout".
Chief Electrician	(Usually abbreviated to Chief LX) He is head of the department which is responsible for the maintenance and rigging of the lighting, and the operation of the lighting plot. In act, he is usually responsible for the maintenance and repair of anything electrical in the theatre, from the stage lighting to the light in the gent's toilet! His crew are variously known as LX, electrical daymen, electrics crew, etc..
Choreographer	Devises and rehearses the dance routines, following the concept laid down by the Director (qv).
Cinemoid	A (now discontinued) brand name for a lighting gel or filter. Still used by old-timers (like me!) generically.
Clip	Some sound mixing desks allow certain sound intensities to be "clipped" (reduced below a pre-set level) to avoid distortion.
Cloth	Backdrop scenery painted on fabric. Cloths can be on a banjo (qv) (usually in the amateur theatre), can be rolled up, or can be flown (qv).
Colour Changer	A remotely controlled means of changing a coloured filter over the lens of a lantern. There are three kinds: a wheel with three or four lens-sized holes into which different coloured gells can be slipped, a semaphore (like the old- fashioned railway signals) and a scroller which uses continuous, usually dichroic, filters. Scrollers (qv) are the preferred option in the modern theatre.
Colour Frame	A frame which fits over the front of a lantern to held a coloured filter or gel. They can be made from metal (preferred) or a kind of cardboard.
Come down	In the theatre, a show does not finish; it comes down, i.e. the curtain "comes down" to end the show.
Company Manager	While the stage manager deals with what happens on stage, the company manager's job is to look after everything that happens off-stage.
Compresser /Limiter	An electronic unit which compresses and limits the frequency range of the sounds passing through it, usually to avoid distortion when the sound is reproduced.
Condenser Mic	A type of microphone which requires power (either battery or, more usually, phantom power (qv)) to run it. Condenser mics are generally more sensitive than dynamics (qv) and are more usually used for recording than for stage. However, because of their sensitivity, they do have some stage uses (see Boundary Zone Mics, PZM, shotgun mics).
Corner	Short for the "prompt corner"; the place from which the Deputy Stage Manager controls the show. From here he has communication links to all parts of the the theatre and gives cues (qv) to all departments. The corner can be on either side of the stage but traditionally it is on the left (i.e. the prompt) side. Perversely some theatres have the prompt corner on the "opposite prompt" (OP) side of the stage! This is often known as a "bastard prompt". The person who is operating the corner is sometimes said to be "in the corner" and sometimes "on the book".
Corpse	Not a dead body in a thriller! An actor who gets an unintended and uncontrollable fit of laughter on stage is said to "corpse".
Counterweight	A method of flying (qv) in which weights are used to balance the load being carried on the wire fly lines, so that brute strength is not needed by the flyman (qv)
Cross Fade	Lighting term: fading one lantern (or group of lanterns) up while fading another down.
Crossover	Sound: a unit which splits sound into different frequency ranges for sending to different types of loudspeaker (qv). Stage: the area between the cyclorama (qv) or back wall of a set (qv) and the back wall of the stage, which enables actors and stage crew to cross from one side to the other.
CSI	Compact Source Iodide: a type of discharge lamp, usually used in follow-spots, which, although very small (often no bigger than a finger nail), gives a very bright, white light. A 2K CSI lamp will give the same power as a 5K tungsten. These are, needless to say, very expensive.
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".
Cut-out	A free-standing piece of scenery, e.g.a tree, cut out of board into the correct shape and painted.
Cyclorama	Also known as a cyc. Normally a very large piece of white fabric, tensioned on two or more sides, which covers the entire back wall of the stage. It can be lit in various colours or have slides or gobos (qv) projected onto it. Some theatres - the Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford, for example - have plaster cycs.

 
A Glossary of Theatre Terms (D-F)

DAT	Sound recording term: digital audio tape. A very high quality audio recording method in which sound is digitally recorded on tape (often video S-VHS tapes are used). Now generally superceded by CD or mini-disk.
DBO	Lighting term. Dead blackout: a sudden, instantaneous switching off of all lights.
DI Box	Direct Injection Box. A means of taking a sound signal straight from an electronic instrument, such as an electric guitar, to the mixer of a sound system. The instrument is plugged into a jack socket in a small box which is connected to the mixer.
DMX	A protocol for sending instructions to dimmers (qv) or intelligent lights (qv) from a lighting control desk. There are a number of different DMX protocols but the most used in modern theatre is DMX-512. The path taken by a DMX instruction is called a channel.
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.
Decibel	A measurement of sound intensity. It is not an absolute measure, but measures differing levels relative to each other. Can also be used to measure electrical power. It is a logarithmic measure, with an increase of three decibels indicating a doubling of intensity. A difference of 10dB means the sound is ten times the original, whereas a difference of a million times would be just 60dB!
Deputy Stage Manager	(DSM) The deputy to the Stage Manager (qv). He usually sits on the book (qv) and is therefore responsible for the minute by minute running of the show.
Designer	Designs all aspects of the production: set, costumes, wigs, make-up etc., unless there are separate designers for costumes, wigs etc.. Not, however, usually responsible for lighting design, although he will work closely with the Lighting Designer (qv).
Desk	See "Board"
Die	A production is said to die if it fails to please the public and so is taken off. In the much less polite circles of the variety world, a show or act which fails to draw applause is said to "die on its arse".
Dimmer	A piece of equipment for varying the amount of electricity sent to a lantern, thus varying its brightness. Sometimes (inaccurately) used for the fader which controls the dimmer. Originally dimmers were variable resistors but now are either thyristors or triacs, i.e. they work electronically rather than by physically moving a resistor along a coil of wire. The verb "to dim" can be used to mean increase ("dim up") or reduce ("dim down") the amount of light, or even switch it off entirely ("dim out"). Modern dimmers are digital, not analogue, which means that there is greater control over lamp brightness. Digital dimmers have 256 levels, from 0 (out) to 256 (full brightness).
Dips	Electrical sockets set into the floor of either the stage or the wings (qv), and, usually, covered by little trapdoors. Usually used for lanterns (qv) on stands, but can also power other equipment such as smoke machines.
Director	In control of all aspects of the production.(S)he develops the concept of the production, briefs the designer and lighting designer, plots the actor's moves, rehearses the actors, etc. etc. etc.. Each of these, of course, has his/her own creative input and wise directors (and the best are very wise!) listens carefully to what they have to say. At the end of the day, however, the final word goes to the director.
Doubling	One actor taking more than one part in a play.
Downstage	Towards the audience.
Dramaturg	(Pronounced drama-turj) A person who works alongside writers to develop their plays for performance. Although not necessarily a writer him/herself, a dramaturg is skilled in knowing what will or will not work on stage. Performs much the same function as a publisher's editor.
Dress	Abbreviation for Dress Rehearsal: the rehearsal immediately before the first night when all costumes, technical effects, props etc. are used, often for the first time. As close to an actual performance as it is possible to be without an audience present.
Dresser	One whose job it is to help an actor (or actors) in quick changes of costume. They also (I am told by one who has been one) often do laundry and ironing and starching and pressing and steaming for hours, and hours, and hours. They sew on buttons, mend torn clothing, remove stage-blood stains, polish boots, hang up costumes at the end of the evening when the actor has run off to the pub. They also fetch sandwiches in the interval, offer comfort and reassurance, run to the shops for their actors between shows so the actors can have a lie down. Dressers make a lot of tea and coffee, too.
Dry	Verb: an actor who forgets his words is said to "dry". Can also be used as a noun.
Dry Ice	Frozen carbon dioxide which remains frozen for a long time at normal room temperature. When hot water is added it produces a heavy, cool "steam" which clings to the floor of the stage. Used to suggest fog: frequently used in horror stories!
Dry Sound	Term used to describe the sound which is input into a signal processor (qv), before processing. The processed sound is known as wet sound.
Dynamic Mic	The usual vocalist's microphone: rugged and able to take heavy use (and even heavy knocks!). Mainly used very close to the mouth. The movement of a rubber diaphragm produces a small electric current which is carried back to the mixer/amplifier (qv).
Effects Spot	A spotlight (qv) which projects a slide, or a still or moving picture, i.e. of rain or clouds, onto the stage or, more usually, the cyclorama.
EQ	Abbreviation of Graphic Equaliser (qv). Can also be used as a verb
Fade	Sound and lighting term: to increase (fade up), decrease (fade down) or eliminate (fade out) gradually the brightness of a lantern or the volume of a sound.
Fader	Part of a lighting or sound desk: by moving a fader up, the volume of the sound or intensity of the light is increased. Comversely, moving it down decreases voluem or intensity.
Feedback	An unwanted sound which is produced by the sound from a loudspeaker feeding into a mic and then back through the loudspeaker, creating a loop. It is a very unpleasant sound, sometimes - very appropriately - known howlround. One who knows adds this: also what you get from your friends and family after the performance, when all you really want to do is have a drink and then go home to bed.
Fit up	Not something done by the police (allegedly!), but actually building up the set (qv) on-stage.
Flash Button	Many lighting desks have a series of buttons to which indidiual channels (or groups of channels) can be allocated. When the button is pressed, the lanterns on those channels flash on.
Flat	An oblong frame of timber, covered with either canvas or hardboard and painted, which forms part of the set. There are also door flats, window flats, even fireplace flats. Canvas flats, being lighter and easier to move around, are the preferred option, but schools and touring companies often go for hardboard-covered flats which are more hardwearing.
Flight Case	A protective case for transporting delecate electronic gear. The larger flight cases are on castors for ease of movement.
Floats	A rather old-fashioned term for Footlights (qv).
Flood	A floodlight: a lantern which gives a wide-spreading, unfocused beam of light. These can be symmetric (i.e. casting the light equally in all directions) or asymmetric (casting it more in one direction than the others). The symmetric flood is probably the cheapest stage lantern - and the least useful!
Fly	Verb: scenery which is raised into the roof (flown out) or lowered on the stage (flown in). The apparatus for doing this consists of a series of ropes and pulleys in the "fly tower" (a very high roof space) and they raise or lower the scenery by means of a counterweight system or by directly pulling on "hemp lines". The men who operate the "flies" are called "flymen" and the area in which they work is called the "fly floor" of, quite simply, the "flies". People can also be flown (as in every production of Peter Pan) in a harness.
Focus	Verb used in lighting: to point the lanterns (qv) in the right direction and set the correct beam-spread and edge.
FoH	Front of House: anything which happens on the audience side of the curtain is said to happen "front of house". The term "the house" is used to mean either the auditorium, or the audience ("We had a good house tonight"), or even the theatre itself. The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, is also known as "The House" (with capital letters, of course!).
Foldback	The process of returning the amplified sound to the stage so that the performers can hear themselves. Rarely used in straight plays: essential for musical work of all kinds. Special foldback monitors are needed which much less likely to feed into the mics to produce feedback (qv).
Follow-spot	A type of profile (qv) spotlight (qv) with an irs diaphragm and a handle so that it can be used to follow a performer around the stage in a beam of light of exactly the right size. Traditionally called a "lime": hence the term "being in the limelight". These produce a very bright beam of light which is more powerful than that produced by any other lanterns. Modern limes almost always use CSI lamps (qv).
Footlights	A series of floodlights (qv) placed on the stage floor along the front of the stage. Traditional in variety theatres, foots are nowadays rarely used. Also known as "floats".
French Brace	A means of suppporting a flat (qv)
French Flat	A flat (qv) which is flown in on a bar. Also known as a French or a Frenchman.
Frequency	The rate per second of a vibrating wave, such as a sound wave. The higher the frequency, the higher the sound. Frequency is measured in hertz or kilohertz (1,000 hertz) (as are radio frequencies).
Fresnel	A kind of spotlight (qv) in which the light is concentrated by a fresnel lens (a lens with concentric ridged rings). Projects a variable angle soft-edged beam. Sometimes called a frênel and given the French pronunciation.
FX	Effects: usually sound effects in the theatre but can also refer to pyrotchnics (qv). In film, usually refers to visual (i.e. computer generated) effects.

 
A Glossary of Theatre Terms (G-I)

Gaffa Tape	(Sometimes in the US called duct tape) A fabric-based sticky tape (black or silver in colour) which is used to fasten down cables temporarily and for 1001 other uses in theatre. Its big advantage is that, although it adheres firmly to most surfaces, it can be removed without causing any damage to the surface, unlike, for example, sellotape. Utterly invaluable!
Gain	A kind of rough sensititivy control for an incoming sound channel on a mixer.
Gate	The focal plane of a profile spot (qv) into which gobos (qv) and iris diaphragms can be placed.
Gauze	A loosely-woven cloth (qv) on which a scene can be painted. When lit from the front, it is opaque and only the painted scene is seen; when lit from behind, however, it becomes transparent. Commonly used in pantomime. There are different kinds of gauzes, but the one used for the effect mentioned is shark's tooth gauze. The American term is Scrim.
G-clamp	Used for fastening lanterns to a bar. A G-shaped piece of metal with a screw throught the bar of the G which clamps to the lighting bar.
Gel	A filter placed over the front of a lantern to change the colour of the light.
Genie	Proprietry name for a motorised tallescope (qv).
Get Out	(Not what the director says when he fires you. Well, not only that!) A touring theatre term: "getting out" the scenery, props etc. from the theatre onto the transport. The opposite (remarkably enough!) is the "get in". Used as both noun and verb. The phrase Get Out nowadays also includes actually dismantling the set which, at one time, was known as striking the set.
Gobo	A piece of metal or glass, which fits into the gate of a profile spot (qv) and projects a pattern onto the set. Gobos can be very complex. They are first fitted into a gobo holder. Holders vary in size (each type of lantern requires a different size), although the gobos themselves are of a standard size. Most basic gobos are made of metal but very complex patterns can be created on glass gobos. Modern intelligent lights (qv) such as the Macs (qv) have a number of built-in gobos.
Go Up	In theatre slang, a show does not start, it "goes up"; i.e. the curtain goes up.
Grams	A term little used nowadays, it originated (I think!) in radio. It means sound equipment and/or the sound department (from - obviously! - gramophone).
Grand Master	The master fader on a lighting control desk which controls all the other faders. No matter what position the other faders are in, if the Grand Master is set to zero, they do not function. If another fader is set to 50% and the GM is at 100%, then the lanterns controlled by that fader will be at 50%; if the GM is set at 50%, then the other fader's lanterns will be at 25%.
Graphic Equaliser	Or EQ. A unit which cuts or boosts sounds in a particular frequency range. The equivalent on domestic equipment is a tone control. Most graphic equalisers have sliders to control 32 distinct frequency bands and there will be two sets of sliders, one for each stereo channel. As a verb, to EQ means to set the equalisation to produce the best and clearest sound for a particular venue.
Greenroom	A room backstage, occasionally licensed, in which the company can sit and relax before, during or after a show. There'll always be a kettle there, if nothing else! Not as common as they used to be.
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.
Half (The)	Half an hour before the first actors are due on stage (i.e. 35 minutes before the show begins). All actors must be in their dressing rooms by the Half. Traditionally the audience is allowed into the auditorium at that point. Traditionally too, the House Manager blows a whistle in the auditorium to announce the Half.
Header	A type of flat that tops off the scenery (usually flown).
Hemp	Or hemp lines. A methiod of flying (qv) using rope (hemp) and sheer strength
Hertz	A unit of measurement of frequency (qv)
Horn	A type of loudspeaker (qv), used for mid to high frequency sounds. Musicans also use the term to refer to their instruments (usually brass instruments but occasionally woodwind too).
House	See FoH.
House Manager	In charge of everything which happens front of house (FoH (qv)): box office, ushers/usherettes, the bars, cash, etc..
House Tabs	The curtains across the front of the stage.
Howlround	See feedback
Induction Loop	See Loop
Ingenue	Old fashioned term for the female juvenile lead.
Insert	A way of inserting sound into a mix whilst by-passing some of the controls.
Instrument	An American term for lantern (qv), what in domestic terms we mean by the word "light".
Intelligent Lights	Lanterns which can move, change focus and colour, insert gobos (qv), by remote control from the lighting desk. Very useful, but they use a large number of DMX (qv) channels.
Iron	The safety curtain (qv).

 
A Glossary of Theatre Terms (J-L)

Jack	A type of connector used in sound equipment; sometimes called a phone jack. There are two types, mono and stereo, found in two sizes (standard: 6.3mm and mini: 3.5mm). At one time most sound equipment used standard jacks, but now they are usually only used on line-level (qv) gear: microphones normally have XLR (qv) connectors.
Juve	Abbreviation for Juvenile Lead: the young male main part.
KW	Sometimes in lower case: kw, or abbreviated to k. Kilowatt (= 1,000 watts): the power (and therefore brightness) or a lamp. Also used for the power of an electric motor or heating element.
Ladders	High stands for hanging lanterns at the side of the stage. Not for climbing!
Lamp	In the theatre, the bulb which is fitted to what, in normal use, we call a light, is referred to as a lamp.
Lamp Round	The daily (usually) check of all lanterns and other lights in a theatre to make sure that lamps (bulbs) do not need replacing.
Lantern	What in normal English we call a light, in the theatre is called a lantern. Actually, it's a slightly old-fashioned expression: luminaire is used more often nowadays, whereas some prefer the American term instrument.
Lavalier	A type of (usually radio) mic, often called a tie-clip although they are probably best concealed above the hairline or behind the ear.
Left	Stage left, or the LHS as you face the audience. Also called the Prompt Side or PS.
Legs	Curtains used to cover the wings (qv).
Leko	American term for a profile spot (qv). Originally a brand name.
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).
Lime	See Follow Spot. Lime is an old-fashioned word, going back to the earliest days of stage lighting.
Line level	Sound term, referring to non-microphone inputs: CD, tape, MIDI, mini-disk, instruments
Loop	Or induction loop. A means of providing a direct feed of sound to a hearing aid.
Loudspeaker	The part of a sound system which produces the sound and "throws" it out to the audience. There are a number of kinds of speaker (as they are usually called): tweeters (qv), horns (qv), bass cabs (qv).
Luminaire	The more modern term for Lantern (qv). Also known by the US term instrument
LX	Electrics. The title is given to the lighting department, and the Chief Electrician is known as the Chief LX.

 
A Glossary of Theatre Terms (M-O)

Mac	Manufacturer's name for one of the most used intelligent lights (qv).
Maroon	An electrically fired thunderflash, set off in a steel tank fitted with a wire mesh top, to simulate an explosion. These are so loud that it is as well to inform the police in advance if one is to be set off (and at what time), so that they can be ready to deal with hundeds of reports of bombs going off!
Mask	To hide: an actor masks another when he stands in front of him and prevents the audience from seeing him properly. Note: if this happens by accident during a performance, the upstage person (i.e. the one being masked) should move, as (s)he is more likely to notice what has happened than the actor who is doing the masking. Also a noun: fabric hiding a row of lanterns hung above the stage (also known, probably more commmonly nowadays, as a border).
Microphone	Usually shortened to mic. An instrument which collects live sound and coverts it to electrical impulses which are then input into a mixer/amplifier.
MIDI	Musical Instrument Digital Interface. A protocol for linking electronic instruments such as keyboards to a computer or a sound control system.
Mix, The	The name given to the result when a mixer (qv) mixes together incoming sounds from a variety of sources.
Mixer	Or Mixing Desk. A device for mixing together and modifying sounds from a variety of sources - microphones, tapes, CDs, musical instruments, etc. - before feeding them to one or more amplifiers. There are also Powered Mixers which inlcude one or more built-in amplifiers.
Mr Sands	Theatrical code to warn theatre employees of a fire without frightening the audience. "Mr Sands is in the foyer" means that fire has broken out in the foyer.
Monitor	A special kind of loudspeaker which is used to monitor the sound (either onstage or in the lighting/sound box) and not to relay it to the audience.
Multi	See multicore
Multicore	A type of cable which contains (normally) six ways of power to a lighting bar. Can also be used in sound and, indeed, to refer to any cable which carries more than three ways.
Multiplex	A means of sending control signals from a lighting control console to the dimmer packs. Signals are sent down one cable rather than using one cable per channel as is the case with analogue desks. At the dimmer end, a de-multiplexer (DMUX) is used to separate the signals and route them to the right dimmer. Often shortened (in brand names) to MX.
Move Fade	A type of lighting change (cue) in which the brightness of the lanterns already on is changed. Distinct from a cross fade in which one set of lanterns fades down while another set fades up.
Musical Director	(MD) In complete control of the music in the production, under the overall control of the Director. Rehearses the singers and musicians, conducts the orchestra or band, and usually arranges the music too.
Neutric	A type of connector found on sound equipment, usually but not restricted to loudspeakers.
Notes	At the end of each rehearsal, the director will give his notes, which are his comments on the performance.
Number 1 Bar	The lighting bar immediately behind the proscenium arch (qv) or the front bar which hangs over the stage in a non-proscenium arch theatre.
Omnidirectional	A type of microphone which takes in sound coming from all directions.
OP	Opposite prompt: the right hand side of the stage as you face the audience. If the prompt corner (or simply corner (qv)) is on the OP side, it is called a bastard prompt.
Open White	A lantern (qv) is said to be "in open white", i.e. no filter or gel is used to colour or otherwise modify its light.

 
A Glossary of Theatre Terms (P-S)

Pan	One of the controls on a sound mixing desk. It determines where in the stereo image the sound will appear. For example, if the pan control is turned fully left, all the sound will go to the left channel; fully right, all goes to the righ channel. If the pan control is centred, the sound will be equally distributed between both left and right channels.
Paper	Complimentary (i.e. free!) tickets. If someone says, "The house is all paper tonight", it means that most, if not all, of the audience have free tickets.
Parcan	A type of lantern (qv) which projects a near parallel beam of light, much used by rock bands. The lamp is a sealed-beam unit (like car headlights) fitted inside the "can". Available, usually, in 300W or 1kw power, they are sometimes known as parblazers, while lighting manufacturer Strand calls them "beamlights".
Pass Door	In many theatres, a door which leads from the auditorium to the backstage area.
Pebble Convex	A type of spotlight (qv), with a harder-edged beam than a fresnel (qv) but softer than a profile (qv). They have a convex lens with a pebbled rear surface. Strand call their PC lanterns "prism convex".
Perch	A place for hanging lanterns, on the side wall of the auditorium. They put people (with followspots) up there sometimes too!
Per Diems	Very important to actors: the daily expenses paid on tour.
Phantom Power	A means of powering condenser microphones. A current of (usually) 48 volts is sent along the mic cable from the mixing desk or, where the mixer does not have phantom power facilities, from a phantom power box, into which the mic is plugged and which, in turn, plugs into the mixer. Phantom power can only be used when the connectors are XLR (qv)
Phase Coherent Cardioid	A type of mic which works in a similar way to a Boundary Zone Mic (qv) but more efficiently.
Phono Plug	A type of connector used on some sound equipment, usually domestic HiFi or video gear.
Pin Spot	Either a small (usually 100W) spotlight used for special effects (i.e. with a mirror ball) or, more usually in the theatre, a follow-spot with its iris diaphragm closed to its smallest diameter to illuminate, for instance, just a face.
Pit	The sunken area in front of the stage in which the orchestra sits.
Plot	Lighting term: the actual brightness settings of each lantern and the LX cues. Also used to describe the process of setting the cues. Can also be used as an alternative for "blocking", i.e. setting the actors in their positions on-stage at an early stage in rehearsal.
Powered Mixer	A mixer (qv) and an amplifier (qv) in one unit
Pressure Zone Mic	Another term for a Boundary Zone Mic (qv), usually abbreviated to PZM
Practical	Adjective used to describe properties or scenery which have to work as in real life when used; e.g. a practical ceiling light must actually light up when switched on by an actor. Abbreviates to prac.
Preset	The ability, on a manual lighting control desk (as opposed to one which is computer-controlled) to set up a lighting cue before it is actually operated. Also the lighting state on a stage before the show actually starts. Most manual desks have two presets: each has a fader for each channel and another to fade the whole preset up or down. Using a two preset desk, it is possible to set the next cue on the unused fader and, when the time comes, the two can be crossfaded by moving the masterfaders. Some preset desks have a timer which can be set to control the speed of the crossfade.
Preview	Many shows (especially in the West End) have previews before they open officially. These are performances which are essentially try-outs in front of an audience. Changes to script, performances and all other aspects of the show can be (and often are) made during previews. The actual first night is designated the press night, when press critics are allowed in to review the show.
Prism Convex	Another name for a Pebble Convex spotlight.
Producer	In amateur companies usually synonymous with the Director, but in the professional theatre the person who makes all the necessary arrangements for the production to be put on: finding the finance, smoothing the way for the Director. Almost the equivalent of the Business Manager. The best producers (the best known is probably Cameron Mackintosh, who produced Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and many other great hits) has the genius to recognise a potentially great piece of theatre as well as find the finance for it to be put on.
Profile	A type of spotlight (qv), with an optical system rather like a projector which produces a narrow, hard-edged beam of light.
Prompt Side	The left side of the stage, as you face the audience. Traditionally the side of the stage on which the prompt corner (or simply corner (qv)) is situated.
Prompt Copy	See Book. The copy of the script in which all notes, moves, cues etc. are noted.
Prompter	Amateur companies almost always have a prompter, someone who sits in the wings (qv) and prompts the actors if they forget their lines. There is no such position in the professional theatre - pros should not forget lines! Neither should amateurs, for that matter, but it happens - so, if a prompt is needed, it is given by whoever is "on the book".
Properties	Small items (a sword in an historical play, for instance, or a briefcase) which actors carry onto or around the stage. Also used loosely for "set dressing" (qv). Usually abbreviated to props.
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.
Pyropot	A safe container into which a pyro (see Pyrotechnics) charge is plugged for firing electronically.
Pyrotechnics	Usually abbreviated to "pyro". The use of explosions, flashes, smoke, etc. on-stage. Note: pyrotechnics need extemely careful handling and pyropots etc. should always be disconnected from the power supply when they are being loaded. There are strict legal and Health and Safety rules about the handling and storage of pyro.
Rack	A rack into which permanent equipment is bolted, eg. dimmers, amplifier and other sound equipment, etc. The unit of measurement of the height of a rack is 1.75 inches (44.45mm). Oddly a 1RU rack is 19 inches high, a 2RU 38 inches, and so on.
Radio Mic	Also known as a wireless mic. A mic which incorporates a small radio transmitter which sends its signal to a receiver which is attached to a mixer. This does away with the need for trailing cables. Note that only certain radio frequencies can be used without a licence.
Rake	Many stage floors, usually in theatres built for dance or variety, are higher at the back than at the front, to give the audience a better view. These stages are said to be "raked", and the "rake" is the angle of slope from back to front. In most modern theatres it is the audience seating that is raked, not the stage.
Reprise	Musical term: to repeat, in whole or in part, a song which has already been sung in the show.
Reverb	An effect which a signal processor (qv) can add to a sound: the reverberation of a sound which varies according to the size of the room.
Revolve	A stage or, more usually, part of a stage (usually circular), which can revolve through 360 degrees. The most famous, to older UK TV watchers, is the revolve which was used at the end of the TV show Sunday Night at the London Palladium.
Rig	A lighting term. To set the lanterns in position. As a noun, its refers to the entirety of the lanterns on the show..
Rigger	A small console (which nowadays can be hand-held) for operating lights during focusing
Right	The right hand side of the stage as you look at the audience. Also known as the "opposite prompt" or "OP" side.
Rostrum	(Plural: rostra) A platform, whether moveable or fixed.
RU	See rack
Safety Chain/Bond	A metal chain or wire used as a backup to prevent a luminaire from falling from the lighting rig if the clamp fails.
Safety Curtain	A curtain of fireproofed material (once upon a time it was asbestos), usually with a metal frame, which is covers the entire proscenium (qv) opening and acts as a firebreak between the stage and the auditorium. Known as the "iron", when it is raised or lowered, the theatrical term is "Iron going in (or out)". In many theatres it also serves as a screen on which advertising can be projected during the interval!
Scene Dock	Backstage area for storing scenery (and loads of other things too!).
Scroller	A device placed in front of a lantern which allows the colour of the light to be changed remotely. Scrollers usually consist of a roll of gels which scroll in front of the lens on receiving a DMX (qv) command.
Segue	(Pronounced seg-way) Musical term for when one tune moves seamlessly into another.
Set	The scenery for a particular show or individual scene.
Set Dressing	Items on a set which are not actually used by anyone but which make it look more realistic (e.g. curtains over a window, a bowl of flowers on a table, and so on).
Shotgun Mic	A type of condenser mic (qv) which is designed to pick up sounds from a distance. Also known as a rifle mic (because of its long barrel) or hypercardioid (because of the narrowness of its pick-up range).
Sightlines	The area of the stage which can be seen by everyone seated in the auditorium. In some (badly designed!) theatres, a member of the audience sitting at the ends of certain rows, can only see two thirds of the stage!
Signal Processor	A unit which adds effect such as reverb (qv) to sounds which are passed through it.
Skycloth	A cloth, usually upstage, painted to look like the sky.
Smoke Machine	A machine which produces the effect of a haze of smoke in the air by heating up a harmless scented oil. These should not set off smoke alarms!
Sound Reinforcement	Reinforcing the sound produced by the actors on a stage. This is very different from amplifying the sound (as happens when a vocalist uses a mic to be heard above a band), for the audience should not be aware of the amplification. It is much more complex to achieve and requires greater sensitivity on the part of the operator.
Source 4	A recently introduced design of lantern (qv) (available in the usual formats), which uses the light produced more efficiently than previous lanterns. Source 4 is a trademark of the ETC company: Strand use the term SL to designate their lanterns of this design.
Special	Lighting term: a lantern (qv) - usually a spotlight (qv) - not used for general illumination but for a special effect, such a lighting a single actor in one place.
Spotlight	(Or, simply, spot) A type of lantern (qv) whose beam is focused through a lens or series of lenses to make it more controllable.
Stage Door	The entrance into the theatre for all personnel involved in the show. It is usaully small and unobstrusive and well away from the door(s) through which the audience enter. It is presided over by the stage doorman or doorkeeper.
Stage Manager	(SM) In charge of everything that happens backstage: all other backstage peronnel, including heads of departments, report to him. In the professional theatre, once the show starts its run, he takes complete control (including taking any rehearsals for understudies etc.), as the Director's job is finished once he has given his notes after the final dress rehearsal.
State	A lighting term, referring to the lanterns (qv) and their dimmer (qv) and colour settings, used in a particular cue. We talk of a "full-up state" when all lanterns are used at full brightenss, or a "red state", when only lanterns with red filters are on. During the plotting of the lighting, the operator may be told to "go back to a state of 2", which means to set the dimmers as they were in cue 2.
Strike	(See also "Take Down") To dismantle the set and remove it from the stage. Also used to refer to removing anything from the stage.
Strobe	A lantern which emits a regular, controllable series of high power flashes rather than continuous light. NOTE: strobes can induce fits in epileptics and so warning about their use should always be given in the programme and verbally before the show starts.
Sub-Master	Lghting term. In modern lighting desks, a whole lighting state (qv) can be allocated to a single fader, called a sub-master, so that when this fader is operated, the whole state responds.
Sub-Mixer	A small mixing desk which is then plugged into a channel on the main mixing desk, thus providing more channels. For example, the Musical Director (qv) use a sub-mixer to mix together the band's sound (thus ensuring that (s)he has full control over the balance of instruments in the band), and this is then fed to the main desk, where the sound operator adds it to the mix of all sound sources, thus making sure the balance of the band against other sounds is set correctly.
Swing	A member of a musical theatre company who can take over a number of different chorus parts at a moment's notice. An American term. Also swing showboy, swing showgirl, swing show.

 
A Glossary of Theatre Terms (T-V)

Tabs	Curtains. The curtains which close across the proscenium arch (qv) are called "House Tabs".
Tab Dressing	Light on the House Tabs (see Tabs) before the curtain goes up and during the interval.
Tallescope	(I have to confess that I am not certain the spelling is correct!) Scaffolding on wheels for moving around the stage to rig and focus lanterns.
Tech	Short for technical rehearsal: a rehearsal specially held to get all technical effects (lighting, sound, stage) right.
Techies	Theatre slang for the technical crew
Theatre in the Round	A way of staging a play in which the audience sits on all sides of the stage.
Thrust	A type of stage which projects out into the auditorium and has audience seated on three sides.
Tormentor	Lots of opportuities for bad jokes here but tornentors are simply flats at the front of the stage which are inside the pros arch and narrow the opening, and hence the acting area.
Tracks	The rails on which curtains (tabs) run,
Trap	A trapdoor set in the stage floor.
Trebling	One actor taking three parts in a play.
TRS	Usually used to refer to 15 amp cable, although TRS actually stands for Thick Rubber Shielding
Truck	A rostrum or platform on wheels, on which scenery can be mounted so that it can be rolled into any position on-stage.
Turns	Theater slang for actors
Tweeter	A kind of loudspeaker (qv), which outputs a high frequency (qv) sound.
Twirlies	Theatre slang for dancers or chorus
Understudy	An actor playing a small part in a production or, in the professional theatre, often an Assistant Stage Manager, who has learned and rehearsed the part of one of the leading actors to take over from him/her in the event of illness etc.
Unidirectional	A type of microphone which will only pick up sounds from one direction, usually directly in front. Loosely used as a synonym for cardioid (qv).
Upstage	At the back of the stage; away from the audience. As a verb: when one actor deliberately draw the attention of the audience to himself for purely selfish purposes.
USL	Upstage left.
USR	Upstage right.
VT	Video tape. VTR refers to the Video Tape Recorder, the machine.

 
A Glossary of Theatre Terms (W-Z)

Wardrobe Mistress	(Usually Wardrobe Mistress: much less frequently Wardrobe Master) Responsible for the making (under the direction of the Designer), repair and washing of all costumes.
Way	Another word for "channel" (qv).
Wet Sound	Sound which has been adjusted by a signal processor (qv)
Wings	The sides of the stage, out of sight of the audience, where actors stand before making their entrance, and where props are kept, ready to be brought onto the stage.
Wireless Mic	See radio mic.
XLR	A type of connector for sound equipment. Nowadays almost all but the very cheapest microphones use these rather than jacks. Now becoming more common on all kinds of sound equipment. Mics which require phantom powering (qv) must have XLR connectors: one terminal carries the signal, one is a shield, and the third carries the phantom power current.