A glossary of language, lingo, and slang every theater person should know. Somewhat like a secret code, theater people have a language all their own. Many of the words are even tied to superstitions and theater lore. Scroll through this Glossary of Terms and see how many terms you know.
1
- 11 O’Clock Number
a
- Accessory
- Acoustics
- Ambience
- Ambient Light
- Amplifier
- Apron
- Atmosphere
- Audience Etiquette
b
- Backlight
- Backstage
- Balcony
- Belting
- Bible
- Black Box
- Blackout
- Blocking
- Book
- Boxes
- Broadway
c
- Call Board
- Call Time
- Center Stage
- Chest Voice
- Choreographer
- Chorus
- Conductor
- Costume
- Costume Plot
- Counter Cross
- Crew
- Cross
- Cue
- Curtain Call
d
- Dance Captain
- Deck
- Designers
- Dialogue
- Dimmer
- Director
- Downstage
- Dramaturg
- Dress Rehearsal
- Dressing Room
e
- Encore
- Ensemble
- Epilogue
f
- Fitting
- Floodlight
- Focus
- Foley
- Followspot
- Fourth Wall
- Front Light
- Front of House (FOH)
g
- Gels/Gobo
- Ghost Light
- Green Room
h
- Half Hour
- Head Voice
- Headshot
- House
- House Lights
- House Manager
i
- Improvise
- In the Round
l
- Leading Actor
- Lens
- Level
- Librettist
- Libretto
- License (Performance License)
- Line Notes
- Load In / Load-Out
m
- Marquee
- Matinee
- Memorization
- Mezzanine
- Microphone
- Mixing
- Monologue
- Mood Board
- Musical Director
n
- Notes
o
- Off-Broadway
- Off-Off-Broadway
- Opening Night
- Orchestra
- Overture
p
- Panning
- Pantomime
- Pass-Through
- Pit
- Places
- Planes
- Playbill
- Plot
- Preset
- Previews
- Producer
- Production Assistant (PA)
- Production Stage Manager (PSM)
- Prologue
- Prompt Book
- Prompting
- Props (Properties)
- Proscenium
q
- Quick Change
r
- Rehearsal
- Rendering
- Reverb
- Run-Through
- Running Crew
s
- Schtick
- Score
- Script
- Set
- Sitzprobe
- Sound Effects (SFX)
- Spotlight
- Stage Door
- Stage Left
- Stage Right
- Strike
- Supporting Role
- Suspension of Disbelief
- Swing
t
- Table Work
- Tailoring
- Tech
- The Scottish Play
- Thespian
- Thrust
- Track
- Triple Threat
u
- Understudy
- Upstage
- Usher
v
- Vocal Mix
w
- Wardrobe
- Wash
- Wings