Theatre Glossary
Whether you're stepping on stage for the first time or picking up a script to read, here's a guide to the terms you'll encounter in the world of theatre.
30 terms in Directing & Production
Blocking
The planned movement and positioning of actors on stage during a production. Directors work out blocking during rehearsals, determining where actors stand, sit, move, and interact within the set. Good blocking supports the storytelling, ensures sightlines for the audience, and creates visually compelling stage pictures. Actors typically note their blocking in pencil in their scripts.
Directing & ProductionBlocking Rehearsal
An early-stage rehearsal focused specifically on establishing the physical movement patterns of the actors on stage. The director guides actors through their entrances, exits, crosses, and positions for each scene, while the stage manager records everything in the prompt book. Blocking rehearsals prioritise spatial arrangement over emotional depth—the "where" before the "how."
Directing & ProductionCall Board
A backstage bulletin board where important production information is posted, including rehearsal schedules, costume fitting times, notes from the director or stage manager, and sign-in sheets. Cast and crew are expected to check the call board regularly. In many modern companies, digital call boards via apps or group messages have supplemented or replaced the physical board.
Directing & ProductionCall Time
The specific time at which actors and crew are expected to arrive at the theatre for a rehearsal or performance. Call times are set by the stage manager and may vary by department—actors might have a later call than the technical crew. A "half-hour call" is the standard warning given 30 minutes before curtain, followed by calls at 15 minutes, 5 minutes, and "places."
Directing & ProductionCompany Manager
The administrative professional responsible for managing the day-to-day logistics and welfare of a theatre company during rehearsals and the run of a show. Company managers handle contracts, travel arrangements, accommodation, payroll, insurance, and serve as a liaison between the production company and the venue. They ensure the practical machinery of a production runs smoothly.
Directing & ProductionCostume Parade
A pre-performance review in which actors walk across the stage in their costumes under stage lighting so the director and costume designer can assess how everything looks. Costume parades check for fit, colour, movement, and how costumes read from the audience. Adjustments are made before the first dress rehearsal. This is sometimes called a dress parade.
Directing & ProductionCrew
The team of people working behind the scenes to make a production happen, including stagehands, lighting and sound operators, wardrobe assistants, props handlers, and fly operators. The "running crew" works during performances, executing set changes, operating equipment, and managing backstage logistics. Crew members are essential collaborators who rarely receive the visibility they deserve.
Directing & ProductionCue to Cue
A technical rehearsal method where the company skips between cue points rather than running the entire show, allowing the technical team to practise each lighting change, sound effect, and set transition without sitting through long stretches of uninterrupted dialogue. Cue-to-cues are efficient but can be tedious for actors, who spend much of the time waiting and jumping between disconnected moments.
Directing & ProductionCurtain Call
The appearance of the cast on stage after a performance to acknowledge the audience's applause. Curtain calls are carefully choreographed—typically the ensemble bows first, followed by supporting players, and finally the leads. The tradition evolved from literally raising and lowering the curtain repeatedly in response to applause.
Directing & ProductionDirector
The creative leader of a theatrical production, responsible for interpreting the script and guiding all artistic elements into a unified vision. Directors cast the show, lead rehearsals, make decisions about blocking, pacing, and interpretation, and collaborate with designers on sets, costumes, lighting, and sound. The role as we know it today emerged in the late 19th century.
Directing & ProductionDramaturg
A theatre practitioner who serves as a production's literary and research advisor. Dramaturgs may research the historical context of a play, provide script analysis, assist with new play development, write programme notes, or help the director and cast understand the text more deeply. The role originated in 18th-century German theatre and is now common in professional companies worldwide.
Directing & ProductionDress Rehearsal
A final rehearsal conducted under performance conditions, with full costumes, makeup, lighting, sound, and set. Dress rehearsals (or "dress") simulate the actual show as closely as possible, allowing the company to work through any remaining issues. The tradition of a bad dress rehearsal predicting a good opening night is one of theatre's most persistent superstitions.
Directing & ProductionFight Call
A pre-show rehearsal, typically held before every performance, in which the cast walks through all choreographed fight and physical contact sequences at reduced speed to ensure safety and consistency. Fight calls are mandatory in professional theatre when a production includes stage combat. They refresh muscle memory, check that props are safe, and give performers confidence before performing at full speed.
Directing & ProductionFight Director
A specialist who choreographs all physical violence, combat, and potentially dangerous physical action in a theatrical production—sword fights, punches, falls, struggles, and any moment where performers could be injured. Fight directors (also called fight choreographers) create sequences that look convincing and dramatic while keeping performers completely safe. They use established techniques with standardised safety protocols.
Directing & ProductionHalf Hour
The stage manager's call given 30 minutes before the performance is scheduled to begin. "Half hour" is the first in a series of time calls—followed by "fifteen minutes," "five minutes," and "places"—that count down to curtain. At half hour, all performers and crew are expected to be in the building and preparing. It's one of the most universal rituals in theatre.
Directing & ProductionIntimacy Coordinator
A trained professional who choreographs scenes involving physical intimacy, nudity, or simulated sexual content, ensuring that all performers feel safe and that boundaries are clearly established and respected. The role emerged in the late 2010s and has rapidly become standard in professional theatre. Intimacy coordinators use consent-based practices and specific choreographic techniques.
Directing & ProductionPaper Tech
A planning meeting held before technical rehearsals begin, where the director, stage manager, and design team sit together with the script and walk through every cue, transition, and technical element on paper. Paper tech establishes the sequence and timing of all technical cues before anyone enters the theatre, making actual tech rehearsals significantly more efficient.
Directing & ProductionPlaces
The stage manager's final call before a performance or rehearsal begins, signalling that everyone must be in their starting positions immediately. "Places" is preceded by time-based warnings—typically "half hour," "fifteen minutes," "five minutes," and then "places, please." When you hear "places," the show is about to start and there is no more time to prepare.
Directing & ProductionPrompt Book
The stage manager's master copy of the script, containing all technical cues (lighting, sound, set changes), blocking notation, timing notes, and other production information needed to run the show. Also called "the book" or "the bible," the prompt book is the definitive production document and sits at the stage manager's desk during every performance.
Directing & ProductionRead-Through
An early rehearsal in which the entire cast sits together and reads the complete script aloud from beginning to end. The first read-through (or "table read") typically takes place on the first day of rehearsals, giving everyone a shared understanding of the full story. It's often the first time actors hear the entire play with their cast partners.
Directing & ProductionRehearsal
A practice session in which the cast and creative team prepare a production for performance. The rehearsal process typically progresses from read-throughs and table work, through blocking and scene work, to run-throughs, technical rehearsals, and dress rehearsals. Professional rehearsal periods vary from two to six weeks depending on the complexity of the production.
Directing & ProductionRunning Crew
The team of backstage technicians who work during performances, executing set changes, operating fly systems, managing quick costume changes, handling props, and ensuring everything moves smoothly behind the scenes. Unlike the build crew (who construct the set), the running crew's job begins at tech rehearsals and continues through every performance.
Directing & ProductionSpeed-Through
A rehearsal technique where the cast recites their lines as quickly as possible, without pausing for blocking or emotional depth, to test and reinforce memorisation. Speed-throughs (also called "speed runs" or "line throughs") are typically done without technical elements and help actors identify lines they're uncertain about before dress rehearsals begin.
Directing & ProductionStage Manager
The person responsible for coordinating all elements of a theatrical production during rehearsals and performances. Stage managers schedule rehearsals, record blocking, manage props, call cues during performances, and serve as the communication hub between the director, cast, and crew. During the run of a show, the stage manager maintains the artistic quality of the production.
Directing & Production