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.
299 terms
Flat
A lightweight scenic unit consisting of a wooden or metal frame covered with canvas, muslin, or thin plywood, used to create walls and surfaces on stage. Flats are a fundamental building block of theatrical scenery—they're quick to build, easy to paint, and can be combined to create rooms, corridors, and architectural features. "Hard flats" use rigid covering; "soft flats" use stretched fabric.
Stagecraft & TechnicalFly Gallery
An elevated platform or walkway on the side wall of a stage, above the stage floor, from which the fly operator controls the ropes and counterweights of the fly system. From the fly gallery, the operator can raise and lower scenery, curtains, and lighting bars on cue from the stage manager. In older theatres, the fly gallery might be accessed by narrow ladders or steep stairs—it's a working environment with its own culture and skills.
Stagecraft & TechnicalFly System
A mechanical system of ropes, pulleys, counterweights, and battens used to raise and lower scenery, lighting equipment, and curtains above the stage. The fly loft (or fly tower) is the tall space above the stage that accommodates flown elements. "Flying in" means lowering something from above; "flying out" means raising it. Fly operators work from a fly gallery on the side wall.
Stagecraft & TechnicalFoley
The creation of sound effects performed live during a theatrical production, as opposed to pre-recorded sounds played through speakers. Named after film sound pioneer Jack Foley, live foley in theatre involves operators creating sounds in real time—footsteps, door slams, rain, breaking glass—often in view of the audience. Productions like The 39 Steps and Curious Incident have made visible foley a celebrated theatrical device.
Stagecraft & TechnicalFollow Spot
A powerful, manually operated spotlight that follows a performer around the stage, keeping them illuminated as they move. Follow spots are especially common in musical theatre, where they highlight soloists during big numbers. The follow spot operator sits in a booth (usually at the back of the auditorium) and physically aims the light.
Stagecraft & TechnicalFollowspot Operator
The technician who operates a follow spot—a powerful, manually controlled spotlight that tracks performers as they move across the stage. Followspot operators work from a booth or platform at the back or sides of the auditorium, requiring steady hands, sharp focus, and the ability to anticipate actors' movements. In musical theatre, skilled followspot operation is essential for keeping soloists visible.
Stagecraft & TechnicalForum Theatre
An interactive form of theatre developed by Brazilian director Augusto Boal as part of his Theatre of the Oppressed. A scene depicting oppression is performed, then replayed while audience members (called "spect-actors") can stop the action and step in to replace a character, trying different strategies to change the outcome. Forum theatre is used worldwide as a tool for social change, education, and community engagement.
Genres & StylesFound Space
A non-theatrical location repurposed as a performance venue—a warehouse, church, car park, pub backroom, abandoned building, or open field. Found spaces offer unique atmospheres and architectural character that purpose-built theatres cannot replicate. Performing in found spaces often challenges conventional audience-performer relationships and forces creative solutions for lighting, sound, seating, and staging.
Venues & SpacesFourth Wall
The imaginary barrier between the performers on stage and the audience in a traditional proscenium theatre. When actors "break the fourth wall," they acknowledge the audience directly—through eye contact, direct address, or asides. The concept was formalised in the 18th century as realistic drama became more prevalent.
Dramatic StructureFresnel
A type of stage lighting instrument (pronounced "fruh-NEL") named after the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel. It uses a distinctive stepped lens to produce a soft-edged, even wash of light that blends smoothly with adjacent fixtures. Fresnels are workhorses of stage lighting, commonly used for general washes and area lighting. Their beam width is adjustable by moving the lamp within the housing.
Stagecraft & TechnicalFringe Theatre
Alternative, experimental, or independent theatre performed outside the mainstream commercial circuit. The term originated with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (established 1947), where uninvited performers staged shows on the margins of the official Edinburgh International Festival. Fringe theatre is now a global phenomenon, often showcasing new writing, emerging artists, and unconventional work.
Venues & SpacesFront of House
Everything on the audience's side of the stage—the foyer, box office, auditorium, bars, cloakroom, and public areas. "Front of house" (FOH) also refers to the staff who manage these areas: ushers, box office attendants, bar staff, and the house manager. FOH operations ensure the audience has a smooth experience from arrival through departure. In lighting, "FOH" refers to lighting positions located in the auditorium rather than on stage.
Venues & SpacesGel
A thin sheet of tinted, heat-resistant material placed in front of a stage light to colour the beam. Originally made from gelatin (hence the name), modern gels are made from polycarbonate or polyester. Gel colours are specified by number from standardised catalogues (Lee, Rosco). Choosing the right gel palette is fundamental to creating the mood and world of a production.
Stagecraft & TechnicalGeneral Audition
An open audition session, not tied to a specific production, where actors perform for a theatre company's casting team to be considered for future work across an entire season or series of productions. Generals (as they're commonly called) are an opportunity for actors to introduce themselves and demonstrate their range. Many regional theatres hold annual general auditions.
Acting & PerformanceGiven Circumstances
All the facts and conditions established by the playwright that define the world of the play and the characters' situations. Given circumstances include who the characters are, where and when the action takes place, what has happened before the play begins, and the social, economic, and political environment. Stanislavski considered a thorough understanding of given circumstances essential for truthful acting.
Acting & PerformanceGlow Tape
Phosphorescent adhesive tape that absorbs light and glows in the dark, applied to stairs, set pieces, and backstage pathways to prevent accidents during blackouts and backstage movement. Glow tape is a simple but essential safety measure in every theatre. It's carefully placed so it's visible to actors and crew but not to the audience.
Stagecraft & TechnicalGobo
A thin metal or glass disc with a pattern cut into it, inserted into a lighting instrument to project shapes onto the stage—trees, windows, abstract textures, architectural details, or anything else. The word may derive from "go between" or "goes before optics." Gobos are a powerful tool for creating atmosphere and setting without physical scenery.
Stagecraft & TechnicalGreasepaint
A type of heavy, oil-based theatrical makeup traditionally used on stage, supplied in stick or palette form. Greasepaint provides the bold, visible coverage needed for performers to be read under intense stage lighting at distance. While modern water-based and HD makeups have replaced greasepaint for much work, the term remains synonymous with theatre itself—"the smell of the greasepaint" is shorthand for the magic of performing.
DesignGreen Room
A backstage room in a theatre where performers relax before, during, and after a show. The origin of the name is debated—theories include green-painted walls in early theatres, or the "green" referring to the stage (as in bowling green). Regardless of origin, the green room serves as a communal space and is a fixture of theatre buildings worldwide.
Venues & SpacesGridiron
The structural framework of steel or wooden beams located near the ceiling above the stage, from which the fly system's pulleys and ropes are supported. The grid (as it's commonly called) allows scenery, lighting bars, and curtains to be suspended and moved vertically. Working on the grid requires comfort with heights—it can be 60 feet or more above the stage floor in large theatres.
Stagecraft & TechnicalHalf 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 & ProductionHamartia
A character's fatal flaw or critical error of judgement that leads to their downfall in a tragedy. Aristotle introduced the concept in his Poetics, and it has been debated ever since—does hamartia mean a moral failing (like Macbeth's ambition) or simply a mistake made in ignorance (like Oedipus not knowing his true parents)? Either way, hamartia makes tragic heroes sympathetic: they are undone not by pure villainy but by being imperfectly human.
Dramatic StructureHaze
A fine, even atmospheric effect created by dispersing a fluid (usually water or oil-based) into the air on stage, making light beams visible and adding depth, mood, and dimension to the stage picture. Unlike fog (which sits low and is thick), haze is subtle and even, hanging uniformly in the air. It's one of the most commonly used atmospheric effects in professional theatre—practically every show uses some amount of haze to enhance lighting.
Stagecraft & TechnicalHistory Play
A dramatic genre that dramatises real historical events and figures, blending fact with theatrical invention. Shakespeare's history plays (the Henry IV/V/VI cycles, Richard II, Richard III) are the most famous examples in English, turning English medieval history into compelling drama. Modern history plays—from Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons to Peter Morgan's The Audience—continue the tradition.
Genres & Styles