Scenography - The Theatre Design Website

• Home
• News
• Articles
• Galleries
• Technical
• Theatre Design 101
• Portfolios
• Forums
• About/Contact

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

• A
• Above - to move upstage: (“Brian moves above the table”)
• Acetone - chemical. Various uses: cleaning etc.
• Action - what’s going on onstage.
• Act Drop - cloth flown in at the end of an act.
• Ad Lib - improvised action onstage.
• Advance Bar - Lighting bar hung from auditorium close to stage.
• Amp - abb. amplifier used to amplify sound.
• AMP - abb. Ampere, a unit of electrical current.
• Apron - section of stage that extends beyond the Pros.
• ASM - Assistant Stage Manager.
• Auditorium - where the audience sit!

• B
• Baby Spot - small spotlight under 500w
• Backer - financial backer.
• Backcloth - flown cloth behind scenic element.
• Backing Flats - flats behind scenic element.
• Backlight - light that illuminates from behind.
• Backstage - part of theatre building behind stage.
• Balanced Line - cable carrying two signals.
• Band Call - call for orchestra or band.
• Bar - metal tube used for hanging scenery or lanterns.
• Bar Bells - warning to FOH and Bar Staff.
• Barn-door - device to adjust spill of light on a fresnel lantern.
• Batten - 1) length of wood attached to cloth to keep it taught. 2) group of flood lights.
• Beam Light - lantern with no lens but with parabolic reflector.
• Beginners - call given to cast/crew involved in opening of play.
• Below - to move downstage (“Brian moves below table”)
• Blocking - recording of movement on stage.
• Board - abb. for ‘lighting control board’
• Book - means script or Prompt Book.
• Book Flat - a hinged flat.
• Boom - vertical hanging bar.
• Border - flown scenic element used in masking.
• Box Set - Interior set built from flattage.
• Brace - portable support for flats.
• Brail/Breast - moving bars up or downstage by ropes.
• Breaking Down - artistic process of aging costume, props or scenery.
• Bridge - catwalk above auditorium or stage.
• Build - increase sound or light levels.
• Bulb Round - lighting check.
• Business - actions performed by actors.
• Butterfly Tabs - Tabs fixed at top and drawn in from sides.

• C
• Call - 1) schedule. 2) backstage call 3) abb. for Curtain Call.
• Cans - backstage communication device.
• Cardioid - heart-shaped pick-up pattern of microphone.
• Carpenter - (Scenic, Deputy, Master): maker of scenery.
• Centre Line - imaginary line shown on ground-plan.
• Channel - connected circuit in lighting or sound system.
• Check - decrease sound or light levels.
• Choreograph - to ‘choreograph’ a scene.
• Choreographer - director of dance or movement.
• Cinemoid - type of colour gel.
• Circuit - means by which a lantern can be identified and connected to a dimmer.
• Clamp - normally used to attach lanterns to bars.
• Cleat - metal device used for tying sash lines.
• Cloth - scenic canvas.
• Colour Call - list of gels for a design.
• Colour Call - list of gels for a design.
• Come Down - when the curtains come down.
• Condenser - type of microphone.
• Control Room - where lighting and sound is controlled from.
• Counterweights - system used for lowering and raising scenery.
• Cross-fade - in lighting or sound, change at which some channels are increased while other are lowered.
• Crossover - sound system device that routes pitch to the correct part of the speaker.
• Cue - verbal/physical signal for action or effect to begin.
• Cue to Cue - rehearsal in which dialogue is reduced to technical cues.
• Cue Lights - system of lights used to give ‘Cues’.
• Cue Sheet - list of effects.
• Curtains - at front of stage. called Tabs.
• Curtain Up/Down - beginning and end of performance.
• Cut Cloth - scenic piece with no centre.
• Cyclorama - ‘Cyc’ semi-circular backing.

• D
• Dead - 1) marked position of scenery or equipment. 2) anything no longer needed.
• Decibel - dB. measurement of sound.
• Designer - set/costume/lighting/sound.
• Desk - Prompt Desk - operated by person running show.
• Desk - Sound Desk - sound operators desk.
• Diffusion Gel - also called Frost. Softens light.
• Dimmer - device that controls electricity passed to lanterns.
• Dips/Dip-trap - hatches/troughs/channels at side of stage containing sockets.
• Dock - area at side/rear of stage for storing scenery.
• Downstage - area of stage nearest audience.
• Dress Circle - raised seating above stalls.
• Dress Parade - costume check on stage.
• Dresser - crew member who aids with dressing.
• Dressing - to dress set.
• Dress Rehearsal - Dress full costume/lighting/effects/soundaction rehearsal.
• DSM - Deputy Stage Manager.
• Dubb - reproduce sound from one copy to another.
• Dynamic - type of microphone.

• E
• Effect - sound/lighting/scenic.
• Electrician - (Chief, Deputy, Assistant) responsible for lighting.
• Elevation - technical drawing showing side view.
• Elex - or ‘LX’ electrical things or electrical department.
• Elex Tape - or ‘LX’ tape sticky back plastic tape available in various colours.
• Ellipsoidal - type of reflector used in profile spots.
• EMU - Electrical Multiple Unit, used to describe stage machinery compsed from multiple moving parts.
• Engineer - usually ‘sound’ but can be ‘lighting’
• Entrance/Exit - points in script and physical space where performer comes and goes!
• E.Q. - abb. for equalisation.

• F
• Fader - means of controlling lights or sound.
• False Pros’ - decorative proscenium arch.
• Feedback - when a mic picks up its own signal from a speaker.
• Fit Up - installation of equipment and scenery.
• Flash - when lights are flashed for effect.
• Flash Up - method of testing lanterns.
• Floats - (little used now) jargon for footlights.
• Floatmic’s - microphones placed along front of stage.
• Flat - unit of scenery.
• Flies - area above stage where flown scenery is kept.
• Floods - lanterns with no lens.
• Floor-cloth - painted canvas flooring.
• Footing - to steady a ladder/flat with your foot.
• Flown - scenery or equipment which has been ‘flown’ into the flies.
• Fly - raising scenery above audience sight level.
• Flyman - crew member operating flying equipment.
• Fly Tower - structure above stage containing flying equipment.
• Focus - adjustment of lighting/projection equipment.
• Focussing Session - when adjustment and plotting is done.
• FOH - abb. Front Of House.
• Foldback - sound sent to performer.
• Fore-stage - area in-front of tabs.
• Follow spot - Large profile spotlight with operator.
• French Flat - solid flat.
• French Brace - collapsible brace fixed to flat.
• Frequency - number of times a sound vibrates.
• Fresnel - spotlight with fresnel lens that gives soft edge.
• Full Company Call - everyone needed.
• FX - abb. for ‘effects’.

• G
• Gaffer Tape - sticky back fabric tape.
• Gain - the ‘master’ volume control on mixer.
• Gate - optical centre of profile spotlight.
• Gauze - scenic cloth used for ‘vanishing’ effects.
• Gel - coloured lighting film (originally made from gelatine)
• Genie Trap - a mechanised trap where actor shoots through stage floor.
• Get In - when a touring company installs a show.
• Get Out - when touring company uninstalls show.
• Gobo - metal slide placed in gate of lantern which throws a pattern.
• Grave Trap - body length trapdoor in stage.
• Green Room - cast/crew recreation room.
• Grid - metal frames in flying tower from which flying equipment is held (wooden in very old theatres)
• Ground-plan - technical drawing of stage.
• Groundrow - floodlight battens placed on stage.

• H
• Half - half hour call given to cast/crew 35mins before curtain-up.
• Halogen - gas contained in lamps.
• Header - horizontal flying piece.
• Heads Below - warning shouted if anything is dropped from above.
• Hemp - type of abrasive rope originally used in theatre for flying (some theatres still use hemp)
• Hemp Flying - traditional method of flying using 3 or 5 hemp ropes and no counter-weights.
• Hemp Set - (as above)
• Horns - metal speakers.
• House - the audience.
• House Manager - often ‘Front of House Manager’
• House Lights - lights illuminating the audience.
• Hypercardioid - type of pick-up pattern of a microphone.

• I
• Impedance - term of electrical resistance.
• In The Round- audience seated on all sides of stage.
• Iris - device in lantern gate that allows beam size to be altered.
• Iron - fireproof metal curtain.

• K
• Kill - instruction to stop action or effect.

• L
• Ladder - framework in shape of ladder.
• Lamps - the thing that creates light in a lantern (‘bulb’ in domestic terms)
• Lantern - stage light.
• Lavalier - type of radio-mic fitting (collar/costume/hair/wig)
• Left - Stage Left.
• Leg - flown cloth or flat masking side of stage.
• Level - intensity of sound or light.
• Lighting Plot - lighting cue description.
• Limes - old term for Follow Spots.
• Lose - to turn something off or remove from set.

• M
• Mains - power source.
• Mark It - instruction to record position of performer/object on stage.
• Mark Out - temporary objects/lines on rehearsal floor used to describe set/stage.
• Maroon - electrical device giving effect of explosion.
• Mask - to hide from audience’s sight.
• Masking - flats/cloths used to Mask.
• Master - lever/slide which controls all sound or light.
• MD - Musical Director.
• Mixer - desk/software for mixing sound.
• Model - model of stage design.
• Model Box - model of theatre in which stage design model is housed.
• Multicore - thick cable containing many cables.
• Milliput - type of modelling plastic used to create model figures and model scener.

• N
• Nylock - type of self locking nut.

• O
• Offstage - outside performance area.
• Omnidirectional - pick up pattern of microphone.
• Out - piece of scenery that has been flown ‘Out’
• Overture - music which starts a musical performance.

• P
• PA System - the public address system or any sound system.
• PC - Prism Convex or ‘Pebble’. a lens in a lantern.
• PFL - ‘Pre Fade Listen’: means of listening to a mic channel without brining up the fader.
• PS - Prompt Side, usually Stage Left.
• PZM - Pressure Zone Mic. Small plate collects reflections of sound into a small condenser mic.
• Paging - to make a call over the show relay.
• Pan - to move light or sound from one place to another.
• Pancake - water based stage make up, applied with sponge.
• Paper A House - to give away tickets to fill an audience.
• Paper House - audience full of freebies!
• Par Can - type of lantern containing a fixed beam par lamp.
• Pass Door - door allowing access to FOH from backstage.
• Patch Panel - panel where lighting circuits are connected and changed - 'patched'.
• Perch - lighting position concealed behind proscenium.
• Personal - small prop, retained by actor.
• Pin Hinge - hinge jointed by removable pin.
• Pit - area at front/beneath stage where musicians sit.
• Pit Lift - mechanical lift that lowers to create pit.
• Plot - any list of cues.
• Practical - a working object onstage, such as a door or window.
• Preset - position of scenery and effects at start of performance and scene.
• Production Manager - person in charge of all technical aspects of the production process.
• Production Meeting - meetings for staff involved in production.
• Profile Spot - lantern which can produce hard or soft light.
• Promenade - performance with no set seating for audience.
• Prompt - given to actors during rehearsals but *NOT* during performance.
• Prompt Copy/Book - the master copy of the performance, including all blocking, effects and cues.
• Prompt Corner - place where prompt corner was placed now usually behind the audience.
• Prop - abb. for Properties. Any items used onstage which are not costume or scenery.
• Prop Table - table situated in wings on which props are placed.
• Prop Box/Skip - place to store props.
• Props Room - Room for construction of props by Stage Managers or Property Master.
• Pyrotechnics - bombs, bangs, flashes etc.

• Q
• Quarter - type of call, given 25 minutes before curtain up.

• R
• Radio Mic - personal microphone without power lead.
• Rake - incline of the stage.
• Readthrough - usually the first meeting with full company and director.
• Record - plotting a lighting cue by saving it to the lighting board.
• Reflector - shiny surface in back of lantern which helps throw light.
• Rigging - fixing lighting, sound and scenic devices to the theatre structure.
• Right - Stage Right.
• Run - number of performances in production.
• Run Through - rehearsal that “runs through” two or more scenes.
• Runner - used to hold down carpet edges.

• S
• Saturation Rig - lighting rig at full capacity.
• Scatter - low level light cast at side of normal light beam.
• Scenic Artists - people who paint scenery.
• Scrim - same as Gauze.
• Set - prepare stage for action.
• Setting Line - line past which no scenery, props or furniture may be set.
• Shin Buster - low side lights.
• Shout Check - check carried out by stage management to ensure all is set.
• Shutter - device in lantern used to shape beam.
• Sightlines - angles of visibility from audience.
• Size - glue like preparation made from animal bones, used to harden and preserve canvas on flats.
• Slots - side lighting position in auditorium walls.
• SM - Stage Manager.
• Spike - nail something to floor.
• Spill - unwanted light on the stage.
• Spot Line - line rigged from grid to fly a specific item. is Lampshade.
• Stage Brace - extending support for scenery.
• Stage Crew - employed to move/operate scenery.
• Stalls - seating on ground floor of auditorium.
• Star Trap - a mechanised trap where actor shoots through stage floor.
• Strike - to remove object or scenery from stage.
• Strobe - flashing light.
• Supernumerary - actor playing a variety of non-speaking roles, extra.
• Swag - curtains fashioned so they do not hang straight.

• T
• Tabs - curtains.
• Teaser - short flown border.
• Tech - Technical Rehearsal.
• Throw - distance between lantern and object.
• Thrust Stage - multi-sided stage (with at least one back wall)
• Top and Tail - rehearsal in which dialogue is reduced to technical cues.
• Traverse - staging with audience facing each other.
• Treads - steps or stairs.
• Tripe - thick bundle of cables from lighting bar.
• Tri-lite - lighting/scenic metal section made from three lengths of lightweight alloy (triangular construction.
• Truck - platform with wheels.

• U
• Upstage - the area furthest from audience.
• UV - abb. Ultra Violet.

• V
• Know a term for this section? Drop us a line!

• W
• Walter Plinge - traditional actor for actor with more than one role.
• Wardrobe - department where costume is constructed.
• Wardrobe Maintenance - washing and repair of costume.
• Warning Bells - warns of interval.
• Working Drawings - drawings made in addition to designers.
• Working Lights - lights used by stage crew to aid work.

• X
• Know a term for this section? Drop us a line!

• Y
• Know a term for this section? Drop us a line!

• Z
• Know a term for this section? Drop us a line!

Discuss this article, ask a question or meet other artists in our friendly forums