Theatrical Terms
blackout .................. point in a play when lights go out to end a scene
centre stage ............. area at the front of the stage on which the audience's attention is focused
character ................. a person represented in a play
downstage ............... the front area of the stage
to freeze ................... to stop moving and speaking for a particular effect
playwright ............... person who has an idea for a play and writes it
prop ......................... an object such as a piece of furniture, a book, a knife etc. which is used on stage
to prompt ................. to give an actor help with his/her lines if she/he forgets them during a play
scenery ..................... painted blackcloths and structures on a stage which show a special location
setting ...................... the place and time in which the action in a literary work happens
soliloquy .................. a dramatic device in which an actor stands alone on the stage and speaks his/her thoughts aloud
speech ...................... an address by an actor to the audience
sound effects ........... noises created mechanically
stage directions ....... a description of the character or the setting or directions for the actor included in the text of the play
upstage .................... the back of the stage