Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
French for "living picture," a posed scene in which actors communicate meaning through facial expressions and posture.
Performers freeze in poses that create a picture of one important moment in the play.
The methods a character uses to achieve their objective, identified as actable verbs.
A Japanese stick drum.
A knee-length coat with a rear section of cut away “skirt”, known as the “tails”.
A Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, and jihadist political movement in Afghanistan.
A film with a soundtrack, as distinct from a silent film.
An imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907.
A slang term for a sailor that has been used since at least 1676. The term is thought to have originated from the tarpaulins, which were canvas garments and hats made waterproof with tar that sailors wore to protect themselves from the weather.
A costume that is designed to be pulled away from the body, usually in multiple pieces, and often in full-view of the audience.
A horizontal masking border that is farthest downstage at the top of the stage limiting the height of visible stage space.
The period where all the technical elements of the show (lights, sets, props, costumes, and sound) are added to the work that has been done in the rehearsal room and the stage manager learns to “call” the show’s cues.