a vista: In view of the audience, as in an a vista scene change.
ACL (aircraft landing light): A very narrow-beamed instrument, used on airplanes and rock-and-roll lighting plots.
acoustical shells: A large, half-dome–shaped shell used behind choruses and musicians to amplify the sound.
acting areas: A small area of the stage that has its own set of lights. Lighting designers often divide the stage into acting areas in order to create balanced lighting.
actor trap: A slang term assigned to any technical situation that will trip up an inattentive actor, such as an uneven step on a staircase.
AIFF: A computer file format for audio, commonly used with Apple computers.
aircraft cable: Thin, steel cable used to hang scenery.
amperage: A measure of power flowing through cables, plugs, and circuit breakers.
amplifier: A electronic device that makes an audio signal strong enough to create sound.
aniline dye: A type of color used on drops that need to be translucent.
analog: Any electronic device that uses constantly changing electrical current to represent constantly changing sound; the opposite of digital.
arbor: In a flying system, the cage where the operators put the counterweight to balance the weight of the scenery.
ASM: See assistant stage manager.
assistant stage manager (ASM): The all-purpose technical assistant; the backstage entry-level position.
asynchronous: In a show-control system, a series of events that can happen in any order, depending on input from an audience member or performer.
audience blinders: A bank of small PAR cans all mounted in the same fixture. Used to create a bright wash of light on the audience.
Austrian curtain: A type of drape that has rings sewn to the rear of the fabric in vertical columns, with a cable running through each column of rings.
auxiliary returns (Aux return): An input on a mixer that accepts a signal from an effects processor; part of an “effects loop.”
auxiliary sends (Aux send): An output from a mixer used to feed an audio signal to a processor or a monitor.
back light: Light coming from upstage of an actor.
balanced (and unbalanced) lines: Two different varieties of cable. Balanced lines require three wires and resist noise. Unbalanced lines require two wires and collect noise.
balcony rail: A lighting position on the front edge of the balcony; originally installed in most Broadway theaters.
ballast: An electronic device used by fluorescent and HMI lights. Necessary to start up these kinds of lights.
barn doors: A color frame with two or four flaps that cut off excess light.
base station: The main station in a headset system; the part that provides the power and connective ability for all the other headsets.
battens: Metal pipes that hang over a stage; used for flying scenery and lighting instruments.
beam: A horizontal lighting position over the audience.
belt pack: Part of a headset system that connects the headset to the rest of the system.
blackout drop: A black drop that lives behind a scrim drop, making it fully opaque.
blackout switch: A switch on a lighting control console that turns off all the lights. A very bad idea.
blackout: What happens when you turn all the stage lights off.
blocking: The movement of the actors onstage.
body mic: A small, almost invisible microphone that mounts on an actor’s head or body.
boom stand: A microphone stand with a horizontal attachment that can reach over a keyboard or other musical instrument.
boom: A vertical lighting position, either backstage or in the auditorium.
border light: See strip light.
border: A horizontal drape that runs across the top of the stage, hiding the lighting instruments.
bounce: Stray light beams that bounce off shiny surfaces and go where they don’t belong.
box booms (juliets, side coves): A lighting position in the auditorium, commonly on either side of the proscenium arch.
box sets: An interior set with three complete walls; the fourth wall is open to the audience.
breakaway glass: A fake glass made of a material that can be safely broken without producing dangerously sharp pieces.
breakaway: Any scenery or prop that is designed to break on cue.
breakout box: A group of electrical plugs installed in a single box; used by hotels to provide extra outlets.
bricks: See counterweights.
bump buttons: Buttons on a lighting control console that “bump” the lights up to full when pressed.
bump cue: A lighting cue (usually at the end of a musical number) that quickly pushes the level of light to a brighter level.
business: A series of actions that one or more actors do onstage. Something that takes time and pulls focus.
cable: Any long, rubbery cord with plugs on each end that carries electricity. The larger ones carry power to lighting instruments; the smaller ones carry data or audio signals.
callboard: The backstage bulletin board where announcements, schedules, and other information are posted.
calling a show: The process of calling out the lighting, sound, and scene-change cues during a performance; usually done by the stage manager over a headset.
calls: The announcements made backstage (usually by the stage manager) telling cast and crew how many minutes remain before curtain time. Also means the specific time that the cast and crew must arrive at the theater.
canvas: A type of inexpensive cotton fabric, generally used for drops and flats. Heavier weight than muslin.
carbon arc spot: An older type of follow spot used in large venues that makes light by “arcing” electricity between two carbon electrodes.
casein paint: An organic type of paint, made from a soy protein binder, that creates vibrant color and remains flexible.
castors: The wheels on a platform.
C-clamp: The metal clamp that holds a lighting instrument to the bar it’s hanging on. So named because of its C-like shape.
center line: An imaginary line down the center of the stage, from upstage to downstage.
chain pocket: A fabric pouch running the length of a drape along the bottom. It is designed to hold a chain that weighs down the bottom of the drape.
changing booth: A small temporary booth in the wings where an actor can make a costume change without going to the dressing room.
channel (audio): An input on a mixer.
channel (lighting): In computer lighting control consoles, a way of controlling a group of dimmers.
charge artist: A scenic painter.
chase effects: Special effects, produced by a lighting control console, that cause a series of lights to turn on and off in sequence. Used for marquis lights and fire effects, among other things.
chasing: The process by which one device monitors the time code coming out of another device.
chroma: The color information that is carried in a video signal.
circuit breaker panel: A box containing all the circuit breakers for a building or room.
circuit breakers: Electronic devices designed to shut off power if it goes above a certain level. Used to protect electrical systems and prevent fires.
circuit plot: A list of all available circuits in a particular theater.
closing: The last night of a show.
coffin locks: Metal brackets embedded in platforms that help lock separate platforms together. So named because they were developed to hold down coffin lids.
color balance: The overall color of the light onstage.
color filter: A piece of colored plastic used to change the color of light.
color frame: The metal frame that holds a color filter.
color scrollers: Color frames that hold a roll of color. Used to change color filters in the middle of a performance.
color temperature: A scale used to describe what color a video camera will recognize as white.
company manager: The person who arranges food, lodging, and other details for the cast and crew.
component video: A video signal where each color is carried on a separate cable.
composite video: A video signal where all three colors, both the chroma and the luminance, are carried on one cable.
compressor (audio): The electronic device that reduces loud signal levels, making the overall sound level more consistent.
concept meeting: One of the first meetings of the production period, where general concepts are hammered out.
condenser mics: Microphones that pick up sound using a small electrical field. Disturbances in the field are detected by the circuitry and converted to an audio signal.
contact sheet: The list of addresses and phone numbers used to keep track of everybody’s whereabouts during the production period.
control console (dimmerboard): The panel that controls the lighting instruments.
costume designer: The person who researches the costumes, decides which styles and fabrics to use, and then draws or paints the costumes in renderings.
costume fitting: The meeting where costume personnel measure actors and test-fit their costumes.
costume parade: An event held in the theater where each actor walks onstage wearing his or her costumes, one at a time. Designed to show the costumes to the director.
costume shop manager: The person who decides how to construct the costumes and gives individual workers their assignments.
counterweight flying system: A system of moving scenery up into the air using cables and counterweights.
counterweights (bricks): The slabs of iron that are loaded into a counterweight system to offset the weight of the scenery.
cove: A lighting position out in the auditorium where lighting instruments are concealed from view.
craftspeople: People working in properties shops who are proficient in carving, fabrics, and/or any number of other construction skills.
crossfader: The lever on a lighting control console that simultaneously fades all of the channels from one cue to the next.
crossing (a cross): Moving from one part of the stage to another, as an actor.
crossover: A passageway that leads from one side of the stage to the other, out of view of the audience.
crotch light: A position on a lighting tree, usually two to three feet off the floor. Generally used in dance.
cue (cueing): Something that happens at a particular point in the show, such as a change of lighting, scenery, or other technical event. Also used to describe the verbal command to do that thing.
cutters: Costume shop workers who cut the fabric for the costumes, using patterns and/or intuition.
cyclorama (cyc): A large backdrop meant to resemble the sky.
daisy-chaining: The process of plugging in several different devices in a chain where the output of one device is plugged into the input of the next one.
DAW: see digital audio workstation
dead man’s switch: See enable button.
dead-hung: Scenery or lighting that is hanging in the air and not designed to be moved during the performance, as opposed to “flying” scenery or lighting that is designed to be moved up and down.
deck: The stage floor, or a temporary floor that has been built on top of the permanent floor.
design conference: A meeting that happens early in the production process where designers present their work to the production staff.
designer fabrics (for example, Rosco): Specialty fabrics for the stage, such as slit drape, shimmer cloth, and so on.
deus ex machina: Originally, a theatrical device in the ancient Greek theater where a god would appear above the scenery at the end of the play and resolve all the conflicts. Now, any event happening late in the show that, somewhat miraculously, resolves everybody’s problems.
diaphragm: The tiny membrane in a microphone that vibrates when sound hits it, allowing the microphone to “hear.”
dichroic filter: A style of glass filter that reflects unwanted frequencies, instead of absorbing them.
diffusion filters: A specialized form of filter that spreads out the light coming from a lighting instrument. Used to get rid of hard shadows.
digital: Any electronic device that represents sound as a string of numbers; the opposite of analog.
digital audio workstation: A computer that contains digital audio software and a physical audio hardware interface, allowing it to be used to create digital audio files.
dimmer: An electronic device that reduces the amount of power that a lighting instrument receives, thereby reducing the light that it is putting out.
dimmer per circuit: A wiring scheme where every circuit in the theater has its own dimmer, thereby eliminating the patch panel.
dimmerboard operator: The person who operates the lighting control console during rehearsals and performances.
director: The person who makes the final judgments on all artistic decisions in the production, subject to the financial approval of the producer.
distressing: The process of making a costume look old, weather-beaten, or otherwise less than new.
DMX universe: Information that is intended for a single group of 512 DMX channels, carried on one cable.
DMX512: A computerized language that is used for lighting control consoles to “talk” to dimmers, intelligent lights, and other lighting equipment.
douser: The control on a follow spot that fades out the light by slowly closing a set of doors.
down light: See God light.
downstage: The part of the stage farthest from the audience.
draper: A costume shop worker who makes clothes by draping them over a dress form or tailor’s dummy.
dresser: The person who assists actors with their costumes before, during, and after a performance.
dressing room: A space for performers to hang costumes, put on makeup, and otherwise prepare for their show.
drop: A flat piece of fabric, generally painted, that forms part of the scenery.
duvateen: An inexpensive, opaque fabric often used for drapery or masking.
dry ice: Extremely cold ice, formed by freezing carbon dioxide. Used in fog machines. Can burn you if it touches your skin.
dynamic mics: Microphones that pick up sound with a tiny, moveable strip of metal. The vibrations of the strip are converted to an electrical signal with a tiny magnet.
Edison plugs: The standard household plug in the United States. Two parallel metal tabs.
effects loop: A loop formed by taking a cable out of a mixer, through an effects processor, then back to the mixer. Used to add effects to sound.
effects processor: An electronic device that adds effects, such as reverb and distortion, to audio signals.
electric: A batten specifically used for lighting instruments.
electrician: The crew member who hangs, adjusts, and operates lighting instruments.
electrics crew: The crew members who hang, adjust, and operate lighting instruments.
ellipsoidal: A type of lighting instrument that produces a sharp-edged beam using an ellipsoidal reflector and one or more lenses.
enable button: A button that must be pushed for an effect to take place. This is a common way of protecting actors and crew (also known as a “dead man’s switch”).
equalization (EQ): “Coloring” a sound by increasing or reducing specific frequencies.
erosion cloth: A very loosely woven cloth used to cover freshly seeded ground. Used in the theater for texture and backgrounds.
escape stair: Any staircase out of the audience’s view that is used to help actors get off the set.
E-stop: Short for “emergency stop.” This is the big red button that tells a machine to stop whatever it is doing right now.
event-based: A show-control system that makes things happen when an event happens, like when a button is pushed. The opposite of time-based.
extreme sightline: The seat in the auditorium that, by the nature of its location, has the best view of backstage. Used to determine masking requirements.
false perspective: A scenic effect that, by exaggerating the effects of perspective, makes a set look bigger than it really is.
false proscenium: A portal that sits in front of or inside the real proscenium, giving the set its own “picture frame.”
fast change: A costume change that must be done very quickly and is therefore done in the wings instead of in the dressing room.
feedback: An annoying noise caused by a sound leaving a speaker and immediately reentering the sound system through the microphone. This round trip is repeated at the speed of light, and the resulting blare can be painful and dangerous to equipment.
film loops: Strips of metal with shapes cut out of them. Inserted in the gobo slot of a lighting instrument to make a moving pattern.
fire curtain: The heavy, fire-resistant curtain that seals off the stage from the audience in the event of a fire.
first electric: The most downstage electric; generally contains the greatest number of lighting instruments of any electric.
first hand: The second-in-command in the costume shop, assistant to the costume shop manager.
flats: Vertical walls of scenery.
flicker generator: A special effect that uses several lights and an electronic dimmer to create the effect of flickering light.
flooding (a fresnel): The process of moving a fresnel lamp back in the instrument, thereby making the beam of lighting wider. The opposite of “spotting.”
floor plan: The diagram showing the placement of the scenery as viewed from above.
flying: Being raised up in the air. To “fly” a piece of scenery is to raise it up using ropes or cables. People may also be flown, but only by trained professionals using special equipment.
flyman: The person who operates the flying system.
focal length: In an ellipsoidal, the distance from the lamp to the point where all the light beams converge. The longer the focal length, the narrower the beam of light that the instrument produces.
focusing: The process of pointing the lighting instruments where the director wants them.
fog machine: A simple machine that produces a ground-hugging fog by melting dry ice.
follow spot operator: The person who operates a moveable spotlight during a performance.
follow spot: Any spotlight that can be moved to follow the movements of an actor.
footing: Bracing a flat with your foot while it is being raised from a horizontal position to a vertical one.
front light: Any light that is coming from downstage of an actor.
front-of-house (FOH): Anything in the audience. Commonly used to describe staff (such as ushers) and lighting positions.
front-of-house spots: Spotlights that are placed in or above the audience in a theater or arena.
front-projection screens: Screens that are designed to be projected on from the front, usually with the projector behind the audience.
fullness: The number and depth of the folds in a drape. The greater the fullness, the more folds in the drape.
fuse box: A metal panel that contains the fuses.
fuses: Small devices that “blow” when the power rises to dangerous levels, shutting off the flow of electricity and preventing fires.
gel frame: The metal frame that holds the color filter.
gel: An antique name for lighting color filters, left over from the days when filters were made from animal gelatin.
glare: The reflection of light from the floor of the stage; caused by lighting instruments pointed downstage over a floor that has been painted a shiny color.
go: The magic word. The universal way to tell someone to do their thing.
gobo rotators: A device that holds a gobo and rotates it. Placed in the gobo slot of a lighting instrument.
gobo: See template.
gooseneck (audio; also podium stand): A microphone holder that can be twisted and bent; designed to fit on a podium.
grand drape: The main curtain, a.k.a. the main rag.
green room: A common area where performers wait until it is time to go onstage.
grid: The network of steel beams or pipes over the stage that holds up the rigging.
gripping: Moving scenery by picking it up manually.
grommets: Small metal rings driven into a drop; designed to hold tie lines.
ground row: A low, horizontal piece of scenery designed to hide lighting instruments on the floor.
group outputs: The volume controls on a mixer where selected channels are collected together and controlled as a group.
guillotine curtain: See knife curtain.
half-hour: Thirty minutes before the beginning of the performance, when all actors and crew must be in the theater.
hand-held mic: As opposed to a mic on a stand or attached to a performer’s body.
hard-wired electric: A hanging pipe that is permanently wired with circuits for lighting instruments.
hazer: A device that creates a thin mist of fog throughout the stage.
heads (tops): The lighting instruments at head height or above on a lighting tree. Generally used in dance.
headset mic: A microphone that is designed to be worn on the head, like a telephone headset.
headsets (headset system): Phone-like systems used to keep in touch during a performance.
hemp flying system: A system to fly scenery using hemp ropes and sandbags.
HMI: A type of follow spot that uses a special lamp to create very bright light.
hookup chart: A list showing which circuit and channel are being used for which lighting instruments.
hot spot: The center of a beam of light; the brightest part of the beam.
House Left: The left side of the auditorium, from the audience’s point of view.
House Right: The right side of the auditorium, from the audience’s point of view.
image mag: The process of pointing a video camera at a speaker so that his/her image can be projected on a larger screen on the same stage.
impedance: The amount of resistance that an electronic device puts up to an incoming signal. Two varieties: high and low.
industrial felt: A specialty fabric used to make hats, props, and, sometimes, scenery. Looks like felt, but much heavier.
in-ones: The first set of legs behind the proscenium arch. Also used to describe scenes that are played in front of a drop placed just behind the first set of legs.
input module: The part of a mixer that accepts a single input and then adjusts and redirects the signal from that input.
input trim: A control that sets the level of a signal coming into a mixer. Turn down for a line-level signal, up for a microphone.
intelligent lighting instrument: see moving light.
interface: 1) Any hardware device that is used to connect two different kinds of devices. 2) The device or program that allows a user to control a piece of equipment.
iris: The control on a follow spot that makes the circle of light bigger or smaller.
irising in/irising out: On a follow spot, making the circle of light smaller (in) or larger (out).
jackknife platform: A platform that pivots on one corner.
juliets: See box booms.
knife (or guillotine) curtain: A type of grand drape that covers the entire proscenium opening. It flies straight up to reveal the stage.
knife: A slender piece of metal attached to a platform and sticking down into a groove in the floor. Helps to keep the platform moving straight.
lamp: The thing inside a lighting instrument that makes the light. Often erroneously called a bulb.
lasers: Very narrow beams of light produced by specially designed lighting instruments. Can be harmful to your eyes if you look straight into them.
lavalier (lav) microphones: Pencil eraser–sized microphones that are mounted on a collar or lapel.
legs: Drapes that hang to the side of the stage, hiding the backstage area.
Leko: A particular brand of ellipsoidal spotlight. This term is often (and erroneously) used to describe any brand of ellipsoidal spot.
life safety: Any effect which could, if mishandled, endanger the life and limb of performers, audience, or crew.
light trees: Freestanding metal poles with wide bases. Designed to hold lighting instruments.
lighting cues: The instructions that tell the lighting operators what to do and when to do it.
lighting designer: In the theater, the person who decides where the lighting instruments should go, how they should be colored, and which ones should be on at any particular time.
lighting inventory: The list of lighting instruments in a theater, showing their size and type.
lighting positions: The various places in a theater where lighting instruments are hung.
lightning box: A special effects device that produces bright, lightning-like flashes of light.
limit switch: A switch that is thrown automatically when a moving piece of scenery reaches its final position. When this switch is thrown, the platform stops moving.
limiter: An electronic device that prevents an audio signal from rising above a certain point.
line-level signal: A particular strength of audio signal in electronic devices, such as tape decks and mixers.
line set: A set of cables that hold one batten in a system for lifting scenery and lighting.
load: Something that uses power, like a lighting instrument or an appliance.
loading dock: A place where you can unload scenery, costumes, and other items that you are bringing to the theater.
loading rail: Where you go to put weight on the arbor in a flying system.
lock rail: The place where you stand to operate a counterweight flying system. So named because it has a set of locks that prevent the scenery from moving. The locks are mounted on a metal railing.
luminance: The part of a video signal that determines how bright the image is.
masking: The draperies or flats that hide backstage from the audience’s view.
master carpenter: The person in charge of all the carpenters.
master electrician: The person in charge of all the electricians.
master fader: On a lighting control console, the slider that causes all the lights to fade out.
mic-level signal: A very soft level of audio signal. Generated by a microphone.
mic stand: A metal stand used to hold a microphone.
MIDI sequencer: A computer program that records and plays back instructions to play musical notes.
MIDI show control: A computer language designed to provide show-control functions for all type of backstage equipment, including lighting consoles, audio systems, scenery controllers, and pyrotechnic controllers.
MIDI time code: A type of “clock” used by show-control systems to synchronize events backstage. First developed for audio systems.
MIDI: A computer language that allows computers to “talk” to and control electronic musical devices.
mids: On a dance lighting tree, the lighting instruments between the crotch lights and the highs. Usually five to eight feet from the floor.
mixer: An audio device that takes in multiple audio signals, adjusts them, and sends them out to amplifiers and other devices.
monitor mixer: The person who controls which sounds are heard in the monitor speakers (the speakers that the performers listen to) onstage.
monitor speakers: Speakers that are designed to help performers hear themselves.
monitor system: A system that allows people backstage (or onstage) to hear what is happening on the stage.
monitors (in the world of sound): Wedge-shaped speakers that sit on the edge of the stage and allow singers to hear their own voices. In the world of computers or video, a screen resembling a television screen that shows information (computers) or pictures (video) to an operator.
mono: Sound that only requires a single speaker to be played back correctly. As opposed to stereo.
motivational light: Where the light in a scene is “supposed” to be coming from, such as the sun, an overhead light, and so on.
motivational side: The side of the stage where the motivational light is coming from.
moving light: A computer-controlled lighting instrument that can pan and tilt, change colors, zoom, and do other tricks in real time.
moving mirror: A type of moving light where the body remains stationary while a small mirror directs the light around the stage (also called moving beam).
moving yoke: A type of moving light where the light is directed by moving the entire body of the instrument (also called moving body).
MP3: A computer file format used to compress music and audio into smaller file sizes.
multiplexing: A technique that allows multiple devices to use a single wire to communicate by splitting up messages into tiny pieces and sending them one at a time.
multi-set shows: A show that requires several distinct sets, such as a large Broadway musical.
muslin: A reasonably priced cotton fabric with a number of theatrical uses, including drops, flats, and rehearsal costumes.
mute: A switch that turns off one channel on a mixer.
nap: The “fluffy” part of the fabric.
ohms: In the audio world, a measure of resistance. Used to match speakers to amplifiers.
on (or off) book: Unable (or able) to perform a scene without looking at a script. The stage manager following along in the script during rehearsal is also said to be “on book.”
output channels: The places where an audio signal comes out of a mixer.
paint shop: Where scenery is painted and otherwise decorated.
pan: Move side to side, as a lighting instrument or a camera.
PAR can: A very simple lighting instrument, basically an automobile headlight in a metal housing. Used for rock and roll and display.
patch panel: Where electrical circuits are assigned to dimmers.
pattern: See template.
patterning: The process of building a costume through the use of patterns, either preexisting or created for this costume.
PC-based playback: A system that plays back audio from a personal computer.
period: A particular historical time when a play takes place.
personal props: Props that are carried during a performance, such as guns, cigarettes, and letters.
perspective: The artist’s trick that makes a two-dimensional space look three-dimensional. The old “train tracks converging in the distance” thing.
phantom power: Power that comes to a microphone over an audio wire from the mixer. Necessary for compressor mics.
phono (quarter-inch) plug: A long, slender plug used for headphones and many other audio devices.
pickup lines: The cables that attach to a batten and raise it up (fly it out).
pin rail: In a hemp flying system, the place where the ropes are tied off. Occasionally used as a misnomer for the lock rail.
pipe-and-drape: A system of curtains often used in hotels for temporary stage setups.
pipe-ends: Lighting instruments hanging at the ends of electrics. Usually focused across the stage and used for side light.
platform: Any horizontal playing surface, or a piece thereof.
playing space: The amount of room available onstage for the performance. Does not include wing space, storage, or any part of the stage that is not visible to the audience.
PLC: A programmable logic controller. This is a dedicated computer that does nothing but control moving scenery or pyrotechnics.
podium stand: See gooseneck.
portal: The archway formed by two legs and a border.
power conditioners: Electronic devices that regulate power, removing fluctuations in voltage.
power drop: In a nontheatrical space, the device that allows you to tap into the power system and use higher amperages than single outlets would allow.
practical: Able to be operated, like a window or a faucet; also used to describe a “real” lamp or other lighting fixture on a set.
pre-amp: The part of a mixer that amplifies mic-level signals to line level.
preproduction: The time period before actors have begun rehearsal and before the shops have begun to build the show.
preset: On a manual lighting control console, a row of sliders that controls all of the dimmers. Also used to describe the position of a prop at the beginning of a performance.
production manager (a.k.a. production stage manager or PSM): The person in charge of the technical side of the production. Generally, the technical director and the stage manager report to this person.
production meeting: A meeting of production staff to discuss items of mutual interest.
production: The time period during which the actors are rehearsing and the shops are building the show.
projection screens: Specially designed sheets of plastic fabric used to project slides, video, or film.
prompt book (prompt script): The “Bible” compiled by the stage manager, containing all the pertinent information about the show.
prop carpenters: The shop carpenters who build furniture and other props.
prop coordinator: See propmaster.
prop designer: The person who selects, designs, and finds the props.
prop list: The master list of all items that could be considered props.
prop table: The table backstage where handheld props are put when they are not being used onstage.
propmaster (prop coordinator): The person in charge of collecting and distributing properties.
props crew: The people backstage who get the props in the right hands at the right times during the performance.
props: Any item that could be carried by an actor in the course of a show.
proscenium (pron: pro-SCENE-ee-um) arch: The architectural wall that separates the backstage area from the audience.
PSM: See production manager.
purchase line: In a flying system, the rope that the operator uses to move the scenery or lighting unit up and down during the performance.
PZM mic: A microphone that sits on the floor and uses the reflected sounds off the floor to pick up better sound.
rails: The top and bottom boards in a flat.
raked stage (rake): A stage that is slanted, either to increase visibility or to produce false perspective.
rear projection screens: The process of projecting on a screen from the upstage side. Requires a specially designed screen.
rehearsal clothes: Garments that the costume shop provides so that actors can acclimate themselves to unfamiliar types of clothes.
rendering: A drawing or painting that shows what the set or costumes will look like.
resistance dimmer: An older style of dimmer that depended on “wasting” energy to dim a lighting instrument.
resistance: The amount of force that must be overcome to move a speaker and make sound. Measured in ohms.
resolution: In a digital sound or video system, the amount of detail that the file contains.
restore: Bringing the lights up or down to where they were before some event (like a musical number) occurred.
reverb: The “echo” effect produced by a large room with hard surfaces; often produced artificially by an effects processor.
reverberation time: The amount of time it takes for a sound to die out in a particular space.
revolve: A stage, or a portion of one, that rotates.
rim light: Light that comes from the back or side of a performer. Used to define the edge of the performer and make him distinct from the background.
rise and run: The ratio of stair height (the rise) to stair width (the run).
rolling: Using wheels to move scenery.
run: The depth of a stair step, usually used in conjunction with the “rise,” the height of the stair. Also the number of performances for a particular show.
sampler: A device that electronically records a sound by changing that sound into millions of numbers.
sampling: The process of recording a sound by turning the analog sound wave into a string of numbers. Sampling happens in samplers and CDs.
sampling rate: The rate at which a sampler makes samples of incoming sound. For example, 44.1 kHz means that the sampler makes 44,100 samples per second.
saturated paint: A type of paint that is saturated with pigment. Because of this saturation, this paint can be heavily diluted.
saturation: The amount of color in a pigment or lighting filter. High saturation means deep color.
scene breakdown: A list of scenes showing which characters are in which scenes.
scene shop: Where scenery is constructed.
scene-change light: A dim light cue designed to allow a scene change crew to work without the audience feeling that a real scene is going on.
scene-shop manager: The person who maintains the scene shop and, with the TD, decides how the scenery will be built.
scenic artist: A person who applies paint and other forms of decoration to scenery.
scenic designer: The person who designs the look of the scenery and then paints renderings and drafts floor plans.
scoop: A simple lighting instrument composed of a standard bulb and a large reflector.
SCR dimmers: The standard form of electronic dimmer.
scrim: A lightweight fabric that can be mostly opaque when lit from the front, while mostly transparent when the light on the fabric is turned off and objects behind it are lit.
send: On a mixer, the control that allows you to send the audio signal to an external device.
sequencer: A computer program that records notes and sends them out, usually through MIDI, to electronic music devices.
set dressing: Decorations that have no function on a set but are merely placed there to look good.
set props: Props that are used only as set dressing and are not handled by actors.
sewn-in fullness: A technique for draperies where the fabric is gathered into folds and permanently sewn that way.
shift plot: A document that lists all the crew involved in a shift change, as well as their respective jobs.
shinbuster: A low instrument on a lighting boom, generally lower than two feet. Used primarily for dance.
short circuit: An electrical fault where the wire leading to a load accidentally touches a wire going away from the load. Can cause fires. A major reason why circuit breakers and fuses are used.
shotgun mic: A microphone designed to pick up sound only directly in front of it.
show deck: A set of platforms that lock together into a full-stage deck that sits on top of the permanent stage. Often contains rigging and machinery for moving platforms.
show drop: A front curtain designed especially for a particular production.
shutter lines: The hard shadows caused by pushing in a shutter on an ellipsoidal.
shutters: The metal tabs on ellipsoidals used to cut off part of the light.
side coves: See box booms.
side light: Light that comes from stage right or left of the performer.
signal chain: The chain of electronic devices through which an audio signal travels in a sound system.
signal level: The strength of an audio signal as it travels through a sound system. Usually mic level, line level, or speaker level.
signal: What sound is called while it is traveling through a sound system. An electrical force.
signal-noise ratio: The ratio of the loudest part of a signal to the level of noise that exists in the sound system when the signal stops.
sign-in sheet: A list of performers and crew that lives on the callboard. Cast and crew should check off their name when they arrive.
silhouette: (1) A lighting effect when you light the performer only from upstage, or when you light a drop behind her. (2) The external shape of a costume, irrespective of color, texture, or type of fabric.
silk flames: A special effect that uses a fan and strips of silk fabric to imitate real flames.
skin: The top of a platform, where the actor stands.
smoke machine: A machine that heats up mineral oil and blows it out into the air as smoke.
SMPTE time code: A type of “clock” used by show-control systems to synchronize events backstage. First developed for video and film.
snap-out (snap to black): An instantaneous blackout.
snow bag (snow cradle): A long bag strung between two battens and filled with artificial snow. Shake it gently and it will “snow” on stage.
snow machine: An electric machine that churns out fake snow that evaporates quickly.
solo: On a mixer, a button that turns off every other input.
sound designer: The person who chooses sounds, makes tapes, and designs the sound system.
sound engineer: The person who operates the sound system during a performance.
source music: A musical cue that is coming from (or appears to be coming from) something that is actually on the stage, such as a radio, TV, or live band.
source: In a sound system, where the signal comes from, such as a microphone, a tape deck, and so on.
speaker cone: The part of the speaker that makes sound by pushing the air and creating sound waves.
speaker elements: The assemblies that contain the speaker cone and the magnet that makes it move.
speaker level: The level of the audio signal after it leaves the amplifier.
special: A lighting instrument that is used to light a single, isolated person or thing.
spike protector: A device that protects electronic devices from electric “spikes” caused by lighting, electrical faults, or other dangers.
spike tape: Colored tape that is used to mark (or “spike”) scenery positions onstage.
spotting (a fresnel): The process of moving a fresnel lamp forward in the instrument, thereby making the beam of lighting narrower. The opposite of “flooding.”
stage crew chief: The person who decides how the shift will be done and assigns the crew their individual jobs.
stage crew: The crew that works backstage during the show, shifting the scenery.
Stage Left: The left side of the stage, from the actor’s perspective.
stage manager: The person who runs rehearsals, calls the cues during the show, and, in general, organizes things backstage.
stage plug (stage pin, three pin): One of two common types of plugs on stage lighting instruments, it has three round pins and a square, black plug.
Stage Right: The right side of the stage, from the actor’s perspective.
stereo: An audio signal that comes in two parts and must be played through two speakers. Generally designed to give the illusion that the instruments are arranged in space.
stitcher: The costume shop worker who assembles pieces into finished costumes.
stock scenery: Scenery that is stored and used for many different productions, for example, flats and platforms.
straight stand: A microphone stand that does not flex or bend.
straight-run wagon: A rolling platform that only moves forward and back, not side to side.
straight-run: A rolling platform that only rolls forward and back, as opposed to a swivel platform, which can go any direction you want. Also describes the castor that makes this possible.
strike: To take apart a show after the last performance; also, to remove any item from the stage.
strip light: A lighting instrument composed of a string of lamps in a long, metal housing, a.k.a. border light.
subwoofer: A speaker designed to play very low, almost inaudible frequencies. Always used in conjunction with normal speakers.
surge protector: A device used to protect electronic equipment from variations in the power supply.
S-video: A type of video signal that carries the chroma (color) and luminance (brightness) information on two separate cables.
swatches: Playing-card sized pieces of fabric that are used to demonstrate what a costume will be made of.
sweating out a mic: What happens when a drop of sweat covers a small body mic, making it unusable.
swivel: A castor that is able to roll in any direction.
synchronous: In a show-control system, a series of events that always happen in the same order.
tab curtain: A type of grand drape that is hung in two panels, like a traveler drape, but pulled up diagonally to reveal the stage.
tab: A vertical drape just inside the proscenium that masks performers in the wings. Also a term meaning to pull a drape aside.
table stand: A small microphone stand designed to sit on a table.
tape the stage: The process of depicting the outlines of the set on the rehearsal room floor, using colored tape. Generally done by the stage manager before the first rehearsal.
TD: See technical director.
teaser: A horizontal drape across the stage, designed to hide the first electric.
technical director (TD): The person who figures out how the set will be built and then oversees construction; sometimes in charge of lighting as well.
template (pattern, gobo): A metal pattern that, when placed inside an ellipsoidal spotlight, throws a shadow pattern on the stage.
three pin: See stage pin plug.
throw distance: The distance from the lighting instrument to the person or thing it is lighting.
tie lines: Small cotton lines used to attach drapes and drops to battens.
time-based: A show-control system that makes things happen at a particular time, either at a particular time of day or after a particular amount of time has passed. The opposite of event-based.
top hats: Round metal objects that are placed in the color frame holder of lighting instruments to cut down on stray light.
tormentor: Masking drapes just inside the proscenium that mask the backstage area.
track lighting: Permanently installed lighting instruments on tracks in the ceiling. Rarely useful for the stage.
tracking a platform: Building a track into the stage that helps to guide a platform to its proper place.
transceiver: The part of a wireless mic that sends out the signal. In a hand-held mic, it is inside the mic; in a body mic, it is a separate unit.
traveler curtain: A type of drape that covers the entire stage with two panels of fabric that split in the middle. The drapes are pulled to each side to reveal the stage.
trees: See lighting trees.
trims: The heights of flying scenery and masking.
tripping: Folding a piece of flying scenery as it goes out. Generally done to save space.
trombone: The lever on a follow spot that allows the operator to make the beam larger or smaller.
truss spots: Spotlights that are placed on trusses or grid work above the stage.
truss: A horizontal gridwork structure that is suspended from the ceiling or held up by towers on either end. Designed to hold lighting instruments. Standard equipment for larger industrial shows or rock-and-roll concerts.
tweeter: The speaker element that reproduces the high-end frequencies.
twist-lock: One of two common types of plugs on stage lighting instruments, it has three curved blades that lock when inserted and twisted.
unbalanced line: An audio cable containing only two wires. Generally recognized by the quarter-inch phone plug on the end. Vulnerable to noise, making it a poor choice for microphone cable.
understudies: Actors who are trained to replace actors in lead roles if the leads are unable to perform.
unit set: A set that changes very little during a performance but still creates many locations through changes in props and lighting.
up light: Light that comes from underneath a performer, either from footlights or through a grated or Plexiglas stage floor.
upstage: The part of the stage farthest from the audience.
valence: A small drapery that runs across the top of the grand drape, hiding the hardware that suspends it.
velour: A lush, heavy fabric used for grand drapes and other very fancy uses.
Venetian drape: A curtain rigged, like the Austrian, with rings sewn to the back in vertical columns and cables threaded through the rings. Unlike the Austrian, the cables can be pulled up individually, allowing the curtain to assume different contours.
visual cue: A cue that the operator runs when she sees something happen on stage. Warned, but not called, by the stage manager.
voltage: A measurement of the strength of electrical power.
wagon: A rolling platform.
walking up a flat: A method of getting a flat from a horizontal position to a vertical one.
warning: What the stage manager gives you about a minute before your cue.
wash light: Unfocused, soft light that erases shadows and gives color to a scene.
wattage: A measure of how much power is required to operate a load.
watts per channel: A measure of how much power an amplifier can put out.
WAV: A computer audio file format mostly used on Windows computers.
webbing: The thick woven fabric at the top of a drape that holds the grommets.
weight rail (loading floor): The walkway where you load counterweights into the arbor in a counterweight flying system.
white balance: What video people do before they shoot to ensure that the colors they are shooting look accurate.
wing space: The amount of space on the stage that is not visible to the audience.
wireless mic: A microphone that does not have to be plugged in to a cord. The mic transmits the sound via radio waves.
woofer: The speaker element that reproduces the low-end frequencies.
xenon arc spot: A type of follow spot that uses a special type of arc lamp. Very powerful, but must be installed permanently.
XLR plugs: A plug with either three prongs or three holes set into a round casing. Used for microphone cables. Called “XLR” because the three pins carry the audio signals for ground (“X”), left (“L”), and right (“R”).
yoke: The U-shaped piece of metal that attaches a lighting instrument to a clamp.
zoom ellipsoidal: An ellipsoidal with an adjustable focal length.