I was sitting here, chatting with someone on a messenger service, when they asked me a couple questions about what the heck "stage left" was all about. So I figure, hell there's a good topic for the day... The goofy language we use backstage...
Stage Left, and Right refer to your left and right as you stand in the middle of the stage, looking out at the audience.
House Left and Right are your left and right when standing in the audience area, looking onto the stage.
House - The audience area
FOH or Front of House - 1) everything from the audience to the entrance of the theatre. (ticket sales, refreshments, ushers, etc) 2) The area of the house closest to the stage, often refering to the lighting positions in that area.
Back of House - 1) Everything from the stage line back (production, housekeeping) 2) The positions all the way away from the stage in the house area.
Fly, or Flys - the system that is used to lift scenery and lights up from the stage to the overhead. Operated by a flyman. (or flywoman, though I have never heard anyone use that term even for the women that I've worked with there) Operated from a Flyrail (position where the flys are tied off, or the brakes are set)
Load-Out or Strike - When a show is broken down.
Load-In - When a show is set up.
Upstage - The area of the stage furthest from the audience. (comes from when the stage surface was sloped up as you got further from the audience, to help with visability, now we angle the audience for the same purpose)
Downstage - The area of the stage closest to the audience.
Plaster or Plaster Line - the imaginary line connecting the walls on either side of the stage, behind which the stage "picture frame" stops. (that frame is called a Proscenium Arch)
Center Line - The line that runs perpendicular to the Plaster Line from the mid point of the Plaster Line
Deck - 1) The stage surface 2) a framed platform
Stock Deck - Decks made in common sizes (4'x8', 4'x4', 2'x8', 2'x4', etc) that can be easily joined together to form a larger deck. Often used by rental companies, or by theatres that need to be able to often build different levels on their existing deck.
Flat - A wall, often kept in stock sizes, that can be used as the basis for rooms, or backgrounds.
Ok... that's enough for today... Make sure you study... this will be on your final exam...
Posted by Backstage at September 20, 2003 07:30 PM