Glossary extracted starting with automatic seeds, with PTM for the domain lit and language EN

discovered	A person or object on stage when the curtain is raised.
multiconductor cable	An electrical cable that generally has more than three conductors.
preset	To have something on a control console set up in advance of need.
catwalk	A narrow walkway suspended above the stage and/or house from which lights and scenery can be hung and accessed.
lullaby	A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process
tropological	Not to be confused with either typology or the rhetorical device of the trope, the term tropological refers to the interpretation of literature in which the interpreter focuses on the ethical lesson presented in the text, i.e., "the moral of the story." See more discussion under fourfold interpretation.
censorship ordinance of 1559	This law under Queen Elizabeth required the political censorship of public plays and all printed materials in matters of religion and the government
register dialect	A dialectal variation used only for a particular circumstance or for a specific purpose
distanciation	in Brechtian performance, when actors maintain distance from their character by reminding the audience through often stylized gestures or behavior that they are simply people pretending, instead of trying to identify with their "character".
antagonist	a character who seems to be the major force in opposition to the protagonist or main character
octave	The opening eight-line section of a sonnet.
paronym	A word derived from or related to another word; also, the form in one language for a word in another, as in the English canal for the Latin canalis.
action	The series of events that make up the plot.
resolution	Also called denouement, the portion of a play or story where the problem is solved
foil	a character that serves as a contrast to another.
eclipsis	Where parts of words are omitted.
ionic	A Classical Greek and Latin double foot consisting of two unstressed syllables and two stressed syllables, either ionic a majore / ' ' ~ ~ / or ionic a minore / ~ ~ ' ' /.
narration	A speeches that describes the dramatic action, especially off-stage action.
kafkaesque	"Kafkaesque" is an eponym used to describe concepts, situations, and ideas which are reminiscent of the literary work of the Austro-Hungarian writer Franz Kafka, particularly his novels The Trial and The Castle, and the novella The Metamorphosis.
efficacy	A measure of the luminous efficiency of a radiant flux, expressed in lumens per watt as the quotient of the total luminous flux by the total radiant flux
frame narrative	This is a narrative technique where there is a principal story, around which there are other narratives to set the scene or interest the audience/reader
courtly love	A type of idealised love portrayed in literature of the Middle Ages
going dark	Warning to people on stage that the lights are about to be switched off.
soft edge	A beam pattern edge that is not very distinguishable.
prequel	A movie that presents the characters and events before the time of a previously filmed movie.
flashforward	a plot-structuring device whereby a scene from the fictional future is inserted into the fictional present or is dramatized out of order.
cleat	An iron or wooden fixture to which a cord can be tied for making scenery firm
modulation	In poetry, the harmonious use of language relative to the variations of stress and pitch.
anti-naturalism	an acting style in which the audience is kept aware that they are watching a performance rather than reality
joryû bungaku	– JOE-REW BUN-GAH-COO (J: literature by women) Though much of Japan's greatest literature was (and is) written by women, the term is still sometime used as dismissive or pejorative.
narrated monologue	a technique for the representation of a character's consciousness: the character's thoughts are reproduced in a way one would imagine the character to think, though the narrator continues to talk of the character in the third person
satire	Literary device that crticizes beliefs, human failures, and social foibles in a light-hearted vein.
style	The author's words and the characteristic way that writer uses language to achieve certain effects
stage manager	1
volta	pivot point of a
denouement	See Resolution
aside	in drama, a speech directed to the audience that supposedly is not audible to the other characters onstage at the time
flat	1
dimmer	A device used to control how much voltage is supplied to a lighting fixture.
undercut	To speak a line softer than the previous line.
image	An expression that describes a literal sensation, whether of hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and feeling.
syntax	The arrangement of linguistic elements in arbitrary but conventional sequences.
hand-props	Properties that are brought on to the stage by the actor
suspension of disbelief	An explanation for incredible or unrealistic elements in a work of literature
runway model	Model who specializes in modeling clothes and accessories in runway shows.
emotional memory	in Method acting, when an actor attempts to draw upon memories of prior emotions to match the emotions of their character.
deictic	Words that point to particulars, as names and pronouns do for individual places and persons (such as Edwin Arlington Robinson's "Miniver Cheevy" and "Richard Cory"), and demonstrative-adjective-noun combinations (such as Benjamin Franklin King's "Here's that ten dollars that I owe" in "If I Should Die To-night") do for things.
speech	the most mimetic narrative mode, since it seems to give an almost unmediated representation of 'actual' speech events.
fable	A brief tale designed to illustrate a moral lesson
poetry slam	A poetry slam is a spoken-word poetry competition.
turn out	actor is to face downstage, toward the audience
non-traditional casting	A cast which includes people of color, women, seniors and performers with disabilities.
dark adaptation	The process of the eye adapting to changes from light to dark.
gobo	A thin metal disc cut with a pattern and placed in front of a light source so the pattern can be projected.
foley mixer	Someone who mixes the sound effects created by the foley artist.
flashback	When the action of a story is interrupted by a scene from the past.
transmission factor	The ability of a medium to allow for the transmission of light.
dips	lights set into the stage floor usually covered by trapdoors.
convention	a characteristic of literary genre that is understood and accepted by audiences because it has come, through usage and time, to be recognized as a familiar technique
director	the person who leads a show
parts of speech	A traditional classifying system for words in terms of their function. The main catagories are:
imaginative/literary text	Fictional writing in story, dramatic, or poetic form
best boy	Second in command to the gaffer or to the key grip
non-linear editing	Computer-assisted editing of a movie.
configuration	the sequential presentation of different characters together on stage.
drama	A production that takes a thoughtful, serious attitude toward its subject matter.
archaic language	language no longer in use
modal	A modal is a verb that combines with another verb to indicate mood or tense.
scene	A shorthand version of Scene Preset or Look.
scansion	the chief object of this on-line tutorial: an analytic process of mapping the convergence and divergence (reinforcement and counterpoint) between the
isotopy	a concept introduced by the critic A.J
invocation	The act of invoking or calling upon a deity, spirit, etc
lines for grid	1¼" hemp or ½" wire rope
parataxis	linking clauses just by sequencing them, often without conjunction(s) and only by means of associations that are implied, not stated.
spelling rhyme	This occurs where the end words of a line are spelled similarly e.g
melic poetry	Greek poetry written to be sung
point of view	Flashback: A device used in literature to present action that occurred before the beginning of the story
end-stopped	a verse line ending at a grammatical boundary or break, such as a dash, a closing parenthesis, or punctuation such as a colon, a semi-colon, or a period
word-painting	the creation of vivid images of scenery and atmosphere in the viewer's mind by means of rhetorical devices .
orchestra pit	The sunken area immediately in front of the stage.
linguistics	Linguistics is the scientific study of human language
pilgrimage	An act of spiritual devotion or penance in which an individual travels without material comforts to a distant holy place
exitance	The density of light reflecting from a surface at a point, measured in lumens per square foot (formerly"footlamberts")
scoop	A flood light using a large scoop-shaped reflector.
tormentor lights	spotlights mounted on a vertical pipe batten on either side of the stage just behind the tormentors and used as side lighting
dimmer	An apparatus for reducing the light on the stage
personal manager	One who develops the career of a performer in exchange for an agreed upon percentage of earnings.
syllable	One or more letters consisting of one or more vowel sounds in a word that work as a single unit of spoken language.
peripetea	An unexpected reversal in fortune or a sudden change commonly used when describing the situation of a tragic hero.
moral	The lesson taught in a work such as a fable; a simple type of theme
filter	a device for changing, by transmission or reflection, the magnitude or spectral composition of the flux incident upon it
synapheia	A Greek term meaning to fasten together
pick up	To start a scene from a place other than the beginning, usually due to a problem with the original shot.
tormentor	Lights mounted Upstage of tormentor
ode	A poem in praise of something divine or expressing some noble idea
tableau	moment in which a living picture is created on stage and held by actors without motion or speech
first folio	A collection of Comedies, Histories and tragedies (36 in total) of Shakespeare's works, published in 1623.
floodlighting	a system designed for lighting a scene or object to a luminance greater than its surroundings
accent wash	A wash of light over an area, adding colour.
speakeasy	Speakeasy are the promoters of some of the best local and national spoken word talent in the UK.
argument	In logic, an argument is a set of one or more meaningful declarative sentences (or "propositions") known as the premises along with another meaningful declarative sentence (or "proposition") known as the conclusion
verisimilitude	The sense that what one reads is "real," or at least realistic and believable
tableau vivant	Tableau vivant (plural: tableaux vivants) is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit
exit access	the portion of a means of egress that leads to an exit.
theater in the round	A performance taking place on an arena stage
antithesis	Contrasting or combining two terms, phrases, or clauses with opposed or antithetical meanings.
purgation	To purify or purge.
act curtain	See "Grand Drape"
dialogue	A verbal exchange between two or more people.
western fiction	Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier (usually anywhere west of the Mississippi River) and typically set during the late nineteenth century
principal	A lead or starring role.
blues poem	A poem that typically reflects the feelings and experiences of African Americans during the slave era
dialogue	Conversation between two or more people that advances the action, is consistent with the character of the speakers, and serves to give relief from passages essentially descriptive or expository
idiosyncratic	Idiosyncratic means a structural or behavioural characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.
environmental theater	A theatrical performance in which the audience area and the acting area are intermixed with the action occurring all around the audience.
eschatological narrative	A story about the end of the world.
anti-semitic literature	Literature that vilifies Jews or encourages racist attitudes toward them
proscenium arch	A large archway that separates the acting area from the audience area.
primary text	direct speech/ text spoken by the characters of a play.
id	A brief (10 seconds or less) commercial message which depicts or mentions a sponsor's name, product or service during broadcast over television or radio
pyrrhic meter	A metrical foot comprising two unstressed syllables.
allegory	A figurative illustration of truths or generalizations about human conduct or experience in a narrative or description by the use of symbolic fictional figures and actions which the reader can interpret as a resemblance to the subject's properties and circumstances.
vomitory	An specially designed performer entrance that allows actors to enter and exit through the lower seating areas near the stage.
soliloquy	A soliloquy is a device often used in drama whereby a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters
end-stopped	When a line ends in a full pause, usually indicated by a mark of punctuation.
repertoire	(a) The stock of plays that a company can perform
genre	A class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like.
narrator	In a story, the person speaking to the reader or telling the reader the story.
familiar address	Not to be confused with the animal known as a witch's familiar (see immediately below), the familiar address is the use of informal pronouns in Middle English and Early Modern English
wrangler	One who is responsible for the care and control of animals used for a production.
diction	or lexis, or vocabulary of a passage refers to nothing more or less then its words
anecdote	A very short tale told by a character in a literary work
3 voucher system	A way of becoming eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) by acquiring a total of three SAG work vouchers
meter	Rhythm)
ballad	A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music
amphiteatres	type of theatre or stage, typical for example for theatre performance in classical antiquity (Greece and Rome), amphitheatres had a round stage almost entirely surrounded by the audience.
figure of speech	ways of using language that deviate from the literal, denotative meanings of words in order to suggest additional meanings or effects; they say one thing in terms of something else.
xfade	CROSS FADE.
billboard	The opening announcements to a program.
pantoum	A French verse form of four quatrains that repeats entire lines in a strict pattern, 1234, 2546, 5768, 7183
chiasmus	a figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second: "Pleasure is a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure."
house lights	the general lighting system installed in the audience area (house) nf a theatre, film or television studio or arena.
genre	a type or class of literature such as epic or narrative poetry or belles lettres
comedy	The traditional plot of comedy is the reverse of tragedy
cover	To block the audiences view of stage action or of another actor.
germicidal effectiveness	See bactericidal (germicidal) effectiveness.
turn in	actor is to face upstage, away from the audience
front of house	refers to services including parking, concessions, ushering, and playbill distributing
p.o.v.	Point of view
paeon	Greek and Latin metrical foot consisting of three short and one long syllables: the first paeon / ' ~ ~ ~ /, the second paeon / ~ ' ~ ~ /, the third paeon / ~ ~ ' ~ /, and the fourth paeon / ~ ~ ~ ' /.
slow motion	Mmovements on screen are slower than they would be in actual life.
raked stage	A sloping stage which is higher at the upstage end then at the downstage end.
mystery plays	A style theatre that dramatizes events from the Bible
domestic drama	A production that explores the problems of ordinary people in a serious, non-tragic manner.
glare index	A method of predicting the presence of discomfort glare due to daylighting
bellicosity	readiness to fight boater: a kind of men's formal summer hat Boche: offensive term for a German, especially a soldier; pronounced the same as bosh, meaning nonsense bona fide: legitimate, genuine
scene-plot	A list of the scenery used and the order of its use
colour mediums	Sheets of coloured gelatine or glass for stage lighting
tragedy	A serious literary work in which a change in fortune leads to the downfall or death of the protagonist.
off-broadway	Small, professional New York theatres not located on or near the Broadway theatre district.
enjambment	The use of a line that "runs on" to the next line, without pause, to complete its grammatical sense (compare end stop)
storyboard	A series of illustrations that depict the action of a production.
acoustics	the total effect of sound in a theatre, affected by size and shape of a space as well as its furnishings and floor coverings.
community drama	Plays suitable for acting in a Community Theatre
anti-masque	An anti-masque (also spelled antimasque) is a comic or grotesque dance presented before or between the acts of a masque, a type of dramatic composition
sneak preview	Unannounced screening of a movie prior to the premiere
kishōtenketsu	the structure of many Chinese and Japanese narratives, containing four parts
dramatic structure	the identifiable framework of a dramatic work
trip	to lift the bottom of a drop or flown scenery with another set of lines in theatres where there isn't enough fly space to lift the unit vertically to its entire length
metaphor	– MET-A-FOUR (Gr: transference) A trope or figurative expression in which a word or expression is shifted from its normal usage to a context where it evokes new meanings
dithyramb	An ancient Athenian poetic form sung during the Dionysia (see above)
downward component	that portion of the luminous flux from a luminaire emitted at angles below the horizontal
special	A fixture used for one specific object or effect.
surrealistic drama	seeks its truth in the irrationality of the unconscious mind
aphorism	A brief statement which expresses an observation on life, usually intended as a wise observation
hype	Excessive praise or advertising.
specular reflection	The process by which incident light is redirected at the specular (mirror) angle.
background actor	""extra, atmosphere, non-principal performer who does not have lines.
beat	A heavy stress or accent in a line of poetry
face change	To change character suddenly, from theater troupes in Europe where actors would wear paint based on the character they were portraying, typically an actor played the same character all season, so his makeup was always the same
shamisen	SAH-ME-SEN J: A three-stringed banjo-like instrument either plucked with the fingers or a plectrum – a paddle-shaped piece of ivory.
trouvère	Trouvère (is the Northern French (langue d'oïl) form of the word trobador (as spelled in the langue d'oc)
impressionism	An early twentieth century movement embracing the use of images and symbols
mind style	the way in which one expects the character to use language in his/her own mind
exposition	The kind of writing that is intending primarily to present information
cheating	the practice of turning one's body towards the audience even while keeping the head facing one's scene partner
semiotic literary criticism	Semiotic literary criticism, also called literary semiotics, is the approach to literary criticism informed by the theory of signs or semiotics
characterization	The method a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character in a literary work: Methods may include (1) by what the character says about himself or herself; (2) by what others reveal about the character; and (3) by the character's own actions
community theatre	Local, non-commercial, amateur acting group that performs theatrical productions.
uto-aztecan	A non-Indo-European language family found in Central America and the western sections of North America.
chorus	In Greek drama, this is the group of citizens who stand outside the main action on stage and comment on it.
decorum	In literary parlance, the appropriateness of a work to its subject, its genre and its audience.
grand drape	The"main" curtain which separates the stage from the audience.
avant-garde	Avant-garde (French pronunciation: [avɑ̃ɡaʁd]) means "advance guard" or "vanguard"
18-to-play-younger	An actor who is 18 years or older but who can convincingly portray a younger character.
strophe	one section of a lyric poem or choral ode in classical Greek drama
flourishing	In medieval codices, this refers to
stock characters	Standard or cliched character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc
rhopalic verse	(Greek, ‘like a club')
rime enchainée	links consecutive lines, with the last word of one line rhyming with the first word of the following line.
verisimilitude	Verisimilitude, with the meaning Ëof being true or realË is a likeness or resemblance of the truth, reality or a fact's probability
area lighting	The main visibility lighting for an acting area.
crime novel	The term covers both detective fiction and other kinds of crime stories.
aube	An aubade is a poem or song of or about lovers separating at dawn.
fluorescence	the emission of light (luminescence) as the result of, and only during, the absorption of radiation of shorter wavelengths.
hanging	Attaching lights or scenery to battens.
back drop	a large piece of canvas, usually painted with a scene, suspended behind the rest of the scenery
steadicam	A special handheld camera which is designed to reduce the effects of the camera operator's body movements.
matte surface	Surface from which the reflection is predominantly diffuse, with or without a negligible specular component.
script	The text of a play, motion picture, radio broadcast, or prepared speech that includes dialogue and stage directions.
initial letter	Another term for an initial
utopia	An idealized place
proscenium arch	an arch over the front of a stage; the proscenium serves as a "frame" for the action onstage.
double	An actor who briefly stands in place for another actor as for a stunt.
hyperbole	the trope of exaggeration or overstatement
rounds	The applause by the audience
allusion	A reference in literature, or in visual or performing arts, to a familiar person, place, thing, or event
parallelism –	PAIR-AH-LEL-ISM (Gr: side by side) The repetition of identical or very similar syntactic patterns in adjacent phrases, clauses or sentences
field rep.	AFTRA or SAG union staff member who ensures contractual compliance on sets.
fore-stage	See Apron
autobiography	An autobiography (from the Greek, αὐτός-autos self + βίος-bios life + γράφειν-graphein to write) is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.
rushes	First, unedited film footage processed for daily viewing as the shooting of the film progresses.
primary / secondary sources	A primary source is the original text or materials
mass noun	A noun that names things that cannot be counted
symbolist movement	late 19th-century French writers, including Mallarmé and Valéry, whose verse dealt with transcendental phenomena or with images and actions whose meaning was associative rather than referential.
dimmer	a device used to control the intensity of light emitted by a luminaire by controlling the voltage or current available to it.
voice	Voice or voicing is a term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless (unvoiced) or voiced
diffuser	a device to redirect or scatter the light from a source
emblem book	Emblem books are a category of illustrated book printed in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, typically containing a number of emblematic images with explanatory text.
melic verse	An ornate form of Greek poetry of the 7th and 6th centuries BC which was written to be sung, either by a single voice or a chorus, to the accompaniment of musical instruments.
anti-hero	In fiction, an antihero (sometimes antiheroine as feminine) is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis
new criticism	Group of (largely) American critics including: T.S.Eliot, I.A
chanson de geste	Epos, Heroic Quatrain) (Compare Ballad, Narrative, Tragedy)
stress	Emphasis given to a syllable in pitch, volume or duration (or several of these)
epistle	An epistle (pronounced /i'pis.l/; Greek ἐπιστολή, epistolÄ, 'letter') is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter
mixed metaphor	Occurs when two very dissimilar elements are connected, achieving a strange effect because the literal definitions of the elements are too unrelated to each other or because the resulting comparison is false, unlikely, or nonsensical.
cliché	A trite or stereotyped phrase or expression
mezzanine floor	A floor underneath the stage
trio	Group of three singers.
emblem	An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.
analog multiplex	A system that simultaneously transmits more than one analog signal.
comic opera	An outgrowth of the eighteenth-century ballad operas, in which new or original music is composed specially for the lyrics
shot composition	Arrangement of elements within the frame.
c-clamp	Pipe clamp
hola	Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors
props	An abbreviation for stage properties
syntax	word order; the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.
foreshadowing	a hint or clue about what will happen at a later moment in the plot.
single card	A credit on screen in which only one performer's name appears.
prolepsise	Prolepsis may refer to:
interior monologue	When a character’s thoughts and mental associations are used to indirectly convey action and external events; the character’s thoughts are usually not spoken aloud.
homeric simile	An extended comparison that mounts in excitement and usually ends in a climax
spontaneity	When words, ideas, feelings, and emotions flow naturally and spontaneously from a poet without contrivance.
kenning	Ricochet Words)
hyperbaton	An inversion of the normal grammatical word order; it may range from a single word moved from its usual place to a pair of words inverted or to even more extremes of syntactic displacement
jump tune	A fast show tune with a strong beat.
breakaway	Costume, prop or scenery element specially constructed to break or shatter easily.
couplet	especially the closed or heroic couplet.
rig	A complete structural assembly for hanging or supporting fixtures, scenery, and/or other production equipment.
prop	in drama, an object used on the stage.
particular setting	see setting
jiamari	- J-EYE-AH-MAR-EE (J: excess character)
motif	Theme)
euphemism	The substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that might offend or suggest something unpleasant.
onomatopoeia	a word capturing or approximating the sound of what it describes; buzz is a good example.
objectivism	A school of American poetry of the 1930s which sprang up as result of T.S
exposition	that part of the structure that sets the scene, introduces or identifies characters, and establishes the situation at the beginning of a story or play
psa	Public Service Announcement.
per diem	A set daily paid for living expenses.
realism	(1) generally, the practice in literature, especially fiction and drama, of attempting to describe nature and life as they are without idealization and with attention to detail, especially the everyday life of ordinary people
typecasting	selection of actors based upon their physical similarity to a certain dramatic type or upon their reputation for specializing in that kid of role
comedienne	A woman comic actor
epistle	An epistle is a composition in prose or poetry written in the form of a letter.
silent on camera	when one does not have a speaking role.
plot time	see time
acting edition	A copy of the script which has the stage directions, technical cues, prop lists and costume descriptions from the prompt script of the first production.
anagogical	In fourfold interpretation, the anagogical reading is the fourth type of interpretation in which one reads a religious writing in an eschatological manner, i.e., the interpreter sees the passage as a revelation concerning the last days, the end of time, or the afterlife.
allusion	An implied or indirect reference to something assumed to be known, such as a historical event or personage, a well-known quotation from literature, or a famous work of art, such as Keats' allusion to Titian's painting of Bacchus in "Ode to a Nightingale."
imperfect rhyme	Occurs when consonant and vowels sounds are not echoed exactly between words, but are still similar, either by sight or sound.
projection	Making voice, movements, and gestures clear to all sections of the house.
stage hand	Member of the stage crew.
unlimited point of view	see point of view
characterization	the development of characters in fiction, drama, or poetry
episodic	see loose plot.
soliloquy	A speech in a dramatic work in which a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud
cliché	A hackneyed or trite phrase that has become overused
open circuit	A circuit that has a physical break or disconnection.
old comedy	The Athenian comedies dating to 400-499 BCE, featuring invective, satire, ribald humor, and song and dance
italian run-through	A rehearsal run at "double time"
build	Rising intensity or climbing action that develops within a scene or entire play.
anagram	a word spelled out by rearranging the letters of another word
first person narrative	This type of narrative is often written from the first-person singular or first-person plural perspective
tale	Tale may refer to:
stage wait	A dramatic pause used to heighten suspense.
interstitial	Brief, non-commercial, non-PSA material which fills short periods of time between main programs on pay or cable television.
colloquialism	A word or phrase used everyday in plain and relaxed speech, but rarely found in formal writing
tritagonist	an actor who played the third part in Greek tragedy following the protagonist and the deuteragonist
protagonist	The main character in a work, on whom the author focuses most of the narrative attention
homonyms	Two words having identical spellings and pronunciations, but different origins and meanings (i.e
floor pocket	A wiring device with receptacles recessed into to the floor with a hinged cover.
curtain line	Imaginary line across the performance space marking the point where the front tabs / curtain is flown.
theme	central ideas or thoughts of a play that synthesize the audience's experiences
role	Another term for an actor's part in a play.
archetype	Something in the world, and described in literature, that, according to the psychologist Karl Jung, manifests a dominant theme in the collective unconscious of human beings
morality play	The morality play is a genre of Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainment
second unit	A crew responsible for filming shots of less importance than the main scenes (crowd scenes, scenery, etc.)
stage screw	A large screw with a grip in it for fixing braces to the floor
prescriptivist	A grammatical treatise or a lexicon is said to be prescriptivist if it has the goal of fashioning guidelines or "rules" for grammar, spelling, and word use, as opposed to describing unjudgmentally how a group of people tend to use language
general interview	An initial meeting between a casting director or agent and actor, when no specific role is being auditioned.
arcadia	A mountainous region of Greece which was represented as the blissful home of happy shepherds
rehearsal	Session during which the cast, crew and director prepare a production for eventual performance.
maker	A medieval and early Renaissance term for ‘poet.'
situation	the basic circumstances depicted in a literary work, especially when the story, play, or poem begins or at a specific later moment in the action
aphorism –	A-FOR-ISM
chorus	In ancient Greece, the groups of dancers and singers who participated in religious festivals and dramatic performances
props	Objects used by actor on the set.
general manager	Under the producer, oversees all non artistic parts of the production.
scop	The name for an Old English poet-singer.
guild member	Dues-paying member of an industry union.
comedy of manners	A type of drama where the social demeanour of a community is humorously depicted.
vellum	The skin of a young calf used as a writing surface--the medieval equivalent of "paper." A technical distinction is usually made between vellum and parchment; the latter is made from goatskin or sheepskin
prompt	To help an actor with lines.
troupe	a theatrical company
scene	a section or subdivision of a play or narrative that presents continuous action in one specific setting.
iisute	– EYE-EYE-SUE-TEA J: An adjective describing a renga with not enough links, or an irregular number, of casual production and not felt worthy of recording.
glossolalia	A type of language that cannot be understood, glossolalia is often referred to as "speaking in tongues."
epic	a long narrative poem, told in a formal, elevated style, that focuses on a serious subject and chronicles heroic deeds and events important to a culture or nation
aufklärung	The German term for the philosophical movement called in English "the Enlightenment" or the Neoclassical movement
soap opera or soap	A melodramatic TV serial.
rhyme	Normally end-rhyme, that is, lines of verse characterized by the consonance of terminal words or syllables
drive-on pass	A pass which permits one to drive onto and park on a studio lot.
chorus	A group of performers that make up the community of characters within a play, having few lines individually, and seen on stage as one entity.
pleonasm	Redundancy or superfluous words.
auditory imagery	Descriptive language that evokes noise, music, or other sounds
cinquain –	SIN-QUAY-N The poetry form devised by Adelaide Crapsy around 1910, supposedly based on the tanka, in which five lines are filled with the syllable count of 2/4/6/8/2.
amx	Abbreviation for Analog Multiplex.
victorian	Verse written in the reign of Victoria, from 1837 to 1901.
kouta	– KOH-OU-TA (J: little song) A broad classification for several varieties of short songs from traditional to popular which is most often associated with the popular songs made popular in the pleasure quarters of Edo (old Tokyo) where they were often composed and sung by geisha to the accompaniment of the shamisen.
analogue	usually a semantic or narrative feature in one work said to resemble something in another work, without necessarily implying that a cause-and-effect relationship exists (as would be the case with source and influence)
metaphor	A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one object or idea is applied to another, thereby suggesting a likeness or analogy between them, as:
connotation	associations and implications that go beyond the literal meaning of a word, which derive from how the word has been commonly used and the associations of the people making it
thrust stage	a stage design that allows the audience to sit around three sides of the major acting area.
trucking shot	Any moving shot where a camera is mounted on a movable vehicle.
beat	A deliberate pause for effect.
overcast sky	A sky luminance distribution three times brighter near (C.I.E
post-colonial literature	This term refers to writings in the colonial language (e.g English, French etc) that derive from former colonies of Empires
direct lighting	lighting by luminaires distributing 90-100% of the emitted light in the general direction of the surface
aesthetic distance	See distance.
anchorite	An eremite or hermit in the medieval period who requests permission from the local pastor to be sealed up in a small cell attached to the side of the church, where the anchorite would live out the rest of his days relying upon the charity of the local community to provide food and water through a small opening
stunt coordinator	A person responsible for planning, designing and supervising stunts.
homophones	Words which sound exactly the same but which have different meanings ('maid' and 'made').
antithesis	opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a parallel sentence construction.
erythemal effectiveness	the capacity of various portions of the ultraviolet spectrum to produce erythema.
methodology	set of analytical tools used to investigate systematically a certain phenomenon.
flourisher	In medieval times, this was a professional artist who works in conjunction with illuminators and rubricators to design pen-work decoration on initials and /or flourishwork on the borders of decorated books
tercet –	TAIR-SET A verse unit of three lines
dry tech	A rehearsal, usually without actors, during which the light and sound cues are worked out.
upstage	The area on stage farthest from the audience.
speed through	A rehearsal during which actors recite their lines quickly without blocking
revue	A production composed of sketches, comedy routines and dance numbers.
style	the way in which language is used
groundlings	Members of an Elizabethan audience who paid a very low entrance fee and stood in the open area below and around the stage
headlight	an alternative term for headlamp.
voice	the verbal aspect of point of view, the acknowledged or unacknowledged source of a story's words; the speaker; the "person" telling the story and that person's particular qualities of insight, attitude, and verbal style
metaphor	A figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one object or idea is applied to another, thereby suggesting a likeness or analogy between them
mora	Mora (plural moras or morae) is a unit of sound used in phonology that determines syllable weight (which in turn determines stress or timing) in some languages
strophe	A strophe is the first of three series of lines forming the divisions of each section of a Pindaric ode.
afl-cio	American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations
parataxis	Linking clauses just by sequencing them, often without conjunction(s) and only by means of associations that are implied, not stated.
denotation	a direct or specific meaning, often referred to as the dictionary meaning of a word
text	words of the dialogue and lyrics
screen test	A brief, filmed audition fo later evaluation by casting people.
super model	A model who is readily recognized by the general public.
tiring-house	An enclosed area in an Elizabethan theater where the actors awaited their cue to go on stage, changed their costumes, and stored stage props
ambiance	Loosely the term is equivalent to atmosphere or mood, but more specifically, ambiance is the atmosphere or mood of a particular setting or location
escape stairs	Steps which are hidden from the audience's view, which are used by actors to exit or enter from upper-level platforms or doors.
gothic novel	sub-genre of the novel which flourished in the late 18th and during the 19th century, usually set in the medieval period, the plots in gothic novels develop an atmosphere of gloom or even terror, they make liberal use of mystery, desolate castles with secret passages, sensational or supernatural occurrences.
foul papers	Rough drafts of a manuscript that have not been corrected and are not to be sent to the printers
pre-screen	To audition for a casting director to determin if an actor should be auditioned for the director.
end-stopped	A verse line ending at a grammatical boundary or break, such as a dash, a closing parenthesis, or punctuation such as a colon, a semi-colon, or a period
sound studio	A recording studio.
liverpool poets	A 1960s group of popular writers from the west-England city of Liverpool, including Adrian Henri, Roger McGough, and Brian Patten.
protest poem	An attack, sometimes indirect, on institutions or social injustices
high-angle shot	A shot taken from above a scene as if looking down on the scene.
counterpoint	Chapter 5 is called the Discovery of Form ( touches on Symmetry) and Chapter 6 is called the Discovery of Meter (this is where he makes the distinction between vers libre and vers libéré .
thrust stage	Acting area that extends out into the audience permitting a view from three sides.
trade show	A promotional event held in a convention center in which products marketed to retailers.
sight gag	Visual humor includes funny props, costumes, makeup, hairstyles, or movements.
corner	The "prompt corner"; the place from which the stage manager communicates with the actors and the production crew.
trampoline	a framework of net, webbed or rubberized material used to cushion the fall of an actor from a height
naturalism	A style of performance in which the actors strive for a "realistic" performance.
free verse	Rhythmical but non-metrical, non-rhyming lines
interlude	A play belonging to the sixteenth century performed in a simple form either with dialogue or in dumb show
voice-over	Performance that consists solely of recording a performers voice.
in medias res	In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning (cf
modernism	An important movement in the early to mid-twentieth century that broke with traditional subjects and poetic forms to discover or create a new and contemporary means of personal expression
sound effects	Sounds added during post-production.
aimp	Association of Independent Music Publishers.
sub-plot	A second or subsidiary plot to the main plot of a play
thesis play	serious treatment of social, moral, or philosophical ideas
puppet	A marionette
over-the-shoulder	A shot taken over the shoulder of one actor, focusing on the face and upper torso of the other actor in a scene.
curtain	A drape across the stage to conceal some or all of the performance space.
"out" time	Time you are released after changing out of wardrobe and make-up.
shared scene	Scene in which two actors receive equal emphasis.
print work	Modeling assignments for use in print media.
paronomasia	punning, a play of meaning by yoking similar-sounding words
cadence	The convergence was more lexical than semantic, since the word came to mean whatever a writer liked
chief electrician gaffer)	The head of the electrician crew.
valley	hucks misspelling of valet..
crank-up stand	A stand that is raised and lowered with the aid of a rotatable handle and gear mechanism.
anapest	An anapest is a metrical foot of three syllables, the first two short, the last long
cue	(a) Words or action on which an actor speaks or acts
payola	Illegal payment to broadcasters in exchange for airplay.
epithet	Adjective expressing quality or attribute
accent –	AC(t)-SENT (L: accentus – song added to speech) Greater articulary force, resulting from greater musculatory exertion in forming a sound
throw away	Underplay a moment in a scene
tragic flaw - hamartia	Hamartia (Ancient Greek: ἁμαρτία) is a term developed by Aristotle in his work Poetics
epithalamion	lyric poem in praise of Hymen (the Greek god of marriage) or of a particular wedding, such as Edmund Spenser's "Epithalamion."
glow lamp	an electric-discharge lamp whose mode of operation is that of a glow discharge, and in which light is generated in the space close to the electrodes.
versification	Literally, the making of verse, the term is often used as another name for prosody
non-fiction novel	The non-fiction novel or faction is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real events narrated with techniques of fiction
troupe	A company of actors.
goliardic verse	Verse written during the 12th and 13th centuries and attributed to the Goliards who were wandering scholars
point of view	the perspective from which people, events, and other details in a work of fiction are viewed; also called focus, though the term point of view is sometimes used to include both focus and voice
cosmic irony	occurs when a writer uses God, destiny, or fate to dash the hopes and expectations of a character or of humankind in general
cycle	The aggregate of accumulated literature, plays or musical works treating the same theme
denotation	What a word points to, names, or refers to, either in the world of things or in the mind.
distal stimuli	any of the points
lamp	an electric-discharge lamp in which the light-producing arc is stabilized by wall temperature
doubling	Actor performing more than one part in a production.
liverpool poets	Name given to Roger McGough, Brian Patten and Adrian Henri who came together in Liverpool in the 1960s
front of house	The auditorium
demo tape	(DEMO REEL) An audio or video tape containing scene or sound clips that actors and their agents use for auditions.
ghost characters	This term should not be confused with characters who happen to appear on stage as ghosts
grip	Crew member of a TV or film production, who is responsible for the adjustment and maintenance of production equipment on the set
protagonist	The hero or central character of a literary work
nonet	A group of nine.
thrust stage/open stage/apron stage	wraparound theater space where the stage extends out into the audience and the spectators view the action from three sides
light adaptation	The process of the eye adapting to changes from dark to light.
liverpool poets	a 1960s group of popular writers from the west-England city of Liverpool, including Adrian Henri, Roger McGough, and Brian Patten.
dialogue	the verbal exchanges between characters
lost generation	A group of twentieth-century authors who grew disillusioned after World War I and lived in Europe as expatriates
atmosphere	the mood of the play conveyed through stage business, lights, props, costumes, makeup, sound.
commercial theatre	Professional theatre productions developed with the goal of making money for investors.
experimental/visual poetry	The presentation of a poetic movement in a visual manner that implies other meanings or implications that aren't reflected in the words themselves
evergreen	A song that continues being popular year after year.
burlesque	A sex and comedy variety show.
heat extraction	thermal factor the fractional lumen loss or gain due to passage of room air being returned to the plenum through the lamp compartment of a luminaire.
neoclassicism	a movement which dominated during the eighteenth century and was notable for its adherence to the forms of classical drama
metaphysical conceit - conceit	In English literature the term is generally associated with the 17th century metaphysical poets, an extension of contemporary usage
tetrameter	A tetrameter is a line of verse that has four metrical feet.
standby	Actor who is prepared to substitute for a lead actor in case the lead is unable to perform.
give/take	To receive or give greater focus in a scene
architectural set	a permanent structure that can be altered to suggest different locations by adding scenic pieces, draperies, and properties
iambic pentameter	An iambic line of five feet
angel	someone who provides financial support to a company or production.
masking	Scenery, cloths or framed cloths that are being used to mask or hide the workings of the stage and off stage areas.
low comedy	see comedy.
tab	See "Batten"
grand guignol	Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol (French: "The Theater of the Big Puppet") — known as the Grand Guignol — was in the Pigalle area of Paris (at 20 bis, rue Chaptal)
contemporary period	Broadly speaking the term covers literature written from 1939 to the present.
picaresque novel	The picaresque novel (Spanish: "picaresca", from "pàcaro", for "rogue" or "rascal") is a popular sub-genre of prose fiction which is usually satirical and depicts, in realistic and often humorous detail, the adventures of a roguish hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society
extrametrical verse - acatalexis	An acatalectic line of verse is one having the metrically complete number of syllables in the final foot
symbolist drama	seek its truth in symbols, myths, and dreams
comic relief	A humorous scene, incident, character, or bit of dialogue occurring after some serious or tragic moment
discovered	Said of a player when on the stage at the rise of the curtain
spoonerism	An accidental switch of 2 sounds with humorous effect eg 'a crushing blow' becomes 'a blushing crow'.
tragedy	a drama in which a character (usually good and noble and of high rank) is brought to a disastrous end in his or her confrontation with a superior force due to a fatal flaw in his or her character
primum comparandum	one of the three elements of a verbal comparison: the original item that is to be described by the help of an image, in a metaphor the primum comparandum is not necessarily mentioned explicitly
wattage	The power consumed by a circuit.
"in" time	The time of day to begin the production day or to return from a break.
kickoff	The start principal photography .
lumen	The quantity of luminous flux emitted within a unit solid angle (one steradian) by a point source with one candella intensity in all directions.
soundstage	A large, soundproof building which allows filmmakers control over sound, light, temperature, visitors, and security for the filming of a production.
ionic	a Classical Greek and Latin double foot consisting of two unstressed syllables and two stressed syllables, either ionic a majore / ' ' ~ ~ / or ionic a minore / ~ ~ ' ' /.
stop motion	Animation in which objects are filmed frame-by-frame with slight alterations of position from frame to frame.
dresser	A wardrobe assistant assigned to help with costume changes costume maintenance throughout the run of a production.
mood - setting tone	Authors set a Tone in literature by conveying emotions/feelings through words
trick ending	Another term for an O
hexameter	A line of poetry that has six metrical feet.
prompt-desk	Small desk at prompt side of stage for the use of the stage-manager or prompter
persuasion	The type of speaking or writing that is intended to make its audience adopt a certain opinion or pursue an action or do both.
subtext	Implicit meaning of the text of a script.
stage parent	Overly involved parent of a young actor.
in flanders fields	" by Lt
pararhyme	Pararhyme, also known as partial or imperfect rhyme is a term devised by the poet Edmund Blunden to describe a near rhyme in which the consonants in two words are the same, but the vowels are different
f.o.h.	Front of House
rescheduled booking	A confirmed booking in which the day and time is changed from what was initially agreed upon.
theatre	A building designed for the performance of plays
c-clamp	See "pipe clamp"
imagism	Impressionism, Metaphysical, Objectivism, Realism, Romanticism, Symbolism)
literary competence	the ability to produce and understand literary texts.
focus puller	Camera crew member (assistant cameraman) who adjusts the focus of the camera during filming.
bomb	A production that is a financial disaster.
ad spectatores	‘to the spectators': type of utterance in drama where the actor directly addresses the audience.
waiting room	Green room
interior	Scene filmed to represent a indoor location.
open	Fully facing the audience.
book flat	Two scenery flats hinged together in an "L" shape in order to be free standing.
the lamb	" and "Tyger! Tyger!"
bathos –	BA-TOES (Gr: depth) An attempt at elevated expression which misfires and so had the unintentional effect of sudden transport from the sublime to the ridiculous
quatrain	a four line stanza
hairstylist	Person responsible for maintaining actors' hairstyles during filming.
dress stage	To slightly change position to balance the acting area after another actor made a cross.
onomastics	The study of proper names, especially the names of people and places.
aka	Also known as
thesis	The unaccented part of a poetic foot; also, the first part of an antithetical figure of speech.
harlem renaissance	A movement in the early 1900s in which African-Americans made strong, impressionable influences on American society, politics, music, literature, and culture after migrating from the South to a new suburb in New York City called Harlem
fx	Special effects.
set	the design, decoration, and scenery of the stage during a play; not to be confused with setting.
catharsis	The purging of emotions in an act to cleanse one's soul; an important element prevalent in Greek tragedies.
postcard	A 4x6 card upon which is printed an actor's photo and information about the actor
batten	A pipe hung on a set of lines to which lighting or scenery can be hung.
gaseous discharge	the emission of light from gas atoms excited by an electric current.
episodia	The Greek word for episode
attitude	An expressed position, feeling, or manner with regard to a person, idea, or thing.
eye light	illumination on a person to provide a specular reflection from the eyes, teeth
advance man	someone who travels ahead of any traveling production arranging for the theatre, publicity, housing, etc.
light	a rhythmic light in which the light and dark periods are equal.
flat characters	Characters who are two-dimensional because they do not develop during the course of the novel or play.
accent	The prominence or emphasis given to a syllable or word
autobiography	see biography.
treatment	An abridged script ; longer than a synopsis
feminist criticism	A discourse which addresses what it considers to be the patriarchal nature of society and literature, and attempts to think about equality of men and women.
control board	A remote device used to control dimmers/moving lights etc.
gunsaku	- GOO'N-SAH-KOO (J: group work) A term for poems written by a group of persons
flood light	A metal box with a high powered light and a reflector, with or without a lens, used for lighting broad surfaces
flashback	A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events--usually in the form of a character's memories, dreams, narration, or even authorial commentary (such as saying, "But back when King Arthur had been a child
omniscient point of view	see point of view.
ear prompter	Ear device worn to assist actors with scripts that are difficult to memorize.
mask	To hide from the audience's view, often with black velour curtains or other scenic elements
easter uprising	On Easter Monday in 1916, about 1,200 Irish revolutionaries armed with only rifles engaged in an aborted rebellion against English domination of their country
cliché	Language or ideas that have become trite or commonplace through overuse; stereotypical, boring, unoriginal language.
enclosing method	Another term for framing method.
announcer	A performer hired to deliver a message other than a commercial.
dry up	To forget one's words in a play
realism	the practice in literature of attempting to describe nature and life without idealism and with attention to detail
temporal setting	see setting
take five	slang term used to indicate that you are going to take a break from working for five minutes
subgenre	see genre
rapscallion	rascal
credits	The names of the people responsible for a film or TV production; also a list of performance experience included on a resume or in a program.
literary techniques	See literary devices.
fly system	a system of weights, ropes, pulleys and battens which is used to raise and lower lights, scenery and equipment.
read through	Usually the first rehearsal during which the cast and director sits and reads through the script.
underground press	The phrase underground press is most often used to refer to the independently published and distributed underground papers associated with the counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and other western nations
foreign replay	Fee paid for rebroadcast outside the United States.
rehearsal fee	Fee to a performer for attending a rehearsal.
private theatricals	A performance of a play by amateurs in a private house
passion play	Religious drama depicting the life of Christ.
steal	To move on-stage without attracting the audience's attention.
floor plan	1
actress	a female actor.
concrete diction	words that emphasize things immediately perceivable by the senses
mora	A unit of measure in quantitative verse; namely the time taken up by a short syllable
camera left	actor's right when facing the camera.
go motion	A form of animation which incorporates motion blur.
dog-town	A town in which a play is "tried-out" previous to its performance in the metropolis
comedy	A work which is principally designed to amuse and entertain, and where, despite problems during the narrative, all ends well for the characters.
tragedienne	A woman actor who plays leading parts in tragedy
trimeter	A line of verse consisting of three metrical feet or three dipodies.
multiculturalism	In literature, multiculturalism is the belief that literary studies should include writings, poetry, folklore, and plays from a number of different cultures rather than focus on Western European civilization alone
iambic pentameter	See discussion under meter.
local color	A detailed setting forth of the characteristics of a particular locality, enabling the reader to "see" the setting
playgoer	One who habitually goes to the theatre to see the play
spondee	A metrical foot of two syllables, both of which are long (or stressed).
rhetorical question	The poet asks a question without expecting to learn anything from the response, or to pose any difficulty for the reader, the answer being something that the poet already implies and the reader infers.
dynamic character	see character
setting	the time and place of the action in a story, poem, or play
stunt performer	An actor who is trained and knowledgeable in performing stunts.
frame story	See frame narrative.
conflict	Contractual limitation preventing, for a set amount of time, an actor who represents one client's product, from representing a competing product.
motif	In narrative, a motif (pronunciation) (helpÂ·info) is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story
on-stage	Performance area visible to the audience.
translation	Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text
golden line	The golden line is a type of Latin dactylic hexameter frequently mentioned in Latin classrooms in English speaking countries and in contemporary scholarship written in English.
call beginners	Direction to the call-boy to call on to the stage the actors who open the play
mermaid tavern	Tavern frequented by John Donne, Francis Beaumont, Ben Jonson and possibly William Shakespeare
sandbag	Canvas bag filled with sand; used as a counterweight.
point of view	The perspective from which you tell your story or make your point.
candlepower	A term used in place of intensity .
subplot	A minor or subordinate secondary plot, often involving a deuteragonist's struggles, which takes place simultaneously with a larger plot, usually involving the protagonist
cliffhanger	A melodramatic narrative (especially in films, magazines, or serially published novels) in which each section "ends" at a suspenseful or dramatic moment, ensuring that the audience will watch the next film or read the next installment to find out what happens
night premium	A fee paid for specified work performed after 8 p.m.
stage crew	Peopel responsible for moving props and and scenery during the show.
trilogy	A literary composition, usually a novel or a play, written in three parts, each of which is a complete unit in itself.
trouveres	Its 60-line length provided increased range for elaboration of the subject matter, which often dealt with satirical observations as well as elevated topics.
quatorzain	Volta)
monologue	Text spoken by a lone speaker, for example Night of the Scorpion by Nissem Ezekiel.
first electric	First row of lights hung from a batten behind the proscenium.
property-man or master	The member of the stage staff in charge of properties
discourse	Formal, extended expression of thought on a subject, either spoken or written.
early modern english	The English language from 1475 to 1700.Chaucer is before this period.
psychological/psychoanalytical criticism	an approach to literary criticism influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud which attempts to interpret literary texts with regard to the author's psychological state or the psychology of the text itself.
syntax	In linguistics, syntax (from Ancient Greek σύνταξις "arrangement" from σύν syn, "together", and τάξις táxis, "an ordering") is the study of the principles and rules for constructing sentences in natural languages.
elevation	A working drawing showing the side view of the set or lighting arrangement.
maqama	Picaresque Arabic stories in rhymed prose
verso sdrucciolo	In Italian prosody, any line that ends with a word where the dominant accent is on the antepenultimate syllable, making the line ending proparoxytonic.
gaffer	Chief Lighting Technician
disyllable	Monosyllable, Polysyllable)
eisteddfod	Welsh bardic festival where poets and musicians competed for prizes
business	Busy work for the actor while playing on the stage to establish character, setting, and situation.
off-off-broadway	Very small, low-budget avante-garde productions often produced in lofts, warehouses or churches.
celtic revival	Irish poets such as George Russell (AE), James Joyce, John M
apocalypse	From the Greek word apocalypsis ("unveiling"), an apocalypse originally referred to a mystical revelation of a spiritual truth, but has changed in twentieth-century use to refer specifically to mystical visions concerning the end of the world
narrator	someone who recounts a narrative or tells a story
antihero	a protagonist who is in one way or another the very opposite of a traditional hero
insert	A close-up shot that will be "inserted" into the final version of a film during editing.
lycidas	by John Milton, is a noteworthy exception.
workshop	An acting class which is not part of a formal actor training program.
symbolism	Frequent use of words, places, characters, or objects that mean something beyond what they are on a literal level
trod the boards	To be a professional actor.
single plot	narratives or plays with only one plot line
miracle of the virgin	A vita or a miracle play that dramatizes some aspect of humanity activity, and ends with the miraculous intervention of the Blessed Virgin
ic flaw	A limitation or weakness of a character, which causes a their downfall
perfidy	treachery or deceit philistine: Someone with no feeling for the arts; one regarded as being ignorant, uncultured, and indifferent or hostile to artistic and intellectual achievement
pyrrhic	A pyrrhic is a metrical foot used in formal poetry
speed-up	see summary
thesis	the point of the essay
fourth wall	1
erythemal flux	radiant flux evaluated according to its capacity to produce erythema of the untanned human skin, It usually is measured in microwatts of UV radiation weighted in accordance with its erythemal efficiency
quick change	(a) To change rapidly from one scene to another
house	1
faustian bargain	To agree to a sacrifice in exchange for knowledge. From the legend of Faust
change pages	Changes made to a script during production
bumper	A short, non-commercial announcement such as "we'll be right back".
type	A character stereotype.
punch line	Line designed to get a laugh.
backing flat	a painted canvas positioned behind a window or door in a set.
manner adverb	A manner adverb is an adverb (such as "quickly" or "slowly") that describes how the action of a verb is carried out.
eponymous hero	the name of the protagonist is also the title of the narrative or play.
quick change	A fast costume change.
stanza	A group of lines roughly analogous in function in verse to the paragraph's function in prose.
rewrite	Changes in the script
toggle bar	horizontal pieces of wood used in constructing a flat to make it rigid
stunt double	A stuntperson who performs stunts in place of a principal actor.
plot hole	a particular item of the plot of a narrative which fails to uphold a reader's suspension of disbelief
tercet	A group of three lines that rhyme together and/or rhyme with adjacent or nearby groups of three lines.
low comedy	see comedy.
stand-by	A warning given to crews that a cue needs to be executed soon.
analepsis	A flashback.
prop table	Backstage table upon which props are placed before use.
asyndeton	lists of words, phrases, or expressions without conjunctions such as `and' and `or' to link them
inversion	Deviation from normal word orderAnacoluthon Syntax is not merely inverted but deliberately ungrammatical, often changing gammatical structure mid-sentenceAposiopesis Syntactic effect to leave a sentence unfinishedAnthimeria Playing with grammatical expectations by substituting a "wrong" part of speech
playwright	The writer of a play
microcosm	a smaller version or little world"
parallel structure	A repetition of sentences using the same structure
in medias res	"in the midst of things" (Latin); refers to opening a plot in the middle of the action, and then filling in past details by means of exposition or flashback.
costume designer	A person who designs the costumes for a production.
monorhyme	A rhymescheme in which all lines rhyme (aaaa etc.)
hubris	excessive pride which usually leads to the downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama
discomfort glare	Glare producing discomfort
classics	See discussion under classical, above.
cacophony	the term dissonance more strongly implies a deliberate choice.
quantity	a metrical principle of Greek and Latin
voice-over artist	An actor who performs solely with his/her voice.
tragicomedy	Tragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy
hard wired	A term used to describe an electrical connection that is intended to be permanent.
running lines	Rehersal during which lines are rehearsed without blocking.
timing	Choosing the right moment to deliver a line or perform an action for maximum effect.
light shelf	A horizontal shelf positioned (usually above eye level) to reflect daylight onto the ceiling and to shield direct flare from the sky.
phoneme	A linguistic term used to describe a unit in speech which carries meaning.
denotative and connotative language	Describes the meaning and the emotions evoked by certain language, unlike concrete language.
flashback	The interruption of the plot in order to present an event that occurred earlier.
trickster tale	Story relating the adventures of a mischievous supernatural being much given to capricious acts of sly deception, who often functions as a cultural hero or symbolizes the ideal of a people.
rhythm	the occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words (usually vowel and consonant sounds)
emergency lighting	lighting designed to supply illumination essential to safety of life and property in the event of failure of the normal supply
bury	To hide someone or something out of sight in a scene.
evidence	Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion
fluoren	a unit of " black light" flux equal to one milliwatt of radiant flux in the wavelength range 320-400 nm.
general semantics	According to Algeo, "A linguistic philosophy emphasizing the arbitrary nature of language to clarify thinking" (319).
cue	1
convention	A widely used and device or technique that an audience traditionally agrees to accept as part of the theatrical production
thesis	A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for a degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings
skip	A large box which stores costumes and props for touring.
subject	Usually the person or thing who is performing the action of a verb
arsis	In music and prosody, arsis and thesis refer to the stronger and weaker parts of a musical measure or poetic foot
conflict	The central tension and point of suspense in a literary work
denotation	The literal or dictionary definition of a word
glare	See direct glare, disability glare, discomfort glare, reflected glare.
new criticism	a textimmanent approach to literature.
additional photography	Recalling actors and crew to film scenes that need to be filmed to correct mistakes or to add additional film footage.
turning point	The point in a story at which things change irrevocably for the characters.
cabaret	Entertainment presented to any audience in night-clubs, hotel-restaurants or at dinners
imagery	Mimesis)
production coordinator	One responsible for practical matters of a production (ordering equipment, making travel and housing arrangements, etc.)
pun	A comic effect suggesting two meanings from one word or phrase.
parts model	One who models products thats focus body parts such as hands, feet, legs or arms.
headlink	See discussion under
epic	a long narrative, usually in verse, which deals with an event of major national or cultural importance written in a sublime style.
epizeuxis	A type of repetition used as a device, where a word is repeated with emphasis.
monograph	A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author
counting feet	determining how many times a metric foot repeats in one line
mic	Microphone.
narrator time	see time
places	Direction given to the actors and crew to take their positions for the performance.
plot	The sequence of the events and actions. The plot consists of the beginning, the exposition; the middle, the rising action or complication, the crisis, and the falling action; and the end, the resolution or denouement.
incipient	emerging insuperable: insurmountable interlocutor: one who takes part in a conversation or dialogue
foley editor	Someone who edits the sounds created by the foley artist.
fade	To gradually increase or decrease the intensity of light
first person narrative	A narrative in which one of the characters narrates the story knowing only information that he or she can observe based on his or her limited perspective.
ascap	American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
script	The printed book or manuscript of a play or part in a play
acting area	a small area of the stage that has its own set of lights
alba	A poem from the troubadour tradition in France, usually about lovers parting at dawn.
out time	Actual time after which an actor has changed out of wardrobe and is released.
inset	A small scene set inside a larger one.
dress parade	Final check of costumes before the first dress rehearsal
hebraism	Hebraism is the identification of a usage, trait, or characteristic of the Hebrew language
heptameter	A line consisting of seven metrical feet
trope	A figure of speech, such as metaphor or metonymy, in whch words are not used in their literal (or actual) sense but in a figurative (or imaginative) sense.
cliché	A trite expression or idea that is so overused it has lost its effectiveness.
acting area	That part of the stage on which the action of the play takes place
setting	The time and place of the action in a story, play, or poem.
shiori	- SHE-OH-REE (J: bent/withered) A delicate, pathetic quality for an image.
alliteration	Alliteration is the repetition of the same starting sound in several words of a sentence: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper is an example of alliteration.
carpe diem	A Latin expression that means “seize the day.” Carpe diem poems urge the reader (or the person to whom they are addressed) to live for today and enjoy the pleasures of the moment
eclogue	A pastoral poem, especially a pastoral dialogue, usually indebted to the Virgillian tradition.
antonomasia	Metonymy)
allegory	(Greek, ‘speaking otherwise')
gemel	A final couplet that appears at the end of a sonnet
strip light	A row of lights used in any position to light a part of the stage or scenery
onomatopoeia	Onomatopoeia means to use words to imitate sounds
"single effect" theory	Edgar Allan Poe's theory about what constituted a good short story
galoot	slang word for a big strong man who is stupid
creative director	Person in an advertising agency who creates and develops advertisement concepts.
use cycle	any 13-week period during which a commercial is aired.
stock character	a character not fully developed who seems to represent a type more than a real personality (see also flat character)
synesthesia	A marvel that occurs when something is sensed, felt, perceived, or described in terms of something else.
personification	Presentation of inanimate objects as having human qualities, for example ‘And all that mighty heart is lying still!’ (Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth).
showcase	A stage show specifically designed to promote actors by giving them a performance opportunity in front of casting people.
attitude	State of mind or emotion that a character brings to the action of a production.
elevator	A mechanized stage that raises and lowers the floor to get scenery, properties, and performers on and off the stage.
signatory	A producer who develops a production under the terms of a union contract.
obstacle	something prevents a character from achieving their objectives.
antimetabole	In rhetoric, antimetabole (pronounced /æntɨməˈtæbəliː/ AN-ti-mə-TAB-ə-lee) is the repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed grammatical order (e.g., "I know what I like, and I like what I know")
first ass't. camera op.	First Assistant Camera Operator
metonym	A metonym is a word or phrase used in place of another with which it is closely associated.
catharsis	This is a term drawn from Aristotle's writings on tragedy
western	(Oater) A film which is set in the United States late 19th-century "Wild West".
oxymoron –	OX-EE-MORE-ON Two words which each make sense but combined indicate something unobtainable or satirical
epitrite	Greek and Latin metrical foot consisting of short, long, long, and long syllables / ~ ' ' ' / in any order.
advance	refers ot tickets sold before the productgion begins
soft patch	Plugging dimmers into control channels electronically.
numbers	Metrical feet or verse in general.
backdrop	A curtain, or painted or plain cloth, dropped across the back of the scene
making the rounds	Attending interviews and auditions in order to get work.
corpse	laughing when on stage, as the actor, not the character, would
onomatopoeia	A literary device wherein the sound of a word echoes the sound it represents
amphitheater	a theater consisting of a stage area surrounded by a semicircle of tiered seats.
walla walla	General background crowd noise.
producer	An executive who manages the business aspects of a production.
lapidary	A book of the properties and meanings of stones and gems.
rising action	the development of action in a work, usually at the beginning
lake poets	Collective term for Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey who all lived in the Lake District in the early years of the 19th century
conjunction	A word used to connect words or constructions
npr	National Public Radio.
squib	A small explosive device,worn by actors, which when detonated will simulate the effect of a bullet or puncture wound or small explosion.
narrative essay	An essay that tells a story
choka	Japanese form with alternating lines of five and seven syllables, ending with a couplet of seven-syllable lines.
conventional symbol	meanings that are widely recognized by a society or culture
decasyllable	Dodecasyllable, Hendecasyllable, Octosyllable)
couplet	A pair of rhyming lines in verse, e.g The dog ate the cat/But forgot about the bat.
mow	Movie of the Week.
narrator	A person who tells a story, or a voice fashioned by an author to recount a narrative.
choreographer	One who creates dance movements and supervises dancers in a production.
blacks	Black clothing worn by technical personnel during productions.
close-up	Detailed shot in which the subject extends beyond the boundry of the frame.
stunt	A dangerous piece of physical action.
macaronic verse	Nonsense Poetry)
harlem renaissance	Neoclassical Period: See Neoclassicism
third person omniscient narrative	A narrative in which the writer uses an all seeing or all knowing narrator who is aware of all of the private thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of each character.
blocking agent	A person, circumstance, or mentality that prevents two potential lovers from being together romantically
quantitative metre	A metrical system based on the length or 'weight' of syllables, rather than on stress
goniophotometer	a photometer for measuring the directional light distribution characteristics of sources, luminaires, media and surfaces.
lens	A transparent material, usually glass, shaped to bend light rays as they pass through it.
novel	an extended piece of prose fiction.
tetrameter	A line of verse consisting of four metrical feet.
eschatology	The branch of religious philosophy or theology focusing on the end of time, the afterlife, and the Last Judgment
fantasy	a genre of literary work featuring strange settings and characters and often involving magic or the supernatural; though closely related to horror and science fiction, fantasy is typically less concerned with the macabre or with science and technology
lackeys	those who are excessively willing to obey lickspittle: toady; someone who shows undue deference toward social superiors
discovery	Moment of revelation.
tracks	slots in a stage floor created for guiding portable scenery, wagons, and properties
image	A mental representation of a particular thing able to be visualized (and often able to be apprehended by senses other than sight).
online writing	A text created with (and usually intended for viewing on) a computer, smartphone, or similar digital device.
ballad measure	Traditionally, ballad measure consists of a four-line stanza or a quatrain containing alternating four-stress and three-stress lines with an
climax	The climax (from the Greek word "κλῖμαξ" (klimax) meaning "staircase" and "ladder") or turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension or drama or when the action starts in which the solution is given.
direct ratio	the ratio of the luminous flux reaching the workplane directly to the downward component from the luminaire.
thespian	actor; after Thespis, the first Greek dramatist
canticle	A hymn or religious song using words from any part of the Bible except the Psalms.
genre	types or classes of literature, its members share many resemblance in form, types of character, topic, structure, etc.
antagonist	See discussion under character, below.
celtic	Of or relating to the Celts and their language.
décor	The scenery, or setting of a play
expense form	A form used by actors to document their job related expenses for tax purposes.
voiced and unvoiced	consonants are voiced when the vocal cords move (/b/) and unvoiced when they remain still (/p/).
direct-indirect lighting	a variant of general diffuse lighting in which the luminaires emit little or no light at angles near the horizontal.
nice properties	NICE is an acronym for the four properties that distinguish auxiliary verbs from lexical verbs in English: negation, inversion, code, emphasis.
intercut	To resume recording just prior to the point where an error was made.
fly	To raise and scenery into the area above the stage (fly out) or lowered onto the stage (fly in).
adjustment	specific, well-chosen phrases in the script that enable an actor to correctly accomplish his actions.
exposition	Information essential to the understanding of the dramatic action
zoom	To change the field of view through the use of an adjustable lens.
downstage	The area of the performance space that is closest to the audience.
partimen	The partimen, partiment, partia, or joc partit is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry composed between two troubadours, a subgenre of the tenso or cobla exchange in which one poet presents a dilemma in the form of a question and the two debate the answer, each taking up a different side
monologue	A scene in which an actor speaks by himself
metaphor	A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance
abby singer	The second-to-last shot of the day
brail	To move a hanging piece of scenery by hauling it out of the vertical by attached ropes
apocrypha	In the context of fiction, apocrypha includes those fictional stories that do not belong within a fictional universe's canon, yet still have some authority relating to that fictional universe
bildungsroman	The Bildungsroman (German pronunciation: [ˈbɪldʊŋs.ʁoˌmaːn]; German: "formation novel") is a genre of the novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood
turnaround	The number of hours between dismissal one day and call time the next day.
plot	The way an author represents a chain of events within a literary work
blocking rehearsals	A rehearsal during which the actors' stage movements are rehearsed.
unreliable narrator	see narrator
tenor and vehicle	According to I
point of view	The perspective or vantage point by which the reader is able to see or experience certain events within a story or poem
teen model	A model between the ages of 13 and 17.
revenge tragedy	type of tragedy which focuses on the revenge for an injustice to the protagonist or his family.
commentary	A script used by the commentator (or announcer) to describe fashions for a fashion show.
supporting	A non-starring, but significant role in a film.
head shot	A black and white 8 X 10 photograph showing an actor's head and shoulders.
tone	The attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and readers
alliosis	While presenting a reader with only two alternatives may result in the logical fallacy known as false dichotomy or either/or fallacy, creating a parallel sentence using two alternatives in parallel structure can be an effective device rhetorically and artistically
hyundai-	HI-UN-DEE (K: modern)
framing method	Using the same features, wording, setting, situation, or topic at both the beginning and end of a literary work so as to "frame" it or "enclose it." This technique often provides a sense of cyclical completeness or closure.
reveal	Imitation thickness painted on scenery to represent the solid
turnaround	To shoot a scene from another direction.
off book	The time when lines are memorized and no longer read from the script.
make-up	The make-up of the features by wigs, false hair, and cosmetics
pardoner	In the Middle Ages, a member of the religious community with permission to sell Papal indulgences. Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales features a Pardoner.
sketch	A short play with few characters dealing with a single incident, lasting from 5 to 20 minutes
couplet	a rhymed pair of lines, which are usually of the same length
enapalepsis	A type of repetition (phrase or word) with the repetition occurring at the beginning and again at the end of a sentence.
otokode	– OH-TOE-KOH-DEH (J: men's hand) Actual handwriting done by a male, but also the more general term for works written by men and more particularly, writing with a high proportion of Chinese characters.
soft focus	A slightly blurred achieved with a special filter or lens.
new rhetoric	New rhetoric is a catch-all term for various efforts in the modern era to revive, redefine, and/or broaden the scope of classical rhetoric in light of contemporary theory and practice.
schism	A schism is a split or division in the church concerning religious belief or organizational structure--one in which a single church splits into two or more separate denominations--often hostile to each other
cretic	Greek and Latin metrical foot consisting of long, short, and long syllables
unreliable narrator	a narrator who tells the story from a biased, erroneous perspective
narrative past	the past tense used to tell a narrative.
scenery	The visual environment created onstage using a backdrop and props
imu	International Musicians Union.
center stage	The middle point of the performance space, symbolized by CS in blocking notes.
flush-mounted or recessed luminaire	a luminaire which is mounted above the ceiling (or behind a wall or other surface) with the opening of the luminaire level with the surface.
poststructuralism	approaches to literary criticism influenced by poststructuralist philosophy, one of its chief tenets is the denial of the existence of universal principles which create meaning and coherence
onomatopoeia	An onomatopoeia or onomatopœia (Greek ὀνοματοποιία; ὄνομα for "name" and ποιέω for "I make", adjectival form: "onomatopoeic" or "onomatopoetic") is a word that imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes
digraph	Any use of two alphabetical letters to indicate a single phonetic sound
denotation	The literal dictionary meaning(s) of a word as distinct from an associated idea or connotation.
homily	A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture
low comedy	emphasis is placed on situation comedy, slapstick and farce.
tragic flaw	The defect in the protagonist or an error in judgment which leads to his death or downfall.
recognition	the point near the end of a classic tragedy when the protagonist recognizes the causes and consequences of his reversal
catastrophe	The final climax of a play or story after which the plot is resolved
apostrophe	Words that are spoken to a person who is absent or imaginary, or to an object or abstract idea
dga	Directors Guild of America.
terza rima	sequence of
peirrot	A clownish travelling singer with a whitened face and a white costume
amateur	(a) One who loves or is fond of or has a taste for the stage or the theatre
tracking a platform	building a track into the stage that helps to guide a platform to its proper place
allegory	When persons, places, things, events, and conflicts are representative of another more abstract equivalent.
chant royale	A complex French form of the ballade, having various forms.
consonants	All the letters of the alphabet except the vowels a, e, i, o and u
actor	One who impersonates a character or acts a part on the stage
antonym	A word that is opposite of another.
stage craft	(a) The practical work of stage production
adaptation	a play taken from a novel, a movie or other literary material; dates of earlier plays; musical adaptations of straight plays.
eclogue	A poem in the form of a dialogue.
unities	The unities of time, place, and action as principles of dramatic composition have been hotly debated since Aristotles Poetics
models of composition	In current-traditional rhetoric, a sequence of essays or themes (compositions) developed according to familiar "patterns of exposition."
mock-heroic	Mock-heroic, mock-epic or heroi-comic works are typically satires or parodies that mock common Classical stereotypes of heroes and heroic literature
fixture	See luminaire.
role	A character played by an actor.
first-person narrator	see narrator
asteismus	A sub-category of puns
satirical	written in mock-epic form.
macaronic language	Macaronic refers to text spoken or written using a mixture of languages, sometimes including bilingual puns, particularly when the languages are used in the same context (as opposed to different segments of a text being in different languages)
rain light	A pinspot using a low voltage, narrow beam lamp.
actor's studio	a well-known American training school devoted to teaching the Stanislavski system of acting.
plot	The action or sequence of events in a story
sight lines	1
specular angle	The angle of mirror reflection (angle of incidence equals angle of reflectance).
client	A person or company who hires a model.
emblem	An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept â e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory â or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.
falling action	During the falling action, or resolution, which is the moment of reversal after the climax, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist
pastoral	Following Theocritus (3rd cent
call	Alert announced to technicians and actors when they are needed on stage.
falling action	the fourth part in Gustav Freytag's model to describe the overall structure of plays, in this part new tension is created through further events that delay the final catastrophe or dénouement.
dustproof luminaire	a luminaire so constructed or protected that dust will not interfere with its successful operation.
saint's life	Another term for the medieval genre called a vita
profile right	To face stage right at a 90 degree angle from the full open position.
freytag’s pyramid	a diagram of plot structure first created by the German novelist and critic Gustav Freytag (1816–1895).
farce	a form of humor based on exaggerated, improbable incongruities
aubade	a medieval love poem welcoming or lamenting the arrival of the dawn
roman à clef	Roman à clef or roman à clé (French for novel with a key, is the term used for a novel describing real life, behind a façade of fiction
model agency	A company that promotes, books, bills and pays models.
character	The individual within the literary work
run	The number of scheduled performances of a production.
hit a mark	To move to a prearranged, marked location within an acting area so a scene can be played out properly or in film, in proper focus
consonance	The effect created when words share the same stressed consonant sounds but where the vowels differ
downstage	the front of the stage; in the direction of the audience.
understatement	see meiosis.
follow	A stage lighting term meaning to follow an actor with a spot light
dress circle	in some theatres, a shallow gallery level above the main seating
persona	a speaker created by a writer to tell a story or to speak in a poem; is not a character in a story or narrative, nor does it necessarily directly reflect the author's personal voice; a separate self, created by and distinct from the author, through which he or she speaks
talent search	Scouting for new talent.
regional theatre	Permanent, nonprofit, professional theatre companies established outside of the major theatre centers.
cosmic irony	Another term for situational irony--especially situational irony connected to a fatalistic or pessimistic view of life
eschatology	A branch of theology dealing with Judgement Day and the Second Coming.
turn out	To face downstage toward the audience.
lost generation	The "Lost Generation" is a term used to refer to the generation that came of age during World War I
foreground cross	Action in a scene in which an extra passes between the camera and the principal actors.
availability	(AVAIL) A courtesy extended by a performer or an agent to a producer indicating availability to work a certain job
name	An informal term for a word or phrase that designates a person, place, or thing.
practical	Scenery, props or lighting designed to be used by actors on stage in the same way the objects would be used off-stage.
daisy chain	When electrical equipment is wired from one unit to the next.
ultimate source	In linguistics, the earliest known or most ancient etymon for a particular word, as opposed to a direct source, the most recent source for a word.
epitaph	– EH-PI-TAF (Gr: writing on a tomb) A literary work suitable to be inscribed on a monument or tombstone what indicates the salient facts or characteristics of the deceased
volta	Also called a turn, a volta is a sudden change in thought, direction, or emotion near the conclusion of a sonnet
fay light	A luminaire that uses incandescent parabolic reflector lamps with a dichroic coating to provide daylight illumination.
exit sign	a graphic device including words or symbols that indicates or identifies an escape route or the location of, or direction to, an exit or emergency exit.
ambiguity	Applied to words and expressions, the state of being doubtful or indistinct in meaning or capable of being understood in more than one way, in the context in which it is used.
pay or play	A guaranteed to be paid regardless whether work is performed or not.
non-equity	A play that is not under an Equity agreement.
high comedy	Elegant comedies characterized by witty banter and sophisticated dialogue rather than the slapstick physicality and blundering common to low comedy.
chorus	(1) A group of singers who stand alongside or off stage from the principal performers in a dramatic or musical performance
stage readings	Reading a script before an audience
return	A piece of scenery used for masking the back stage or the actors from the view of the audience
lay	A lay is a long narrative poem.
aside	In drama, a few words or a short passage spoken by one character to the audience while the other a
character actor	An actor who specializes in playing a particular personality type using mannerisms, speech patterns and physical appearance.
setting line	The setting line is an imaginary line that is drawn across the stage from the back of the Safety Curtain guide on one side of the stage to the back of Safety Curtain guide on the other side of the stage. This line is sometimes known as the Fireline. The Plasterline is a line drawn from the back of the Proscenium Arch and is consequently the width of the Safety Curtain down stage of the Fireline or Setting Line. The Setting Line is the furthest point downstage that scenery can be placed without special provision.
back lot	Area on studio property used for constructing large open-air sets or for filming outdoor scenes.
fûgetsu	– FUH-GET-SUE (J: wind and moon)
enjambment	When a sentence, phrase, or thought moves from one line to the next without stopping.
foreshadowing	Action or dialogue in one part of a script that hints at something that will happen in another part of the script.
high concept	A film that includes elements that creates excitement in order to draw a large audience
italian sonnet	see sonnet
synonym	A synonym is a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word in the language, such as joyful, elated, glad.
oulipo	Oulipo (French pronunciation: [ulipo], short for French: Ouvroir de littà©rature potentielle; roughly translated: "workshop of potential literature") is a loose gathering of (mainly) French-speaking writers and mathematicians which seeks to create works using constrained writing techniques
adaptation	(a) A play altered in translation from one language to another
critical reading	Careful analysis of an essay's structure and logic in order to determine the validity of an argument
vulgate	The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin version of the Bible, and largely the result of the labors of St
d. p.	Director of photography
old english	Old English was the language spoken in England from around 450 to 1100.
raise cain	make trouble
imagination	See discussion under fancy.
decasyllable	Dodecasyllable, Hendecasyllable, Heptasyllable)
stress	A syllable uttered in a higher pitch than others
paraphrase	A brief restatement in one's own words of all or part of a literary or critical work, as opposed to quotation, in which one reproduces all or part of a literary or critical work word-for-word, exactly.
profanity act of 1606	This law passed under King James I required that any profanity in a publicly performed play or in published material would result in a ten-pound fine for the performer or printer, a substantial sum
stage directions	descriptions (in the text of the play) of the set, the props, voice and movements of the actors, and the lighting
figural narrative situation	the term introduced by the critic Franz Stanzel to denote the narrative situation of heterodiegetic narrator and internal focalisation.
bullyragged	bullied:scared someone by using force
acrostic	(Greek, ‘at the tip of the verse')
realism	A movement in literature to represent life as it really is
dramatis personae	literally, "persons of the drama" (Latin); the list of characters that appears either in a play's program or at the top of the first page of the written play.
periphrasis	The substitution of an elaborate phrase in place of a simple word or expression, as "fragrant beverage drawn from China's herb" for tea
pyrrhic	Two unstressed syllables in a metrical foot; syllables usually composed of two one-syllable words that are secondary to the meaning of the phrase
cinquain	a verse form of five lines with lines of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 2 syllables.
properties	Articles and materials used on the stage for furnishing a scene as distinct from the canvas and wooden scenery
engager	Any person, producer, advertising agency, corporation or other entitiy that contracts and/or pays performers for their performance in a television or radio commercial.
aea	Actors' Equity Association (Equity) Actor union for live and stage actors.
copyright	Legal rights to control reproduction and sale of intellectual property.
gag	Words introduced into a part by an actor, either impromptu or rehearsed without forming part of the book
one quarter right	To face stage right at a 45 degree angle from fully open.
disyllable	Monosyllable, Trisyllable)
narrative	consisting of or characterized by the telling of a story
trochee	A metrical foot of two syllables, one long (or stressed) and one short (or unstressed)
finsen	a suggested practical unit of erythemal flux density equal to one E-viton per square centimeter.
major character	see character
epiphany	a sudden revelation of truth, often inspired by a seemingly simple or commonplace event
formation light	a navigation light especially provided to facilitate formation flying.
box office	Area where admission tickets are sold for a performance
texture	A necessary quality of sensory detail that gives purpose and meaning to objects in the poetic text.
name	A well-known performer, director or producer whose involvement in a production will increase interest in a production.
vocal or dialogue coach	Someone hired to coach performers in vocal or script delivery techniques.
crisis	in plot, the moment when the conflict comes to a head, often requiring the character to make a decision; sometimes the crisis is equated with the climax or turning point and sometimes it is treated as a distinct moment that precedes and prepares for the climax.
specular transmission	The process by which incident flux passes through a surface or medium without scattering.
dress the set	Add curtains, furniture, props, etc
antonomasia	Cataphora)
backdrop	Painted cloth or set wall built to serve as a background for the setting on stage.
dramatic monologue	A poem written in the voice of a character, set in a specific situation, and spoken to someone
lexis	In linguistics, a lexis (from the Greek: λέξις "word") is the total word-stock or lexicon having items of lexical rather than grammatical, meaning
bestiary	A medieval treatise listing, naming, and describing various animals and their attribute
safety	A fire-proof curtain that can be lowered in front of the tabs
mime	A special kind of performance in which no words are spoken
luminaire dirt depreciation	A multiplier used in lighting calculations to account for the reduction in illuminance produced by the accumulation of dirt on a luminaire.
trochee	A metrical foot consisting of a heavy stress followed by a light stress.
congress-water	salty mineral water from the congress springs
dim	To lower the amount of voltage to a fixture, thereby decreasing its light output.
syllable	A vowel preceded by from zero to three consonants ("awl" ..
heavy	A villainous character.
properties	1
brechtian acting	an acting style in which the actors purposely try to alienate the audience from the characters in order to constantly remind them they are watching a play, based on the theories of Bertolt Brecht
directing	Interpretation of a script and development of the action which is to take place.
feminine rhyme	Lines rhymed by their final two syllables
footlights	A row of lights with reflectors placed along the floor in front of the stage
synonym	One of two or more words that are similar in meaning.
message	a misleading term for theme; the central statement or idea of a story, misleading because it suggests a simple, packaged statement that pre-exists and for the simple communication of which the story was written
modes of discourse	In composition studies, the four traditional types or categories of written texts: narration, description, exposition, and argument.
on	Most formalist poets use it
lipogram	A type of constrained writing that occurs when a writer decides to eliminate the use of words that contain particular letters of the alphabet.
jacobean era	Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James VI (1567â€"1625) of Scotland, who also inherited the crown of England in 1603
tragic hero	A tragic hero is usually the main character in a piece of work
aside	Lines spoken to the audience
calligraphic work	In medieval manuscripts, this is (as Kathleen Scott states),
exposition	the beginning of a play, in this part the audience is informed about the ‘who', ‘what', ‘where', ‘when' and ‘why' of the events that follow.
hot restrike	A term applied to an ignitor that will hot start an arc lamp.
auditorium	The part of the theatre from which the audience witnesses the play
falling action	the fourth of the five phases or parts of plot, in which the conflict or conflicts move toward resolution.
figure of speech	one of many kinds of word-play, focusing either on sound and word-order (schemes) or on semantics (tropes)
border batten	See Batten
dropping lines	Unintentionally not speaking lines or inadvertantly speaking them so they that cannot be properly heard.
galluses	suspenders
exit	To leave the acting area
ballerina	A female dancer in a ballet
dactylic	a metrical foot in poetry consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable: "Everywhere, everywhere, Christmas tonight."
canon	someone's list of authors or works considered to be "classic," that is, central to the identity of a given literary tradition or culture.
archetype	something in the world, and described in literature, that, according to the psychologist Karl Jung, manifests a dominant theme in the collective unconscious of human beings
cold reading	a reading from a script or other text without any prior rehearsal, usually in the context of an audition or workshop.
give stage	To take a weak stage position so another actor can have the focus.
folk ballad	A story told in verse that is by an unknown author and meant to be sung.
antihero	a protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero
volta	In literature, the volta, also referred to as the turn, is the shift or point of dramatic change in a poem
riser	A platform on stage.
stage left	The actor's left as he faces the audience.
edda	Rune)
mood	The overriding, dominant emotional quality present in a literary work, created by the author's description of theme, setting, or character.
antiphon	Sung verse.
meaning	In semantics, the message conveyed by words, sentences, and symbols in a context.
foil	Of a character, to be used as a contrast.
template	(pattern, gobo) a metal pattern that, when placed inside an ellipsoidal spotlight, throws a shadow pattern on the stage
tempo	general rate of playing a scene
performer	An entertainer.
rising action	Those events in a play that lead to a turning point in the action.
sea shanty	Sea shanties (singular "shanty", also spelled "chantey"; derived from the French word "chanter", 'to sing') were shipboard working songs
idealism	Values standards of perfection through subjectivity and imagination more than formal qualities or the faithful portrayal of nature.
closed turn	To turn away from the audience.
epode	Third part of the triad in a Pindaric Ode
theme	a generalized, abstract paraphrase of the inferred central or dominant idea or concern of a work
consonance	Consonance is the repetition of consonants or of a consonant pattern, especially at the ends of words.
physical drawback	A negative physical characteristic
cans	Headphones.
association of hispanic arts	Organization supporting Hispanic theatre companies with technical assistance, planning and financial management systems, identification of new and up-and-coming Hispanic playwrights and marketing.
trap	An opening in the stage floor, covered by a flooring piece or scenery, through which actors can enter and exit.
classical	The term for the culture, writings, and history of the period of the ancient Greeks and Romans, covering a time from approximately 450 BC to 500 AD.
al fresco	open air theatre.
end stopped line	A line of verse which ends with a grammatical break such as a coma, colon, semi-colon or full stop etc
act	the division or unit of a dramatic narrative
metonym	When one noun is used in place of another.
general press agent	Individual responsible for the promotion of the production
synecdoche	A figure of speech in which a part of something stands for the whole or the whole for a part, as wheels for automobile or society for high society.
plot point	a particular event which strongly changes the course of action in a story, often changing a narrative's direction
simile	a comparison made with "as," "like," or "than."
w	A call sheet notation indicating that an actor is working that day.
trope	The intentional use of a word or expression figuratively, i.e., used in a different sense from its original significance in order to give vividness or emphasis to an idea
authorial narrative situation	part of the terminology introduced by the critic Franz Stanzel to denote a narrative situation where the narrator is not a character in the story but who knows everything about it.
adaption	The process of the eye getting used to or reacting to changes in light intensity
fresnel spotlight	A luminaire embodying a lamp and a fresnel lens, with or without the reflector, which has a soft beam edge
epistolary novel	a type of novel where the narrative is conveyed entirely by an exchange of letters.
agent	a professional representative who take care of bookings and negotiate performance contracts.
slice of life	Slice of life is a theatrical term that refers to a naturalistic representation of real life, sometimes used as an adjective, as in "a play with 'slice of life' dialogue." The term originated in 1890â95 as a translation from the French phrase tranche de vie, credited to the French playwright Jean Jullien (1854â1919).
pilot season	Time of year (late winter through early spring) when initial episode of proposed television series are produced.
coda	A concluding section which rounds off a piece of literature, see epilogue.
instrument	A lighting unit.
three-quarter right	performer is in a position halfway between full back and right profile
miles gloriosus	Miles Gloriosus (literally, "glorious soldier", in Latin) is a stock character of a boastful soldier from the comic theatre of ancient Rome, and variations on this character have appeared in drama and fiction ever since
trough	a long metal container in which lamps are set
pantomime	(a) A play in dumb show
tetrameter	A line consisting of four metrical feet
fire curtain	Non-flammable curtain hung directly behind the proscenium
agrarians	An early 20th century movement of American writers who privileged the idea of 'back to nature' or 'back to grass roots'.
trope	Trope has two meanings: (1) a rhetorical device or figure of speech involving shifts in the meaning of words--click on the tropes link for examples, (2) a short dialogue inserted into the church mass during the early Middle Ages as a sort of mini-drama.
representation	The performance of a play on the stage
side	A page of actor's script
aubade	a poem in which the coming of dawn is either celebrated, as in Billy Collins's "Morning," or denounced as a nuisance, as in John Donne's "The Sun Rising."
comitatus	(Latin: "companionship" or "band"): The term describes the tribal structure of the Anglo-Saxons and other Germanic tribes in which groups of men would swear fealty to a hlaford (lord) in exchange for food, mead, and heriot, the loan of fine armor and weaponry
twist-lock	one of two common types of plugs on stage lighting instruments, it has three curved blades that lock when inserted and twisted
dissonance	The use of discordant sounds either to create an unpleasant effect or to create an interesting variation from what is rhythmically expected.
dead language	An extinct language where there are no longer native speakers of the language.
tormentor	A wall-mounted pipe for mounting lighting fixtures.
photo call	Actor call for publicity photos.
mother tongue	A person's native language--that is, a language learned from birth.
kaori	- KAH-OH-REE (J: scent or fragrance) A term for the relationship between stanzas in which both evoke the same feeling with very different images
universal symbol	Another term for an archetype.
iso booth	(isolation booth) A small room for recording a sound in isolation from other sounds.
assonance	The rhyme-pattern produced inside the poetic line by repeating similar vowels, or clusters of consonants and vowels.
foreshadowing	to hint at or to present an indication of the future beforehand
word scenery	rhetorically created setting in a play.
lort	League of Resident Theatres.
centre	The centre of the stage
oxymoron	An expression impossible in fact but not necessarily self-contradictory, such as John Milton's description of Hell as "darkness visible" in Book I of Paradise Lost.
grisaille	Kathleen Scott tells us that, in the elaborate medieval artwork found in illuminated manuscripts, grisaille refers to
catastrophe	the reversal of the tragic heros good fortune in Greek Tragedy
stichomythia	Dialogue in alternate lines of verse e.g
promotional model	A model employed to promote products, services, companies or events.
encyclical	Refers to a letter which is meant for a general audience.
literary ballad - ballad	Literary or lyrical ballads grew out of an increasing interest in the ballad form among social elites and intellectuals, particularly in the Romantic movement from the later 18th century
actor proof	a term meaning the script is so good that any actor, regardless of his ability, could succedd in using it.
periodic sentence	a sentence that is not grammatically complete until the end: "The child, who looked as if she were being chased by demons, ran."
panorama	See Cyclorama
floodlight	A lighting instrument that emits a wide, unfocused beam of light.
advance bar	Lighting bar positioned just downstage of the proscenium arch
katharsis	An alternative spelling of catharsis (see above).
vouchsafe	condescend to grant; be graciously willing to tell
comedy of manners	A comic drama consisting of five or three acts in which the attitudes and customs of a society are critiqued and satirized according to high standards of intellect and morality
steal a scene	To attract audience attention that should be on another actor.
strike	To remove a scene and properties when finished with at a rehearsal or performance
lexis	See lexicon.
pyrrhic	A metrical foot consisting of two unaccented syllables.
utagaki –	(y)OU-TAH-GAH-KEY (J: poetic exchange) In very old times this was a kind of mating game
eleven o'clock number	A big finish show tune that occurs shortly before the end of a musical.
origin	An imaginary point positioned where the Centre Line bisects the Setting Line at the height of the stage where the Setting Line is drawn.
footlights	A row of lights that are recessed or partially recessed into the front edge of the stage
house tabs	Curtains hung across the front of the stage.
epithalamion	From the Greek word for a bridal chamber, a lyric poem to be sung on the wedding night.
slapstick comedy	Low comedy in which humor depends almost entirely on physical actions and sight gags
character	A person who takes part in the action of a story, novel, or a play
conflict	a struggle between opposing forces
tabs	The curtain that is raised to reveal the stage and settings at the beginning of a performance and is lowered to signal the end of a performance or act. In a Proscenium Arch theatre it is usually immediately behind the Safety Curtain.
ballad	A narrative poem, often composed to be sung
diffuse transmittance	the ratio of the diffusely transmitted flux leaving a surface or medium to the incident flux.
commercial agent	Agent or agency who represents talent who work in television, radio or movie commercials.
imagery	Language that appeals to any sense or any combination of the senses.
national commercial	A commercial produced for usefor broadcast throughout the country.
disability glare	Glare resulting in reduced visual performance and visibility
residual	Fee paid to a performer for rebroadcast of a commercial, film or TV program.
foil	A character whose dramatic purpose is to set-off another character by contrast; a side-kick.
foley effects	Incidental sound effects added in synchronization to filmed footage
personal statistics	Age, weight, hair and eye color and body measurements, clothing sizes.
property assistant	Responsible for the placement and maintenance of props.
sermon	See discussion under homily.
meter	– MEET-HER (Gr: metron – measure) The oldest and most important device of verse form which builds on the repeat of a feature of language such as stress, pitch, or length into a definable pattern
theatre of the absurd	reveals man's inability to understand and control the world about him
stage	Area upon which a performance is presented.
amphitheatre	an oval or round structure having levels of seats rising outward from an open space or arena.
ad lib	Unscripted dialog or action performed with little to no preparation.
ext	Exterior
alliteration	using the same consonant to start two or more stressed words or syll= ables in a phrase or verse line, or using a series of vowels to begin such words or syllables in sequence
antagonist	The counterforce or opponent who provides conflict in the play or story, confronting or attempting to complicate the life of the central character, or protagonist.
assistant camera	Assistant Camera Operator, First Assistant Cameraman, 1st Assistant Cameraman, 1st Assistant Camera, Assistant Cameraman, Camera Assistant
meedyevil	hucks misspelling of midevil refering to the middle ages
hiatus	In phonology, hiatus or diaeresis refers to two vowel sounds occurring in adjacent syllables, with no intervening consonant
sightlines	Areas of the acting area that is visible to various parts of the house.
mikasazuke -	ME-KAH-SAH-ZOO-KEY J: A kind of maekuzuke in which three people collaborated to write the three parts of a 5 / 7 / 5 unit maeku.
scan	Scan may refer to:
skene	a low building in the back of the stage area in classical Greek theaters
villain	a character who not only opposes the hero or heroine (and is thus an antagonist) but also is characterized as an especially evil person or "bad guy."
costume play	A play performed in classic historical or outmoded dress
attitude	An attitude is a hypothetical construct that represents an individual's degree of like or dislike for an item
act drop	A painted cloth that can be lowered in place of the tabs
stigma of print	The stigma of print is the concept that an informal social convention restricted the literary works of aristocrats in the Elizabethan and Tudor age to private and courtly audiences — as opposed to commercial endeavors — at the risk of social disgrace if violated, and which obliged the author to profess an abhorrence of the press and to restrict his works from publication
feudalism	The medieval model of government predating the birth of the modern nation-state
drama	derived from the greek word dra, meaning "to do" or "to perform," the term drama may refer to a single play, a group of plays, or to all plays
hyperbole	A bold, deliberate overstatement, e.g., "I'd give my right arm for a piece of pizza." Not intended to be taken literally, it is used as a means of emphasizing the truth of a statement.
ingenue	A young, female lead role
kakekotoba -	KAH-KAY-KOH-TOE-BAH (J: pivot word) The use of words which have double meanings
simile	a direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, using the words 'like' or 'as'
production assistant	A person responsible for various odd jobs.
scenery	(a) Wooden frames covered with canvas and painted
foreshadowing	A prediction within the text
elegy	A lament conveying the circumstances of a loss of a loved one; more broadly, a somber meditation on the passing of men and the things they value.
encomium	A speech or composition in high praise of a person, object, or event.
take a call	to acknowledge the applause of the audience at the end of a performance by bowing or showing some other form of appreciation
poetry	An imaginative response to experience reflecting a keen awareness of language
full back	When a performer's back faces the audience.
editing	Process of combining together (manually or electronically) individual shots into a complete film.
cel	A sheet, usually made of a clear material, upon which an image is drawn and which is then used as an animation frame.
comic relief	The introduction of a comic character, scene, or dialog into a serious or tragic work in order to relieve tension.
holding fee	Money paid by an advertiser to a performer to retain the right to use a performer's services, image or likeness.
punch light	A high intensity luminaire that floods an area with light.
periodic sentence	A long sentence that is not grammatically complete (and hence not intelligible to the reader) until the reader reaches the final portion of the sentence
elizabethan	the era beginning with the reign of Elizabeth I, Queen of England from 1558 to 1603 and ending with the Puritans closing of the theaters in 1642
equity waiver	99 or fewer seat professional theatres over which Equity has special contractual agreements
palatalization	In linguistics, the process of making a sound more palatal--i.e., moving the blade of the tongue closer to the hard palate.
simile	A comparison of one thing with another, using the words 'like' or 'as'.
end-stopped line	a line of verse that contains or concludes a complete clause and usually ends with a punctuation mark
legitimate theater	The term "legitimate theater" dates back to the Licensing Act of 1737, which restricted "serious" theatre performances to the two patent theatres licensed to perform "spoken drama" after the English Restoration in 1662
animation performer	Performer hired to voice a role or roles in an animated production.
black box	A theatre, usually small where the audience is in close proximity to the actors and action.
imagery	Strong, descriptive language evoking sensory impressions on the reader; a word or group of words referring to any sensory experience.
kenning	A kenning is a poetic phrase of one line used in place of a person / place / object, for example 'a wave rider','for','a boat'
limited point of view	see point of view
deconstructionism	an approach to literature which suggests that literary works do not yield fixed, single meaning, because language can never say exactly what we intend it to mean
commedia dell'arte	Developed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Italy, it was a popular comedy which featured improvisation of standard plots and traditional costumes with masks.
acephalous	(Greek, ‘headless')
hubris	Hubris (also hybris) means extreme haughtiness or arrogance
foot	Feminine Rhyme: See Rhyme
treatment	A narrative outline of a dramatic work for cinema or broadcast
magic realism	a type of fiction that involves the creation of a fictional world in which the kind of familiar, plausible action and characters one might find in more straightforwardly realist fiction coexist with utterly fantastic ones straight out of myths or dreams
tragedian	An actor who plays leading parts in tragedy
metadiscourse	An umbrella term for words used by a speaker or writer to mark the direction and purpose of a text; broadly defined as "discourse about discourse."
aesthetic distance	a detachment that allows a viewer's attention to be held, and his emotions appealed to while the viewer is aware that he is a spectator in the theatre.
nonameter	Nine feet per line.
characterisation	The method by which characters are established in a story, using description, dialogue, dialect, and action.
argumentative essay	an essay that tries to prove a point by supporting it with evidence
costume plot	A list of the characters in a play with their costumes for each act
stock character	character who appears in a number of stories or plays such as the cruel stepmother, the femme fatale, etc.
coefficient of utilization	The ratio of lumens from a luminaire received on the work plane to the total quantity of lumens emitted by the lamps of that luminaire.
simile	A simile describes something or someone 'like' or 'as' something else
alazon	A stock character in Greek drama, the alazon is a stupid braggart who is easily tricked by the clever eiron who tells the alazon what he wants to hear.
canon	Body of work considered to represent the highest literary standards
closure	The effect of finality, balance, and completeness that leaves the reader with a sense of fulfilled expectations.
symbol	When a word, phrase or image represents a complex set of ideas, the meaning of which is determined by the surrounding context, for example, the gifts the jester gives to the Queen in The Cap and Bells by W B Yeats.
genre	The types or classes of literary works like the novel, short story, poem, play or essay. Also refers to subclassificatons as the detective story or Gothic novel.
kanji	– CAN-GEE J: Chinese written characters.
tricolon	The repetition of a parallel grammatical construction three times for rhetorical effect
mezozeugma	An alternative spelling of mesozeugma
theatre of cruelty	1930 movement designed to disrupt the logic of the audience and free their subconscious minds so that they might experience the mysterious forces of existence characterized by magic and myth
attitude	the sense expressed by the tone of voice and/or mood of a piece of writing
unit set	A set that can represent several different settings by making only slight changes to scenic elements.
pyros	Short for Pyrotechnics.
state	See "Cue"
consonance	Repetition of consonant (non-vowel) sounds in some other position than in the beginning of a word
refrain	A refrain (from Vulgar Latin refringere, "to repeat", and later from Old French refraindre) is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song
leading man/leading woman	Actor who usually plays the most important roles in a production.
lament	See elegy
cross bar	A bar mounted horizontally on top of a stand.
luminaire	A complete lighting unit, consisting of a lamp or lamps together with the components required to distribute the light, position the lamps, and connect the lamps to a power supply
cyberpunk	A genre of science fiction.
dialect coach	Specialist who trains actors in a specific dialect or accent.
kotoba – koh-toe-bah (j:	words, diction, subject matter) The actual words used in poetry as opposed to the feelings the words evoke
falling action	Action that is usually composed of the characters' immediate reactions and responses to the climactic events of a story
aside	For an actor to speak directly to the audience (not always meant to be heard).
independent	A broadcast station not affiliated with a network.
memorandum	A short message or record used for internal communication in a business.
false cognate	Words which appear in two languages, looking like the same word, but with different meanings.
strike	To remove scenery, props and lights from the stage.
rhyme	The use of words with matching sounds, usually at the end of each line, for example ‘Whenever Richard Cory went down town/We people on the pavement looked at him/He was a gentleman from sole to crown/Clean-favoured, and imperially slim.’ (Richard Cory by E A Robinson).
apron	The frontmost section of a proscenium stage that is closest to the audience.
jacobean era	Jacobean era refers to the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of King James VI (1567â1625) of Scotland, who also inherited the crown of England in 1603
unit set	A series of lowered or raised platforms on stage, often connected by various stairs and exits, which form the various locations for all of a play's scenes
reflective poem/structure	a poem organized primarily around reflection on a subject or event and letting the mind play with it, skipping from one thought or object to another as the mind receives them.
low comedy	Low comedy is a type of comedy characterized by "horseplay", slapstick or farce
action	the incidents of a play as expressed through the dialogue and movement of the characters.
log line	One-sentence of the storyline of a script.
ecu	Abbreviation for extreme close-up.
master property man	Stagehand responsible for all props and prop crew.
wardrobe assistant	Individuals who assis with selection and care of the wardrobe.
parenthetical phrase	A phrase set off by commas that interrupts the flow of a sentence with some commentary or added detail
actor	A person who plays the role of a character
kothorni	See buskins.
pratfall	A stunt fall designed for comic effect.
playbill	Poster that advertises a play
curtains	Material suspended from above to screen the stage from the audience, or for draping the stage in place of scenery
breakdown	A detailed description of roles to be cast for a production.
mutual intelligibility	Mutual intelligibility is a situation in which two or more speakers of a language (or of closely related languages) can understand each other.
colour frame	An apparatus used to hold colour filters.
metaphor	the transfer of a quality or attribute from one thing or idea to another in such a way as to imply some resemblance between the two things or ideas: 'his eyes blazed' implies that his eyes become like a fire
call board	A notice board usually placed near the stage door, on which notices affecting the staff or artists are displayed
hiatus	Time during which a TV series is not in production.
matinee	Afternoon performance.
feature film: aka	A movie or videotape production, at least 40-45 minutes (2 reels) long and intended for mass release through movie theatres or broadcast.
roman à clef	Roman à clef or roman à clà© (French for novel with a key, is the term used for a novel describing real life, behind a faà§ade of fiction
run-on lines	Lines in which the thought continues into the next line, as opposed to end-stopped.
ensemble	The general effect of a scene
uralic	A non-Indo-European language family including Finno-Ugric and Samoyedic.
luminaire	A complete unit for the purpose of generating usable and somewhat controllable light.
meter	A unit of line measurement that combines a fixed or varying number of syllables per line with the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
echo	A reference that recalls a word, phrase, or sound in another text
production number	Spectacular musical scene.
jingle –	JING-GULL (Medieval English: gyngle) Any verse that pleases the ear by a catchy rhythm and pronounced sound repetition which is often at the expense of sense such as eeny, meeny, miny mo
paradox	Apparent contradiction that suggests a deeper truth.
contrast	The ratio of the luminance of an object to that of its immediate background.
reversal	See peripeteia.
shinku	- SHE'N-COO (J: closely related) Two stanzas that are related by images that fit closely together
hon'i – hone-ee	(J: essential characteristic)
perfect rhyme	Another term for exact rhyme or true rhyme
dowser	Mechanical Dimming.
denouement	A French word meaning "unknotting" or "unwinding," denouement refers to the outcome or result of a complex situation or sequence of events, an aftermath or resolution that usually occurs near the final stages of the plot
line voltage	A term that usually means 120 AC volts.
gallows humor	Gallows humor is a type of humor that arises from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations; often in circumstances such that death is perceived as impending and unavoidable
act	a major division in the action of a play
xxx	A designation for a production that features a large amount of explicit sex.
amphibrach	Three syllables in this order: unstressed, stressed, unstressed.
outline	a hierarchical list, often used in pre-writing for the purpose of tersely organizing acts, chapters, and scenes
metalanguage	Language used in talking about language.
theme	A prevailing idea in a work, but sometimes not explicitly stated, as in Ogden Nash's "Candy is dandy, / But liquor is quicker," which is about neither candy nor liquor.
anagram	A word, phrase, or sentence that can be rearranged to create another word, phrase, or sentence.
literature	Literature (from Latin litterae (plural); letter) is the art of written works
karumi	- KAH-RUE-ME (lightness) The quality in writing that Basho encouraged, especially in his later years
heathens	people who dont believe in the God of the Bible
fenestra method	a procedure for predicting the interior illuminance received from daylight through windows.
par	Parabolic Aluminized Reflector, a lamp or lighting unit.
promythium	A summary of the moral of a fable appearing before the main narrative
actor manager	An actor with his own company who is (usually) his own producer and star player
blues	Oral black American folk or popular melancholic songs of the early twentieth century.
comic relief	a humorous scene or incident that alleviates tension in an otherwise serious work
connotation	those words, things, or ideas with which a word often keeps company but which it does not actually denote
pidgin	A type of language, developed by the simplification of two or more languages
interior monologue	When a character's thoughts and mental associations are used to indirectly convey action and external events; the character's thoughts are usually not spoken aloud.
asyndeton	which omits conjunctions; zeugma and syllepsis, which use one word to serve for two; and aposiopesis, which omits a word or phrase at the end of a clause or sentence for effect.
star	An actor playing a leading part whose name is displayed as the leading actor in connection with a production
dowser	See: "Dimmer"
rhythm –	RI(d)-THUM (Gr: rheo – to flow; rhythmos) Cadence or musical quality based on repeats in a discernable pattern or an order in movement
billing	The relative sizes, positions, and order of names and a production's title in printed publicity material as well as the opening credits.
cycle	see sequence.
parallelism	Two or more expressions that share traits, whether metrical, lexical, figurative, or grammatical, and can take the form of a list.
pm	Production manager.
masque	See Mask (a)
feminine ending or rhyme	see Rhyme.
wild	Recorded out of sequence or isolated from the rest of the scene.
prima ballerina	Leading female dancer in a ballet
four a's	Associated Actors and Artistes of America, the umbrella organization for AFTRA, SAG, and other performer's unions.
ad.	Assistant director.
negation	Negation is a grammatical construction that contradicts (or negates) part or all of a sentence's meaning.
king's english	The standard, pure or correct English speech or usage, also called "Queen's English."
egotistical sublime	Term coined by John Keats to describe (what he saw as) Wordsworth's self-aggrandising style
content	Form, Motif, Style, Texture)
crossing the bar	" demonstrates the effectiveness of this device: metaphorically, he compares a sandbar in the Thames River over which ships cannot pass until high tide, with the natural time for completion of his own life's journey from birth to death.
periphrasis	Using a wordy phrase to describe something for which one term exists.
prose poem –	P-ROSE POH-EM This oxymoron ends the either / or aspect of writing lines that cross the page to wrap around into the following space or lines ending mid-space to give a ragged right margin to the printed page
fable	A brief narrative in prose or verse that illustrates a moral or teaches a lesson, usually in which animals or inanimate objects are personified with human feelings and motivations.
rhyme driven poetry	And it's precisely this sort of writing that was acceptable right up until the start of the 20th century.
autotelic	Autotelic is defined by one "having a purpose in and not apart from itself"
acting area	The area of a stage where performance occurs.
ellesmere manuscript	Usually referred to as "the Ellesmere," this book is one of the most important surviving fifteenth-century manuscripts of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
director's cut	A cut of a movie without studio interference as as the director would like it to be seen
arena stage/theatre-in-the-round	theater space where the audience sits on all four sides of the auditorium and watches the action in an area set in the middle of the room
groundrow	A raised section of scenery usually depicting bushes, rocks etc.
writer	Someone who creates a written work.
control booth	Room used to house equipment to operate lights and sound for a production.
parallelism	Repetition of the same grammatical structure, especially at the beginning of lines.
argumentation	A speech or writing intended to convince by establishing truth
phatic communication	Speech used in social discourse or chit-chat, in order to harmonize relations with others.
polysyndeton	The use of multiple conjunctions, usually where they are not strictly necessary ('chips and beans and fish and egg and peas and vinegar and tomato sauce')
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
conflict	Dramatic tension created by opposing forces
blue pages	Pages inserted into a script after it has been numbered and distributed
impressionism	Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that began as a loose association of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence in the 1870s and 1880s
monostich	A monostich is a poem which consists of a single line.
grammar	The study of the structure and features of a language
sitcom	A comedy series with recurring lead characters in self-contained episodes.
conflict	The relationship or struggle between the protagonist and antagonist.
schwa	A neutral single vowel sound representing the unstressed vowel in English.
proscenium arch	a frame around the stage which separates the actors and the set from the audience
lighting bridge	A narrow platform mounted above the performing area used for mounting luminaire's, often incorporated into a truss rig or into the grid in a theatre.
ellipsoidal	A luminaire embodying a lamp, an ellipsoidal reflector, a framing device, and a single or compound lens system, together with provisions for accommodating a pattern holder and patterns.
crepe hair	Prepared wool sold in a plaited form for use in make-up for beards, etc
allegory	An allegory is a symbolic story that serves as a disguised representation for meanings other than those indicated on the surface
underplot	a particular type of subplot, especially in Shakespeare's plays, that is a parodic or highly romantic version of the main plot
angel	Financial backer of a production.
scale +10	Minimum payment plus 10% to cover the agent's commission.
dark humor	A sardonic, sarcastic, paradoxical form of humor that allows readers or audiences to observe and find comedy in disastrous or sobering events such as death, illness, misforture, or other events that normally sadden and disturb.
large size model	Female model size 12 and up.
bacchic	Greek and Latin metrical foot consisting of short, long, and long syllables / ~ ' ' /.
accentual meter	Lines of verse organized by number of stresses rather than by feet or number of syllables
4-a's	Associated Actors and Artists of America; parent organization for AFTRA, Equity, SAG, and other performers' unions.
follow spot	A high power lighting instrument that can be adjusted and swiveled so as to maintain a tight focus on a stage performer.
epitaph	Monody)
flashing light	a rhythmic light in which the periods of light are of equal duration and are clearly shorter than the periods of darkness, See group flashing light, interrupted quick-flashing light and quick-flashing light.
ilium	An alternate name for the ancient city of Troy, the site of the Trojan war and the Trojan horse, a (now Turkish) city sacked by the Greeks
automatic dialogue replacement	ADR, Dialogue Looping, Dialog Looping, Looping
sound	gives a reinforcement to stresses, and can also serve as a subtle connection or emphasis of key words in the line, but alliterated words should not "call attention" to themselves by strained usage.
antagonist	any character or force that is in opposition to the main character, or protagonist
diacritic	An accent or change to a normal alphabetical letter to differentiate its pronunciation
overhang	A horizontal building projection, usually above a window, for the purpose of shading.
running crew	Group of people who perform all the technical tasks during the show.
burlesque	a term applied to writing which sets out to satirise
sides	Pages from a script used for auditions.
pastoral	A literary work that has to do with shephards and rustic settings
primary colours	Colours from which all other colours may be evolved by mixtures
climax	The high point, or turning point, in a story—usually the most intense point near the end of a story
three-quarter left	performer turns to a position halfway between left profile and full back
curtain line	The last line of an act or play
travel-time	Fee paid for time spent commuting to a non-studio film location.
nonstandard english	(1) Any dialect of English other than Standard English
i-as-witness	a homodiegetic narrator who witnesses and reports the events that are narrated but who is not the protagonist.
dramatis personae	the list of characters in a play
pick it up	To quicken the pace of a performance.
parable	A brief story that teaches a lesson.
temporal frame	deals with the question 'in what time / when does the action take place?'
epic theatre	a theatrical movement originating with Bertolt Brecht which developed in reaction against realistic theatrical traditions and attempts to prevent the audience's emotional involvement and identification with characters or plot using effects (alienation or estrangement effects) such as a narrator for instance to constantly emphasise the ‘artificial' (i.e
fresnel	A lighting instrument using a fresnel lens
playwright	One who writes plays.
opposite prompt or o.p.	The right-hand side of the stage opposite the prompt-side
sight/eye rhyme	Two or more words which appear to rhyme to the eye, in that their spelling is nearly identical; to the ear, however, they do not rhyme.
three-act structure	a common narrative pattern, containing an exposition, rising action, and climax
comedy	a dramatic work in which the materials are selected and managed primarily in order to amuse the audience and make it laugh; the ending is by convention good and resolves previous problems, sub-categories of comedy are, for instance, the comedy of manners, the comedy of humours, romantic comedy or satiric comedy.
protagonist	The good person in a story.
byronic hero	The Byronic hero is an idealised but flawed character exemplified in the life and writings of Lord Byron, characterised by his ex-lover Lady Caroline Lamb (who said it before becoming Byron's lover) as being "mad, bad, and dangerous to know"
footlambert	A unit of luminance equal to 0.3183010 candela per square foot, or to the uniform luminance of a perfectly diffusing surface emitting or reflecting light at a rate of one lumen per square foot, or to the average luminance of a surface emitting or reflecting light at that rate
end-stopping	The effect achieved when the syntax of a line coincides with the metrical boundary at the end of a line
aside	A speech (usually just a short comment) made by an actor to the audience, as though momentarily stepping outside of the action on stage
débat	a medieval poem in dialogue that takes the form of a debate on a topic
stage direction	Descriptions of the physical setting, atmosphere and actions which are included in the script.
tenor	the meaning of an image, term introduced by the critic I.A
envelope rhyme	for In Memoriam
ms.	Manuscript.
play	A specific piece of drama, usually enacted on a stage by diverse actors who often wear makeup or costumes to make them resemble the character they portray
reversal	the change from good to bad fortune in classic tragedy; from bad to good fortune in classic comedy
trimeter	three feet in a line
falling action	the action which follows the crisis and climax (see also catastrophe, denouement, resolution, catharsis)
synesthesia	A blending of different senses in describing something.
emendation - improve	Improve means to make something better.
renaissance	There are two common uses of the word.
verisimilitude	from the Latin phrase verisimiles ("like the truth"); the internal truthfulness, lifelikeness, and consistency of the world created within any literary work when we judge that world on its own terms rather than in terms of its correspondence to the real world
supernumerary	An extra who has no lines.
phronesis	Phronēsis (Greek: φρόνησις) in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is the virtue of practical thought, usually translated "practical wisdom", sometimes as "prudence".
hot patching	Putting a circuit into a dimmer or hot pocket while it is on.
character man/woman	Talent who specializes in mature roles or roles that require specialized physical or vocal skills.
line producer	Proder responsible for keeping the director on time and budget.
test	To evaluate a talent or performer.
epic	A narrative poem of heroic exploits usual undertaken by a male hero who (like modern block-buster movie protagonists) disregards the rules
foh	(FRONT OF HOUSE) The audience side of the proscenium arch.
visual comfort probability	The rating of a lighting system expressed as a percentage of the people who, when viewing from a specified location and in a specified direction, will be expected to find it comfortable in terms of discomfort glare.
denouement	the resolution of the plot in fiction or drama (an untying of the complications at the end of the story line)
tag line	The final line of a scene or act just before the closing of the curtain.
sleeper	A movie unexpectedly and suddenly attains prominence and success.
tribrach	Greek and Latin metrical foot consisting of short, short, and short syllables / ~ ~ ~ /.
hazard or obstruction beacon	an aeronautical beacon used to designate a danger to air navigation.
subplot	A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot
stage cloth	A floor covering for the stage
holding	An area in which the Extras report and stay while waiting to perform.
log-rolling	Where cliques of authors/poets favourably review each other's work in order to boost sales
neorealism	A film style which uses documentary filmmaking techniques to produce a fictional situation.
native speakerism	Native speakerism is the established belief (or bias) that native speakers of a language (with or without teaching credentials) are better qualified to teach that language than non-native speakers.
ballast	An electrical apparatus that limits the electrical current through an arc source.
aside	An aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience
backing	Financial support for a production.
occupatio	a figure of rhetoric where a writer explains that he or she will not have time or space to say something but then goes on to say that thing anyway, possibly at length.
menippean satire	The genre of Menippean satire is a form of satire, usually in prose, which has a length and structure similar to a novel and is characterized by attacking mental attitudes instead of specific individuals
type	An earlier figure, event, or symbol in the Old Testament thought to prefigure a coming antitype (corresponding figure, event, or symbol) in the New Testament
bombast	Hyperbolic or wildly exaggerating speech, so-called after a kind of cotton stuffing.
diction	An author's choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
ji	– J-EYE (J: ground)
movie commercial	A filmed ad for film, played in movie houses.
aside	A dramatic device in which a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud, in words meant to be heard by the audience but not by the other characters
early modern english	Modern English covers the time-frame from about 1450 or so up to the present day
episode	An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program
middle comedy	Greek comedies written in the early 300s BCE, in which the exaggerated costumes and the chorus of the Old Comedy were eliminated
upm	Unit production manager.
hemispherical transmittance	the ratio of the transmitted
onomatopoeia	The use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning, as in clang, buzz, twang.
paradox	A statement that contains seemingly contradictory elements or appears contradictory to common sense, yet can be true when viewed from another angle.
aesthetic movement	a literary belief that art is its own justification and purpose, advocated in England by Walter Pater and practised by Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Oscar Wilde, and others.
cast party	Party for the cast (and often crew) of a production.
ballad	Folklore: Traditions and myths preserved in a culture or group of people
simile	Symbol)
lamp	An electrically energized source of light, commonly called a bulb or tube.
closed position	To face away from the audience.
indicate	To play an action in an overly obvious manner.
bad quarto	In the jargon of Shakespearean scholars, a "bad quarto" is a copy of the play that a disloyal actor would recreate from memory and then submit for publication in a rival publishing house without the consent of the author
septet -	SEP-TET (It: sepette; Fr
wide-angle lens	A lens that has a focal length shorter than normal
lavalier	A small "tieclip" microphone worn inconspicuously in clothing, hair, wigs over the ear or on the face if heavily made-up.
antistrophe	An antistrophe is the last of three series of lines forming the divisions of each section of a Pindaric ode.
prompt-box	The prompter's box on the stage
tone	The author's attitude towards the characters or the story.
third person objective narrative	A narrative in which the narrator will act as an impartial observer, providing very little comment on the events of the story or behavior of the characters.
cold reading	Unrehearsed reading of lines
iambic	an unstressed/stressed combination of syllables in a metrical foot
action poetry	Verse written for performance by several voices.
point of view	The vantage point from which a narrative is told.
scene	A dramatic sequence that takes place within a single locale (or setting) on stage
pyrrhic	a metrical foot consisting of two unaccented syllables.
first look	Right of first refusal for a script or project.
casting	Process of selecting actors to play the characters in a production.
irony	A disparity between what is said and what is meant, what is expected and the actual outcome, or what a character understands and what the reader or audience understands.
anti-type casting	places the actor in parts at the extreme limits of his range.
act curtain	the front of main curtain on a prescenium stage directly behind the grand drapery.
anagnorisis	Anagnorisis (pronounced /ˌænəɡˈnɒrɨsɨs/; Ancient Greek: ἀναγνώρισις) is a moment in a play or other work when a character makes a critical discovery
paradox	a self-contradictory phrase or sentence, such as "the ascending rain" or Alexander Pope's description of man, "Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all." Don Marquis's "quote buns by great men quote" (archys life of mehitabel [London: Faber and Faber, 1934]: 103-04), describes a drunk trying to go up a down-escalator as "falling upwards / through the night" (the poem also parodies Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "St
commonwealth literature	Post-colonial literature from countries who are members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
timing	selecting the right moment to say a line or do an action for maximum effectiveness
canned	Pre-recorded effects interjected into a performance.
humorism	Humorism, or humoralism, is a discredited theory of the makeup and workings of the human body adopted by Greek and Roman physicians and philosophers
kaishi	- KAY-EE-SHE (J: pocket paper) Small, slim sheets of paper used for writing poems
ambiguity	The possibility of more than one meaning, for example the ending of The Five Students by Thomas Hardy.
tragic hero	as defined by Aristotle, a man of noble stature who is admired by society but flawed
irradiance	The density of radiant flux incident on a surface.
accent light	Directional lighting designed to emphasize a particular object or to draw attention to a part of the field of view.
antagonist	the character, force, or collection of forces in fiction or drama that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story
fox wedges	Wooden wedges used under flats on a stage with a rake to keep them perpendicular
speaker	The person, not necessarily the author, who is the voice of a poem
agma	American Guild of Musical Artists
trades	Newspapers and periodicals feature information about the entertainment industry.
hypocorism	A hypocorism (from Greek ὑποκορίζεσθαι hypokorizesthai, "to use child-talk") is a shorter form of a word or given name, for example, when used in more intimate situations as a nickname or term of endearment.
french scene	a section of a play between any entrance or exit of any character
jeremiad	A jeremiad is a long literary work, usually in prose, but sometimes in poetry, in which the author bitterly laments the state of society and its morals in a serious tone of sustained invective, and always contains a prophecy of society's imminent downfall.
actor's equity association	165 West 46 Street, New York, New York 10036
image / imagery	descriptive language which helps us see, hear, smell, taste, or feel
first a.d.	First Assistant Director.
first refusal	Courtesy extended by an actor to a potential employer in which neither the actor nor the employer is committed to a job, but the actor may also actively seek alternate employment for the same day.
canon	the range of works that a consensus of scholars, teachers, and readers of a particular time and culture consider "great" or "major."
unities	Time, place and action
spotlight	(spot) A lighting device with a beam which is focused through one or more lenses.
apocope	In phonology, apocope (pronounced /əˈpɒkəpiː/, from the Greek apokoptein "cutting off", from apo- "away from" and koptein "to cut") is the loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word, and especially the loss of an unstressed vowel.
satire	a literary work—whether fiction, poetry, or drama—that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure
through-line	Unifying element of a scene, act or play.
call board	Bulletin board for posting audition notices, casting calls, rehearsal schedules and the like.
pit	In indoor theaters during the Renaissance, the most expensive and prestigious bench seating was the pit--an area directly in front of the stage
motif	An image or action in a literary work that is shared by other works and that is sometimes thought to belong to a collective unconsciousness.
aesthetic theory	the study of what makes some things seem beautiful that have no practical benefit and whether these things are necessary in some way
take stage	director's request that an actor move into a more prominent position on stage; also that the actor needs to expend more energy in the scene
camera presence	an actor's presence and sense of energy on camera.
union member	An individual who has joined a union.
goshû –	GO-SHOE (J: later collection)
awg	American Wire Gauge
house curtain	Drapery that separates the acting area from the audience.
frame-piece	See Flat
point method	A method of estimating the illuminance at various locations in a building using photometric data.
depth of field	Area within the camera's view in which objects are in focus
road company	Company of performers who tour to different cities to present their production.
comparative literature	An examination of similarities and differences in pieces of literature.
leonine verse	Verse using internal rhyme in which the middle and end of each line rhyme
rondel	A French poem structure of considerable antiquity that was eight lines in length, with an AB aA ab AB rhyme scheme, with A and B representing refrains
black comedy	A comedy in which the humour is derived from "serious" subjects such as death, war, suffering, and murder.
rhythm	the pattern of
burlesque	a work caricaturing another serious work
bombast	hyperbolic or wildly exaggerating speech, so-called after a kind of cotton stuffing.
thrust stage	Another term for an apron stage.
narrative	That which tells a story.
quire	A collection of individual leaves sewn together, usually containing between four and twelve leaves per quire
ubi sunt	A literary motif dealing with the transitory nature of things, like life, beauty, youth, etc.
age range/age category	Ages that an actor can believably portray.
key grip	The chief of a group of grips.
net fees	Income earned by a performer for work done in front of the camera or microphone
cattle call	An audition during which a large number of actors are moved in and out of the audition area as quickly as possible.
non-sag	A play that is not under a SAG agreement.
climax	The culmination of events in the story, novel, or play
summer stock	A theatre group which produces a number of productions throughout the summer vacation season.
intercutting	Alternate scenes between action occuring at two different locations.
parody	A ludicrous imitation, usually intended for comic effect but often for ridicule, of both the style and content of another work
leko	A commonly used term for an ellipsoidal spotlight
protagonist	the most neutral and broadly applicable term for the main character in a work, whether male or female, heroic or not heroic
afi	American Film Institute
rahil –	RAH-ILL (A: desert journey) The middle part of a qasida that describes the poet's journey, and usually his mount in great detail, in the resolution of his great unhappiness which is either to regain a lost love or vanquish an enemy.
classical poets/poetry	Pre-Christian Roman and Greek poets such as Homer, Horace, Virgil, Ovid etc
box-scene	A scene constructed of flats, joined together to make an interior
balcony spot	A spot light placed on the front of the balcony to light the front of the scene
lallans	Scottish literary language - as used by Hugh MacDiarmid and Robert Burns
pin spot	A fixture providing a narrow beam of light.
talent agent	A individual who acts as a performer's business representative by securing auditions, handling contracts and pay in exchange for a percentage of the performer's earning.
mini strip	A compact striplight that uses 1 to 4 groups of ten 12 volt lamps wired in a series circuit.
second unit director	Diector of the second unit.
opera	A play in which the performers sing their roles.
etymon	A
mondo –	MON-DOE J: question and answer dialogue
naga-uta	Japanese form of indeterminate length that alternates lines of five and seven syllables and ends with an additional seven-syllable line.
symbolism	In literature, the serious and extensive use of symbols
monitor	A raised section of roof that includes a vertically (or near-vertically) glazed aperture for the purpose of daylighting illumination.
this is poetry	Elizabethans did not talk like this
big and tall men	Male models wearing size 44 suit and up.
comic opera	A light opera with a happy ending
dramatist	One who writes plays.
troubadour	One of a class of Occitan lyric poets and poet-musicians, often of knightly rank, who flourished from the 11th through the 13th centuries in Southern France and neighboring areas of Italy and Spain, and who wrote of courtly love.
assistant stage manager	the all-purpose technical assistant; the backstage entry-lever position
flat character	a character not fully developed who seems to represent a type more than a real personality (see also stock character)
dry ice	Frozen carbon dioxide which produces a low-lying mist or fog when dropped into boiling water.
work lights	lights that illuminate the stage when there is no performance.
excursus	A detailed discussion appended, such as in an afterword or an appendix.
paronomasia / pun	wordplay, using words with the same or similar sounds or spelling but different meanings, usually for comic or satirical effect
agency commission	A percentage of a performer's earnings that is payed to the agency representing performer.
dirge	A brief funeral hymn or song
irony	Verbal irony is a figure of speech in the form of an expression in which the use of words is the opposite of the thought in the speaker's mind, thus conveying a meaning that contradicts the literal definition, as when a doctor might say to his patient, " the bad news is that the operation was successful." Dramatic or situational irony is a literary or theatrical device of having a character utter words which the reader or audience understands to have a different meaning, but of which the character himself is unaware
dress rehearsal	1
shin buster	A fixture placed as close to the stage floor as possible.
farce	Comedy that relies on ridiculous situations, horseplay and slap-stick action.
prosody	study or practice or study of versification: what this tutorial is all about. Also called “metrics” in the case of
off	The part of the stage not in view of the audience
denotation	The literal sense of a word or its strict dictionary definition, as opposed to connotation which refers to the attitudes, emotions and values which may be usually evoked by the word, or which may be evoked by it in a specific context.
upstage	To draw the audiences attention onto oneself at the expense of another performer in the scene
character model	A model who has unusual an look or skill.
structure	the organization or arrangement of the various elements in a work
simile	A comparison between two words or ideas using “like” or “as.”
green-room	A room, near the stage, for the use of the actors, where they may meet and wait for their "calls."
enjambed	Line of verse whose thought continues at the line's end to the next line
dramatic irony	1
throw distance	the distance from the lighting instrument to th eperson or thing it is lighting
shikishi	– SHE-KEY-SHE (J: square paper)
ground row	Low pieces of scenery to form walls, fences, hedges, etc
memoir	see biography
back to one!	Cue for actors to return to the start of a scene.
shôfû	(or shôfu) – SHOW-FU (J: right style) a shortened name for Basho's style of writing and also the name of his school in his later years.
teleprompter	A device which allows a performer to read a script while looking into the camera lens.
analepsis	a flashback.
aside	a type of utterance in drama where the actor speaks away from other characters, either to himself, secretly to other characters or ad spectatores
dolly grip	A person responsible for physically moving the camera during a shot.
shaped poetry	See concrete poetry.
farce	A type of comedy based on a farfetched humorous situation, often with ridiculous or stereotyped characters.
blind mode	Setting up a lighting scene or preset when another is active.
book	The spoken dialogue in a musical or play.
cadence	The progressive rhythmical pattern in lines of verse; also, the natural tone or modulation of the voice determined by the alternation of accented or unaccented syllables.
body double	An actor who replaces another actor in a scene because the double's body or part of the double's body is more suitable for the shot
comedy	A play with an agreeable ending
feathering	As Kathleen Scott describes this sort of decoration, it is
lexical set	words that are habitually used within a given environment constitute a lexical set
grid	The structure above the stage, usually used to support the battens.
match cut	a cut intended to blend two shots together unobtrusively (opposed to a jump cut).
incubus	See discussion under succubus.
aphesis	the omission of the initial syllable of a word
satire	A literary work which exposes and ridicules human vices or folly
tragedy	A serious play in which the chief character, by some peculiarity of psychology, passes through a series of misfortunes leading to a final, devastating catastrophe
consider	See discuss.
safety curtain	A fire proof panel between the auditorium and stage directly behind the Proscenium Arch that fills the entire opening when winched down into place from the Fly Tower.
foot	The metrical unit of verse comprising a number of stressed and unstressed syllables
down stage	The portion of the stage nearest to the audience
classification	Classification is a figure of speech linking a proper noun to a common noun using the or other articles.
decasyllable	Hendecasyllable, Heptasyllable, Octosyllable)
historical novel	a sub-genre of the novel which takes its setting and some of the (main) characters and events from history.
personification	A figure of speech in which things or abstract ideas are given human attributes: dead leaves dance in the wind, blind justice.
pantomime	Acting out without dialogue or props.
empathy	A kind of sympathy that allows us to identify with the experiences, emotions, situations, and motives of another person or character.
producer	One who controls the players and the stage and is responsible for the interpretation of the play as a whole
out of frame	Outside the camera range.
elizabethan theatre	Period in English theatre associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
mental grammar	The generative grammar stored in the brain that allows a speaker to produce language that other speakers can understand.
apron	Front part or area of the stage extending past the main act curtain, also called lip.
trimeter	a line of poetry with three feet: "Little \| lamb, who \| made thee?" (Blake).
equipment operating factor	the flux of a high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp-ballast-luminaire combination in a given operating position as a fraction of the flux of the lamp-luminaire combination (1) operated in the position for rating lamp lumens and (2) using the reference ballasting specified for rating lamp lumens
fast motion	Cinemagraphic technique where movement appears more rapid than normal.
block characterisation	an explicit characterisation given in a block, usually when a character is introduced.
elision	The omission of part of a word (oer, neer) to make a line conform to a metrical pattern.
background action	Actgion performed in the background of a shot.
cabaret agreement	Union/producer agreement for cabaret theatres.
control cable	A cable used to transmit digital or analog signals from a control console to the apparatus to be controlled.
flyting	A poem of invective by two speakers trying to out-humiliate one another.
death of the novel	The death of the novel is the common name for the theoretical discussion of the declining importance of the novel as literary form
imperfect foot	A metrical foot consisting of a single syllable, either heavily or lightly stressed
travesty	A work that deflates something that is treated by another work with high seriousness.
apostrophe	Used to address someone or something invisible, an inanimate object, a dead or absent person, or a spirit
farce	a play or scene in a play or book that is characterized by broad humor, wild antics, and often slapstick or physical jokes
syllable	Each pronounced part of a word is a syllable
poets' corner	A portion of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey which contains the remains of many famous literary figures, including Chaucer and Spenser, and also displays memorials to others who are buried elsewhere.
absorption	A process by which incident radiant flux is converted to another form of energy, usually (and ultimately) heat.
hyperbole	Hyperbole (from ancient Greek ὑπερβολή 'exaggeration') is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech
front elevation	A scale drawing of the front view of a set.
formula	An often repeated phrase, sometimes half-a-line long and metrically distinctive.
melodrama	The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work which exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions
explore	See discuss
typecast	To cast a role based upon specific physical characteristics or likeness to a specific dramatic type
ensemble	A group of actors who work together with no one actor outshining any others.
parody	A not-uncomplimentary send-up of another work, such as Geoffrey Chaucer's "Sir Thopas" in The Canterbury Tales
post-structuralism	This discourse relates to post-modernism
thesis	An attitude or position taken by a writer or speaker with the purpose of proving or supporting it
denotation	the literal, dictionary definition of a word
assonance	The relatively close juxtaposition of the same or similar vowel sounds, but with different end consonants in a line or passage, thus a vowel rhyme, as in the words, date and fade.
scene chewing	("Chewing the scenery") An over-the-top performance that dominates the scene.
symbol	a person, place, thing, event, or pattern in a literary work that designates itself and at the same time figuratively represents or "stands for" something else
interpretation	an analysis of a work to determine its meaning
exordium	In Western classical rhetoric, the exordium was the introductory portion of an oration
image	an expression that describes a literal sensation, whether of hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and feeling.
gonzo journalism	Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written subjectively, often including the reporter as part of the story via a first-person narrative
atmosphere	The mood or pervasive feeling insinuated by a literary work.
narrative	Telling a story
digital multiplex	A system that simultaneously transmits more than one digital signal.
beryl	Aquamarine or emerald, a transparent precious stone.
dedication	A formal, printed inscription printed in a book dedicating it to a person, cause, etc.
new comedy	The Greek comedy the developed circa 300 BCE, stressing romantic entanglements, wit, and unexpected twists of plot.
connotation	Any association or attitude that is embedded in a word's meaning or is brought to mind by the mention of a word or phrase
take the corner	A direction to move to the right or left corner of the stage
auditions	competitive tryout for a performer seeking a role in a theatre production
couplet	Two successive lines of verse, which often rhyme.
assistant director	AD, First Assistant Director, 1st Assistant Director
narrative	The story.
drapes	Stage Curtains.
syntax – sin-tax	The placement of words in an arbitrary but conventional sequence
caricature	a depiction in which a character's characteristics or features are so deliberately exaggerated as to render them absurd
alliteration	The repetition of the same or similar sounds at the beginning of words: “What would the world be, once bereft/Of wet and wildness?” (Gerard Manley Hopkins, “Inversnaid”)
synecdoche –	SIN-NECK-DOUGH-SHE (Gr: "understanding one thing with another) A figure of speech that is formed by a part of the phrase which is substituted for the whole phrase
subversion	when a concept or text aims to undermine an established idea.
motif	it is preferable to recognize the difference between the two terms.
booth	area in the theatre with the light and sound boards
inference	A judgement based on reasoning rather than on direct or explicit statement
fortuny system	A system of stage lighting by indirect means by an Italian inventor
resume'	An 8X10 sheet of paper that lists an actor's pertinent artistic credits, training, personal statisics and special skills
isocolon	A line or lines that consist of clauses of equal length.
roundelay	A lyric poems with a refrain.
content	Form, Motif, Persona, Texture, Tone)
tie-off	to fasten a set of lines to a pin rail or other stationary object
protagonist	the main character in a work, who may or may not be heroic
trunk show	A travelling fashion show.
primal scene	In psychoanalysis, the primal scene is the initial witnessing by a child of a sex act, usually between the parents, that traumatizes the psychosexual development of that child
raked	1
variorum	A variorum edition is any published version of an author's work that contains notes and comments by a number of scholars and critics
diffuse transmission	the process by which the incident flux passing through a surface or medium is scattered.
octosyllabic	Having eight syllables.
anchorhold	In medieval times, an enclosure in the wall of a church where an anchorite or anchoress would be sealed up alive as a gesture of faith.
grid	Metal or wooden framework suspended above the stage on which flown scenery, drops and lighting battens are supported.
dimmer	A device which controls the intensity of lights.
patter song	Singing many words quickly.
aleatory verse	Uses chance (random words from a book, etc) to determine word choice.
"boards"	a slang term for the stage.
drop	suspended cloth flown rite stage area.
chansons de geste	An epic poem written in assonant verse about historical or legendary events or figures.
alliteration	Using the same consonant to start two or more stressed words or syllables in a phrase or verse line, or using a series of vowels to begin such words or syllables in sequence
the chambered nautilus	" by Oliver Wendell Holmes, or "The Cloud," by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
narratio	The part of an argument in which a speaker or writer provides a narrative account of what has happened and explains the nature of the case.
literal meaning	A meaning that is the primary or strict meaning of a word or phrase; not figurative or metaphorical.
dissociation of sensibility	Term invented by T.S
amphibrach	A metrical foot of three syllables: one weak, one strong, and one weak.
bouts-rimés	Bouts-Rimés, literally (from the French) "rhymed-ends", is the name given to a kind of poetic game defined by Addison, in the Spectator, as
turn allocation	the number of lines in a character's speech in a play
wabi	- WAH-BEE (J: poverty) Beauty judged to be the result of living simply
static character	see character
scènes à faire	Scène à faire (French for "scene to be made" or "scene that must be done"; plural: scènes à faire) is a scene in a book or film which is almost obligatory for a genre of its type
platform stage	A performance area which is elevated above the normal stage floor.
gallery	The elevated seating areas at the back and sides of a theater.
conjunctivitis	inflammation of the conjunctiva also known as pink-eye conscripted: put into military use contiguously: alongside contraposed: separated into opposing groups convivial: festive/merry cravenly: so lacking in courage as to be worthy of contempt
copyright notice	Please respect the fact that all the material on this site is copyright © Sydney University Library and the individual authors and copyright owners
costume parade	A process during which actors, wearing their costumes, parade and pose in front of the director and costume designer who approve or suggest changes to the costumes.
daytime drama	Soap opera.
innuendo	An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas
reflectance	The ratio of reflected flux to incident flux.
romanzo d' appendice	Romanzo d'appendà¬ce (Italian for Feuilleton) was a popular genre in literature, which originated in England and France, in the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th.
load	The lamp or lighting instruments placed on a circuit.
metadrama	Drama in which the subject of the play is dramatic art itself, especially when such material breaks up the illusion of watching reality
foley walker	One who specializes in foley effects.
hokku	Hokku is the opening verse of a linked verse series
falling action	In the plot of a story, the action that occurs after the climax
epithalamium	– EH-PI-THA-LA-MEUM (Gr: at the bridal chamber) A wedding song sung outside the bridal chamber on the wedding night
graybody	a temperature radiator whose spectral emissivity is less than unity and the same at all wavelengths.
three unities	in the 16th and 17th centuries, critics of the drama in Italy and France added to Aristotle's ‘unity of action' two other unities, to constitute one of the rules of drama known as ‘the three unities'; on the assumption that the achievement of an illusion of reality in the audience of a stage play (verisimilitude) requires that the action represented by a play approximate the actual conditions of the staging of the play, they imposed the ‘unity of place' (that the action represented be limited to a single location) and the requirement of the ‘unity of time' (that the time represented be limited to the two or three hours it takes to act the play, or at most to a single day of either 12 or 24 hours).
trim clamp	a metal clamp used to hold several lines to a counterweight system so that scenery can be held in trim
voiced and unvoiced	Consonants are voiced when the vocal cords move (/b/) and unvoiced when they remain still (/p/).
foil	A secondary character whose purpose is to highlight the characteristics of a main character, usually by contrast
two shot	A medium close-up shot of two people.
beast epic	A genre beginning with Aesops fables (6th century BC) and common in the middle ages
fueki	– F(y)OU-EE-KEY
daylight factor	a measure of daylight illuminance at a point on a given plane, expressed as the ratio of the illuminance
stage carpenter	(a) The member of the staff in charge of scenery
standard english conventions	The widely accepted practices in English punctuation, grammar, usage, and spelling that are taught in schools and employed by educated speakers and writers
arbor	in a flying system, the cage where the operators put the counterweight to balance the weight of the scenery.
situation comedy	See Sitcom.
sightline	Imaginary lines drawn from extreme audience positions to define what areas of the stage that can be seen by that section of audience. They are used to check that entrances and performance positions can be seen by the whole audience. They are also used to check that Masking is effective.
scribe	A literate individual who reproduces the works of other authors by copying them from older texts or from a dictating author
rolling!	Verbal cue that the film and audio tape is ready and rolling.
denotation	The direct and literal meaning of a word or phrase (as distinct from its implication)
direct component	that portion of the light from a luminaire which arrives at the workplane without being reflected by any room surfaces
exposition	The part of a play, story, or novel in which the author establishes setting, situations, and often central characters and themes.
at rise	The stage when ready for the rise of the curtain
occupatio	A figure of rhetoric where a writer explains that he or she will not have time or space to say something but then goes on to say that thing anyway, possibly at length.
history	History is one of the three main genres in Western theatre, alongside tragedy and comedy
full front	When a performer performer faces the audience.
morality play	type of medieval drama which presented allegories of man's life and search for salvation.
textuality	Textuality is a concept in linguistics and literary theory that refers to the attributes that distinguish the text (a technical term indicating any communicative content under analysis) as an object of study in those fields
onnade	– ON-NAD-DEH J: female hand
print	Called by the director after a take that indicates the take is good enough to be printed.
amber	the yellow-red light filter varying from light straw to dark flame.
taft-hartley act	A federal statute which allows a non-union actor to work at a union job for 30 days before being required to join a union.
crossing	moving from one point on the stage to another, especially to a diametrically opposed point.
hysteron proteron	In Medias Res)
corpus christi play	A religious play performed outdoors in the medieval period that enacts an event from the Bible, such as the story of Adam and Eve, Noah's flood, the crucifixion, and so on
focusing instrument	A lighting instrument whose beam size can be varied.
ambivalence	When the reader has mixed feelings or opposing views towards an event, character or object.
form	The original Japanese haiku was written in a one-line format
day player	A principal performer hired on a day to day basis.
end-stopped	Denoting a line of verse in which a logical or rhetorical pause occurs at the end of the line, usually marked with a period, comma, or semicolon.
paradox	A situation or a statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, does not
opera	A dramatic composition set to music with or without spoken dialogue, in which the music is the main feature
sliding tree	A coupling used to hang a lighting fixture from 1/2 pipe.
tetrameter	A line of poetry that has four metrical feet.
round character	see character
apologue	Another term for a moral fable--especially a beast fable.
juxtaposition	the location of one thing as being adjacent or juxtaposed with another, to create a certain effect
dailies	Film and sound clips that are quickly processed for next day viewing.
continuity	Attention to progression of story-line and acton, expression of dialog, and matching the details of set dressing, props, and wardrobe to prevent discrepancies in same from shot to shot.
oulipo	Oulipo (French pronunciation: [ulipo], short for French: Ouvroir de littérature potentielle; roughly translated: "workshop of potential literature") is a loose gathering of (mainly) French-speaking writers and mathematicians which seeks to create works using constrained writing techniques
paralipsis	a figure of thought where less information is supplied than appears to be called for by the circumstances.
91 day out clause	A contractual agreement that allows the performer to terminate the contract if the performer doesn't earn a minimum amount of money within 91 days after signing the contract
ellipsoidal reflector spotlight	a spotlight in which a lamp and an ellipsoidal reflector are mounted in a fixed relationship directing a beam of light into an aperture, where it may be shaped by a pattern, iris, shutter system or other insertion
moral	a rule of conduct or a maxim for living (that is, a statement about how one should live or behave) communicated in a literary work
mystery play	Mystery plays and Miracle plays (which are two different things) are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe
pastiche	Work patched together from excerpts of other writers, or from passages clearly recognizable as imitating others.
portfolio	A book which contains pictures and other examples of a model's work.
genetic fallacy	The genetic fallacy is a fallacy of irrelevance where a conclusion is suggested based solely on something or someone's origin rather than its current meaning or context
turn-around	An item comprising two connectors that are of the same type and sex, electrically connected together.
maker	a medieval and early Renaissance term for `poet.'
thegn	A warrior who has sworn his loyalty to a lord in Anglo-Saxon society
lock it down	A direction given by the assistant director instructing everyone on the set to be quiet.
cliché	A word or phrase that once had originality, but has now become exhausted through overuse, e.g
star	A widely known actor.
anacreontic verse	Imitations of the 6th-century B.C
couplet	A pair of successive rhyming lines, usually of the same length, termed "closed" when they form a bounded grammatical unit like a sentence, and termed "heroic" in 17th- and 18th-century verse when serious in subject, five-foot iambic in form, and holding a complete thought.
rain box	A box containing dried peas or some other small pellet, which produces a rain-like sound effect when tipped.
class a commercial	the most lucrative remuneration for performance in a commercial.
round character	a fully developed character with the complexities of real person
content	Form, Motif, Persona, Style, Texture, Tone)
minor role	1
blacklight	A luminaire with a beam whose wavelengths are too short to be visible, i.e.., 320 to 380nm
eiron	In Greek comedy, the eiron was a stock male character known for his ironic understatement
schtick	A repeated bit of comic business, routine, or gimmick used by a performer.
plot	The plan of action in a play
heroic drama	Period play, written in verse, in which there is a happy ending or in which the deaths of the main characters are considered an heroic triumph.
at rise	often the beginning of a play script describing who is onstage, what they are doing, and where they are placed.
slant rhyme	see inexact-rhyme.
meaning	In linguistics, meaning is what is expressed by the writer or speaker, and what is conveyed to the reader or listener
conflict	n
personification	Treating an abstraction as if it were a person, endowing it with humanlike qualities
archetype	An original after which other similar things are patterned.
comedy	A performance primarily meant to amuse.
rhetorical question	A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply (e.g.: "Why me?") Rhetorical questions encourage the listener to think about what the (often obvious) answer to the question must be
climax	the third part of plot, the point at which the action stops rising and begins falling or reversing; also called turning point or (following Aristotle) peripeteia
headlamp	a major lighting device mounted on a vehicle and used to provide illumination ahead of it
dialect	Regional variations in speech of a common language
gauze	A lightweight, coarsely woven cloth flown in front of a scene
tempo	Rate of speed at which a scene is played.
stress	a syllable uttered in a higher pitch than others
floor pocket	a small box, sunk into the stage floor; contains an electrical outlet.
technical director	Individual responsible for executing the stage set and for controlling the set during a performance.
camera operator	Member of the camera crew who operates the camera.
overscale	Payment that is higher than the amount in the standard union contract.
conclusion	also called resolution, the fifth and last phase or part of plot, the point at which the situation that was destabilized at the beginning becomes stable once more and the conflict is resolved.
jour printer	a person trained in a trade or craft
cold reading	1
network approval	Approval of an actor for a production controlled by a network studio.
eponymous	having a name used in the title of a literary work
first folio	A set of Shakespeare's plays published in 1623
line	A unit in the structure of a poem consisting of one or more metrical feet arranged as a rhythmical entity.
trochaic meter	Poetry in which each foot consists primarily of trochees (poetic feet consisting of a heavy stress followed by a light stress)
sino-tibetan	A group of languages spoken in China, Tibet, and Burma, including Mandarin.
house	The audience
primary objective	Most important goal which motivates the basic actions of a character in a scene.
bar	See Batten
working light	An independent light on the stage used for working by
lay down	To record something.
adverb	A word which qualifies or adds to the action of a verb: as in 'he ran quickly', or 'he ran fast'
tautology	A statement redundant in itself, such as "The stars, O astral bodies!"
epizenxis	repetition of a word several times without connectives.
catharsis	The purging of emotions in an act to cleanse one’s soul; an important element prevalent in Greek tragedies.
drama	a literary genre consisting of works in which action is performed and all words are spoken before an audience by an actor or actors impersonating the characters
prompt corner	desk at the side of the stage from which the stage manager runs the show.
featured role	A non-speaking role that performs specific business in the scene.
drop	A piece of cloth, often painted to depict scenery, which is lowered from above the acting area to set a scene.
minor character	see character
preforeordestination	term that huck made up..
upper circle	Highest balcony in the auditorium
patch	Tying a circuit into a dimmer or a dimmer into a control channel.
super	A supernumerary actor; one who takes a small part in a play without being required to speak except in a crowd
character actor	an actor or actress who specializes in playing secondary roles
sides	1
straight line	Dialog that sets up a punch line so it will get a laugh.
slice of life	Slice of life is a theatrical term that refers to a naturalistic representation of real life, sometimes used as an adjective, as in "a play with 'slice of life' dialogue." The term originated in 1890–95 as a translation from the French phrase tranche de vie, credited to the French playwright Jean Jullien (1854–1919).
throw away	underplay a moment in a scene; de-emphasize a line reading or a piece of business
italian sonnet	Another term for a Petrarchan sonnet
freezing	when an actor forgets their lines (either through stage-fright, under-rehearsal or plain absent-mindedness) and remains rooted to the spot in panic, unable to move or speak.
ballast factor	The ratio of lamp lumen output on a particular ballast as compared to that lamp's rated lumen output on a reference ballast under ANSI test conditions (free, unmoving air at 25Â° C)
piece-bien-fait	The French term for the dramatic genre called the "well-made play." See discussion under well-made play.
poetry	a form of speech or writing that harmonizes the music of its language with its subject
scene	(a) One of the divisions of a play
extended metaphor	the meaning of an allegory is more direct and less subject to ambiguity than a symbol; it is distinguishable from an extended metaphor in that the literal equivalent of an allegory's figurative comparison is not usually expressed.
commission	Percentage of a performer's earnings paid to agents or managers.
stage right	Right side of the stage when facing the audience.
flashback	A reversion back to events that have previously taken place
homonym	A word that has the same sound and the same spelling as another word.
new comedy	A period of classic Greek Comedy of thelate 4th and 3rd Centuries B.C
variorum	A variorum is a work that collates all known variants of a text
asyndeton	The artistic elimination of conjunctions in a sentence to create a particular effect
personification	A figure of speech in which an animal, an object, a natural force, or an idea is given personality, or described as if it were human.
particular setting	see setting.
althing	The closest approximation the Icelandic Vikings had to a government/court system/police--a gathering of representatives from the local things to decide on policy, hear complaints, settle disputes, and proclaim incorrigible individuals as outlaws (see below)
epiphany	Christian thinkers used this term to signify a manifestation of God's presence in the world
truck	A platform on wheels upon which scenery is mounted and rolled into position on stage.
turning point	see climax
catharsis	meaning "purgation," it describes the release of the emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy
go up	When a show does not start, it "goes up".
scan	Scansion)
penny dreadful	A cheap novel, usually with a sensational plot
mezzanine	Seating area above the orchestra and below the balcony
litterateur - intellectual	An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence (thought and reason) and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.
foil	A character in a play who sets off the main character or other characters by comparison
rhyme	The occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words
script	the printed text of a drama
cadence	Ictus, Modulation) (Compare Polyphonic Prose)
antonym	Paronym, Synonym) (Contrast Sight Rhyme)
assonance	The repetition or a pattern of similar sounds, especially vowel sounds: “Thou still unravished bride of quietness,/Thou foster child of silence and slow time” (“Ode to a Grecian Urn,” John Keats).
double bill	Two movies shown consecutively.
minnesingers	Lyric poets of Germany in the 12th to 14th centuries, all men of noble birth who received royal patronage and who wrote mainly of courtly love
method acting	A style of acting in which actors draw emptions and experiences from their own personal lives to develop the character they are playing.
romanzo d' appendice	Romanzo d'appendìce (Italian for Feuilleton) was a popular genre in literature, which originated in England and France, in the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th.
feeder cables	A set of electric cables, usually individually insulated conductors with a high ampacity, used to remotely connect portable racks, power distribution racks etc.
repetition	Repetition is the simple repeating of a word, within a sentence or a poetical line, with no particular placement of the words, in order to emphasize
quicksilver	mercury
plot	The sequence of events or happenings in a literary work
amphitheatre	A circular, semi-circular or oval building with a central arena
deconstruction	An interpretive movement in literary theory that reached its apex in the 1970s
connotation	what is suggested by a word, apart from what it literally means or how it is defined in the dictionary
anncr	Announcer.
theme	The central idea, topic, or didactic quality of a work.
realism	Poets of the realist movement endeavored to accurately portray nature and real life without idealization, employing simple language, simple form, and clear images.
marginalia	Drawings, notation, illumination, and doodles appearing in the margins of a medieval text, rather than the central text itself.
off-camera	Dialogue delivered out of the view of the camera.
tercel	A male bird of prey
sprung rhythm	Also called "accentual rhythm," sprung rhythm is a term invented by the poet-priest Gerard Manley Hopkins to describe his personal metrical system in which the major stresses are "sprung" from each line of poetry
aestheticism	A literary movement in the nineteenth century of those who believed in art for arts sake in opposition to the utilitarian doctrine that everything must be morally or practically useful
techie	A stage technician.
personal wardrobe	Clothing owned by an actor.
orthophemism	Straight talk; direct or neutral expressions that are not sweet-sounding, evasive, or overly polite (euphemistic), nor harsh, blunt, or offensive (dysphemistic).
connotations	so both the poet and the reader must exercise sensible discretion to avoid misinterpretation.
amptp	Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers.
effects stock	Special film stock that is used to generate computerized composites.
enclitic	Collocated to the end of another word, with a dependent meaning.
genetic classification	A grouping of languages based on their historical development from a common source.
catchword	This phrase comes from printing; it refers to a trick printers would use to keep pages in their proper order
short story	A story from 500-15,000 words.
ekphrasis	Figure of Speech, Trope)
treadmill	moving belts on a stage floor on which scenery or actors may give the illusion of moving in full view of the audience
pun	an expression that uses a homonym (two different words spelled identically) to deliver two or more meanings at the same time
nsp	A lamp designation that means narrow spot .
fresnel	A lighting instrument with a special lens designed project an even, soft-edged beam of light.
negritude	A literary, ideological movement of French-speaking black intellectuals that utterly opposes and rejects the social, political, and moral domination of the West.
storyline	A brief summary of a production.
tragicomedy	a play which is a blend of tragic and comedic elements
agency	Refers to model or talent agency or to an advertising agency.Model and talent agencies handle booking work for models or actors
wind machine	A large fan for creating wind on the set.
samoyedic	A non-Indo-European branch of Uralic languages spoken in northern Siberia.
tab	a vertical drape just inside the proscenium that masks performers in the wings; also a term meaning to pull a drape aside
trims	the heights of flying scenery and masking
acl light	A very narrow beam, low voltage Par aircraft land light.
twofer	A special power cord that has one male connector electrically connected to two female connectors via two separate cables.
rhythm	the modulation of weak and strong elements in the flow of speech
dry tech	is when the running crew practices each scene change without actors onstage
curtain-raiser	A short play performed before the main item of the programme
martini shot	Last shot of the day.
internal conflict	see conflict
squib	Small explosive charge detonated electrically by two attached wires connected to a remote switch and a direct-current power supply (battery); most used often in gunfight scenes to simulate a bullet hitting a target
general diffuse lighting	lighting involving luminaires which distrihute 40-60% of the emitted light downward and the batanee upward, sometimes with a strong component at 90° (horizontal)
dauphin	title of the eldest son of the king of france
video audition	An audition that is videotaped for review at a later date.
verse	Language given rhythmic order and arranged into lines.
fish-eye	an extreme wide-angle lens.
sae	Self-addressed envelope with appropriate postage affixed for return to the sender.
assonance	– ASS-OH-NONCE (L: assonare – to answer with the same sound) An aural device in which one word echoes another
fu poetry	Flowery, irregular "prose-poem" form of Chinese literature common during the Han period
infixation	Also called epenthesis, infixation is placing an infix (a new syllable, a word, or similar phonetic addition) in the middle of a larger word
prompt book	Stage manager's copy of the script
take call	To take a call is to be called on the stage before the audience at the dose of a play or act
broadside	Single sheet of paper upon which poetry is printed
changeover	The process of changing from one play's settings to another. This usually takes place within a repertoire system where a theatre has several plays running at the same time.
skaz	A form of story telling or oral narrative.
lament	A poem or song for expressing grief
orchestra	Main floor seating area.
genre	A term used to designate a type of literature according to its subject matter and how the subject is treated.
light	Radiant energy that is capable of exciting the retina and producing a visual sensation
star treatment	Special agreed upon services provided to a star performer.
wash light	A light that illuminates the entire acting area.
dipless cross fade	A cross fade whose transition from one setting to another is completely smooth and even.
casting director	Producer's representative responsible for pre-auditioning performers for consideration by the director and or producer.
verse novel	A verse novel tells a long and complex story with many characters, much as a novel would, through the medium of narrative verse
irony	Words implying meaning opposite to their normal meaning.
shakespearean sonnet - sonnet	* Sicilian octave
symbolist movement	Late 19th-century French writers, including Mallarmé and Valéry, whose verse dealt with transcendental phenomena or with images and actions whose meaning was associative rather than referential.
overtime	Work which goes beyond the contractual work day.
comedy	In general, a literary work that is amusing and ends happily.
on the road	See On Tour
safety curtain	A fireproof curtain that separates the audience from the stage.
ethnic dialect	A dialect used by a racial or national group, as opposed to a caste dialect or regional dialect.
eponymous author	The eponymous author of a literary work, often a work that is meant to be prophetic or homiletic, is not really the author
asemic writing	Asemic writing is a wordless open semantic form of writing
central consciousness	a character whose inner thoughts, perceptions, and feelings are revealed by a third-person limited narrator who does not reveal the thoughts, perceptions, or feelings of other characters.
engo –	EN-GO (J: verbal association) Words thought to be associated by meaning, convention or sound
pathos	To evoke sympathy, sorrow or pity.
narrative structure	a textual organization based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework
colour correction	Adjusting the colour temperatures of various luminaire's so that they are all the same, or to make them match existing light sources.
analects	Lunyu (English: Analects) (simplified Chinese: 论语; traditional Chinese: 論語; pinyin: Lún Yǔ), also known as the Analects of Confucius, are considered a record of the words and acts of the central Chinese thinker and philosopher Confucius and his disciples, as well as the discussions they held.
cast album	An audio recording featuring music from a live musical production.
medium	(1) A channel or system of communication
run-through	An uninterrupted rehearsal of a scene, act or an entire play
tragedian	an actor who plays tragic roles
histrionic	Used of actors and acting
extras	Ladies or gentlemen engaged to walk on
broadside	A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous (or near simultaneous) fire in naval warfare.
closet drama	a play that is written to be read rather than be performed onstage
fairy tale	see tale
black out	An instantaneous switching off of all lights on the stage
verism	Verism is the artistic preference of contemporary everyday subject matter instead of the heroic or legendary in art and literature; a form of realism
juggernaut	Juggernaut is a term used in the English language to describe a literal or metaphorical force regarded as unstoppable.
voice	the personality or style of the writer or narrator that seems to come to life in the words
densitometer	a photometer for measuring the optical density (common logarithm of the reciprocal of the transmittance or reflectance) of materials.
royalties	Fee paid for the rights to perform a script.
author time	see time
theater of dionysus	The outdoor theater in Athens where Greek drama began as a part of religious rituals on the sloped side of the Acropolis in Athens.
sublime	The main characteristic of great poetry, Longinus held, was sublimity or high, grand, ennobling seriousness.
stage door	The entrance to that part of a theatre used by the players as distinguished from the public entrance
full rhyme	Another term for perfect rhyme, true rhyme, or exact rhyme, see above.
synaesthesia/ synesthesia	The description of a sense impression (smell, touch, sound etc) but in terms of another seemingly inappropriate sense e.g
hand prop	A small item used by an actor in performance.
theme	A unifying, central subject or idea that provides a literary work with its stance or approach
objectivity and subjectivity	An objective treatment of subject matter is an impersonal or outside view of events
ambience	Broadly an alternative word for atmosphere
gel	A plastic colour media for modifying a beam of light.
lumen method	A method of estimating the interior illuminance due to window daylighting at three locations within a room
field rep	Union staff member who assures contractual agreements are met.
ingenue	An actress who plays a young girl's part
three estates	See feudalism
key light	The principal source of light which establishes the character of the actor and mood of the scene.
tanka	A form of Japanese verse that originated in the seventh century, consisting of thirty-one syllables in lines of five, seven, five, seven, and seven
burlesque	An imitation of a literary style, or of human action, that aims to ridicule by incongruity of style and subject
flicker photometer	See visual photometer.
second person narrative	Considerably more rare than first or third person
language interpretation	Language interpretation is the facilitating of oral or sign-language communication, either simultaneously or consecutively, between users of different languages
slow take	Actor slowly looks out toward the audience.
music-plot	A list of the music for a play with the cues indicating where it is required to be played
long syllable	Any syllable with (1) a long vowel or (2) any syllable with a short vowel and two or more consonants following it
oration	An oration is a speech delivered in a formal and dignified manner.
fixture	A lighting unit, or luminaire.
distributed stress	When uncertainly occurs regarding which of two consecutive syllables is stressed
romance	A play dealing with love in an imaginative manner
jargon	Language used in a certain profession or by a particular group of people
freytag's pyramid	a diagram of plot structure first created by the German novelist and critic Gustav Freytag (1816–1895).
talent scout	an agent who seeks out talented people to work in the acting or modeling business.
sidearm	A pipe and C-clamp arrangement used to hang a fixture.
story within a story	This is a narrative technique where there is a principal story, within which there is another major fictive narrative, generally told by the characters of the principal story
false stage	A temporary stage floor laid upon the permanent stage floor.
understatement	Understatement is a form of speech which contains an expression of less strength than what would be expected
octosyllabic	Having eight syllables in a line of verse
encomium	A poem praising a person, object or idea.
native speaker	A speaker who uses a first language or mother tongue.
inamorata	The female love interest
anti-climax	a high point in the action of a play which occurs after the main climax and is of lesser importance.
fitting model	A model who stands while a fashion is being pinned and draped on her by a designer.
upstage	Toward the back of the stage.
vaudeville	Type of American theatre that combined comedy, song, dance, and other entertainment
outer circle	Post-colonial countries in which English, though not the mother tongue, has for a long period of time played a significant role in education, governance, and popular culture.
director of photography	Responsible for technical and artistic decisions required for filming of scenes as desired by the director.
bed-trick	The term for a recurring folklore motif in which circumstances cause two characters in a story to end up having sex with each other because of mistaken identity--either confusion in a dark room or deliberate acts of disguise in which one character impersonates another
stichomythia	a special turn allocation where the speakers' alternating turns are of one line each
ansi code	A three letter system that has been devised to describe lamps of different manufacture but the same application.
objective	The goal toward which a character strives.
cosine law	The law that the illuminance on any surface varies as the cosine of the angle of incidence
nuremberg light	A light hitting the performer from almost straight below, an uplight
bifocal spot	spotlight with special shutters to allow hard and soft edges.
out	Away from the center of the stage.
syntax	the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences
imagery	Use of a comparison, often between an idea or emotion and a concrete object, to convey the idea or emotion more vividly.
analogue	The term analogue is used in literary history in two related senses:
anceps	A metrical unit that can be long or short, stressed or unstressed
fly	To hang anything above the stage
ode	A lyric poem form usually rhymed and in the form of an address
classical unities	as derived from Aristotle’s Poetics, the three principles of structure that require a play to have one plot (unity of action) that occurs in one place (unity of place) and within one day (unity of time); also called the dramatic unities
beginners	A call given to the actors who appear in the first part of a play.
pathos –	PAH-TOES (Gr: suffering or passion that causes suffering) Evoking an audience's emotions in order to use them for persuasion or for a cathartic effect
atmosphere	the mood or pervasive feeling insinuated by a literary work.
cliché	Hackneyed or timeworn expression e.g
stalls	Floor level seating area.
lamp bar	A pipe, usually aluminum, that has a fixtures attached at even intervals.
vers	Not to be confused with verse, below, a vers is a song in Old Provencal almost indistinguishable from the chanson, but vers is the older term.
melodrama	plays with elaborate but oversimplified plots, flat characters, excessive sentiment, and happy endings
lay	A long narrative poem, especially one that was sung by medieval minstrels called trouvères
first-run syndication	Television programs produced for and sold to independent TV stations across the country.
climax	Rhetorically, a series of words, phrases, or sentences arranged in a continuously ascending order of intensity
exitance	See luminous exitance and radiant exitance.
box set	A theatrical structure common to modern drama in which the stage consists of a single room setting in which the "fourth wall" is missing so the audience can view the events within the room
acrostic	An acrostic is a series of lines or verses in which the first, last or other particular letters, when taken in order, spell out a word or phrase.
theme	A central idea or abstract concept that is made concrete through representation in person, action, and image
speaker	A person who speaks, as well as someone who gives a speech or a talk.
cut and hold	A verbal cue to have all principal action stop and freeze in position until told to release.
"fourth wall"	the invisible wall open to the audience in a box set (see also box set)
downstage	The area on stage that is closest to the audience.
deconstruction	a poststructuralist approach to literature which owes its development to the writings of the French philosopher Jacques Derrida
unit production manager	Individual responsible for the administration of a specific movie.
front piece	A short play or scene preceding the main item of the programme, some times called a "curtain-raiser."
second team	Actors who substitute for principal actors for camera blocking and technical setups.
aube	A dawn-song or aubade, but specifically one sung by a friend watching over a pair of lovers until dawn to prevent any interruption to their love-making or to cover up the noise of the love-making
flyting	A popular pastime in which two people try to outdo each other in the richness of their rhetorical scorn.
pyrotechnics	Explosive special effects.
dialogue	a reciprocal conversation between two or more persons; the speaking lines of a script.
point of view	The vantage point from which a story is told
accentual-stress meter	Lines of verse based on the metrical foot
analogue	A comparison between two similar things
arena stage	An arrangement of performance and audience space in which the audience is seated around most if not all of the performance space.
stand-in	Actor who substitutes for a principal actor for camera blocking and technical setups.
craft service	The catering company that feeds the cast and crew.
assonance	The repetition or resemblance of similar accented vowel sounds.
explication de texte	Explication de Texte is a French formalist method of literary analysis that allows for limited reader response, similar to close reading in the English-speaking literary tradition
acute accent	A diacritical mark indicating primary stress.
bunches	A metal hood or reflector containing a number of lamps for stage lighting
dress circle	Seating area above the stalls and below the balcony.
ushin	– (y)OU-SHE'N (J: with heart) - See
wardrobe allowance	A fee paid to talent for the use and cleaning of the talent's own clothing.
zed card	A composite card used by a commercial actor or model
little theatre	Non-professional, community theatre.
foil	A character who sets off another character by contrast
church summoner	Medieval law courts were divided into civil courts that tried public offenses and ecclesiastical courts that tried offenses against the church
auditor	an imaginary listener within a literary work, as opposed to the reader or audience outside the work.
sky cloth	A back curtain painted to represent sky in the distance
adr	Automated Dialogue Replacement
border light	See Batten
screenplay	A script intended to be produced as a movie.
affectation	A pretentious style of writing which is deemed unsuited to the form or subject matter.
broadway	Area of New York city on and adjacent to the street named Broadway where the commercial theaters of the united states are located.
canon	Someone's list of authors or works considered to be "classic," that is, central to the identity of a given literary tradition or culture.
trochee	A metrical foot consisting of an accented syllable followed by an unaccented syllable
smoke machine	A machine which produces clouds of white non-toxic fog
plot	The structure of the story
tragedy	classic tragedy follows the plight of a noble person who is flawed by a defect and whose actions cause him to break some moral law and suffer downfall and destruction
key light	The primary source of illumination.
anachronism	A person, place, or thing that is chronologically out of place, most times belonging to an earlier time period.
acephaly	The omission of a syllable at the beginning of a line of verse
act	(1) The largest divisions of the sections of a play
parable	A brief story, told or written in order to teach a moral lesson
italo-celtic	Together, the Italic and Celtic branches of Indo-European are called Italo-Celtic; the two groups share many general linguistic traits but are still too different to be considered a single branch.
coverage	All camera shots except the master shot.
group flashing light	a flashing light in which the flashes are combined in groups, each including the same number of
nudity code	Specific guidelines and restrictions pertaining to the use of nudity by performers in auditions, rehearsals and performances.
ajust	See discussion under humors.
aesthetic movement	A literary belief that art is its own justification and purpose, advocated in England by Walter Pater and practised by Edgar Allan Poe, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Oscar Wilde, and others.
beat generation	The Beat Generation is a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired
screenwriter	A writer who develops a screenplay.
focal length	Distance from the focal point of a lens to the plane of the film.
stock character	see character.
lamp lumen depreciation	The decrease over time of lamp lumen output, caused by bulb wall blackening, phosphor exhaustion, filament depreciation and other factors.
flashback	A reference to an event which took place prior to the beginning of a story or play
fair use	(law) A stipulation in the Copyright act of 1976 (Section 107) under which some limited "fair use" may be made of a protected work without permission" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching
contracts	Legal agreement entered into by a performer and agents, managers and/or producers which defines the services to be rendered and the type of compensation to be paid.
dissonance	cacaphony, or harsh-sounding language.
script	A written description of the action, dialogue, and camera shots for a screenplay, radio or stage play.
wardrobe call	An assigned time and place for a wardrobe fitting.
short syllable	In linguistics, any syllable containing a short vowel, but followed by only one consonant or no consonant at all
dramatist	A writer of plays
player	See Actor
on	The word "within" is metrical padding
hanging piece	Any piece of scenery that is flown
choreography	The art of stage dancing
overcranking	Increasing the frame rate of a camera so when the film is played at the normal frame rate the action appears to be in slow motion.
georgic poems	characterizing the life of the farmer.
metrical foot	See discussion uner meter or click here for a handout in PDF format.
melodrama	1
buyout	An agreed-to offer of full payment to a performer in lieu of residuals.
choric figures	Characters within a play or novel who remark upon the action while contributing to it, e.g
discriminated occasion	a specific, discrete moment portrayed in a fictional work, often signaled by phrases such as "At 5:05 in the morning
point of view	Onomatopoeia: The use of words whose sounds express or suggest their meaning
profile spotlight	Any spotlight, usually an ellipsoidal spotlight, that has framing shutters.
exposition	In drama, the presentation of essential information regarding what has occurred prior to the beginning of the play
set	(a) The complete parts of a scene
moonhak	- (K: literature) This is the adjective given to designate classical sijo from modern or non-traditional sijo.
read	To read or audition for a part.
tone	The emotional approach or attitude that the writer chooses to use to color the work
ballad	a narrative poem, usually sung or recited
composite	A variety of photos printed on one sheet; represents an actor's different looks.
robinsonade	Robinsonade is a literary genre that takes its name from the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
table work	Rehearsals during which the script is read, usually around a table, in which interpretation and character are discussed.
feed	To play up in a scene to the leading actor
comedian	A comic actor
allusion	Symbol)
magnetic ballast	A ballast that uses a magnetic filed to limit electrical current.
tech rehearsal	A rehearsal in which technical elements of a production are tried out.
providence	divine guidance or care
on-camera	within the view of the camera.
style	the choice of words and sentence structure which makes each authors writing different
belles-lettres	Belles-lettres or belles lettres is a term that is used to describe a category of writing
guild card	Another name for a union membership card.
ad-lib	To make up words or dialogue on the spot, to speak at liberty.
sequel	A film that begins at a time after a previous film ends.
theme	The main subject or topic.
script supervisor	Crew member responsible for recording all script changes or actions throughout the production.
print ad	Advertisement in print media.
paradox –	PAIR-A-DOCKS A statement that unties seemingly contradictory ideas but which upon closer examination proves to have an unexpected meaning and truth
fay light	a luminaire that uses incandescent parabolic reflector lamps with a dichroic coating to provide "daylight" illumination.
structuralism	Structuralism is an intellectual movement that developed in France in the 1950s and 1960s, in which human culture is analysed semiotically (i.e., as a system of signs).
n-plural	The plural form of a few modern English weak nouns derives from the n-stem declension or n-plural of Anglo-Saxon (Old English)
apron stage	The apron is any part of the stage that extends past the proscenium arch and into the audience or seating area
checking the gate	To check the lens on the camera before proceeding to the next shot.
try back	A direction at rehearsal to repeat a scene or part of a scene
stage right	The actor's right as he faces the audience.
take 5	Take a five minute break.
atmosphere	the dominant mood or tone of setting
biographic picture	(Biopic) A filmed story of a person's life story.
synesthesia	a blending of different senses in describing something.
understudy	A performer prepared to perform a lead role if the lead actor is unable to perform.
alliteration	Two or more words with the same initial sound (or cluster of sounds) occur in a line or phrase.
septet	A seven-line stanza
comedy	A literary work which is amusing and ends happily
synesthesia	Figurative expression of the perception of one sense in terms of another
dim	Decreasing the intensity of lights.
chewing the scenery	An actor who gives an over-the-top (hammy) performance.
scriptorium	An area set aside in a monastery for monks to work as scribes and copy books.
tz'u	A Chinese genre of poetry invented during the T'ang period
dips	Small traps in the floor of the stage containing adaptors for plugging in lighting units
dimeter	A line containing only two metrical feet
alliteration	The use of repeated consonants in neighbouring words
top hats	round metal objects that are placed in the color frame holder of lighting instruments to cut down on stray light
exegesis	(1) In Roman times, the term exegesis applied to professional government interpretation of omens, dreams, and sacred laws, as Cuddon notes (315)
pyrrhic	line
neutral conductor	A current carrying conductor that is electrically connected to neutral.
camera right	actor's left when facing the camera.
diction	choice of words
secondary text	those parts of the dramatic text which are not spoken on stage: stage directions, description of setting, etc.
chorus	a group of actors in a drama who comment on and describe the action
overstructuring	a term deriving from formalist and structuralist theories indicating a greater use of phonological, morphological, syntactic or structural patterns in literary texts, especially poetry, than in other types of text.
w/n	Will notify
dramatic monologue	A poetic form in which the character (not the author) speaks directly to the audience
couplet	Two lines written as a unit
intertitles	A title card appearing intercut with a scene
talent manager	Individual who advises and counsels performers in aspects of their careers
lenaia	An Athenian religious festival occurring shortly after the Dionysia
litote	a figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscious understatement: "Last week I saw a woman flayed and you would hardly believe how it altered her appearance for the worse."
rhetoric	The art of speaking or writing effectively; skill in the eloquent use of language.
conventions	Unrealistic devices or procedures that the reader (or audience) agrees to accept.
marlowe's mighty line	Reading Marlowe's verse now, with 500 years of history between, the verse appears inflexible and monochromatic
puppeteer	One who manipulates the puppets or marionettes in a marionette theatre
entr'acte	a musical interlude between play acts.
caesura	mid-line pause, often marked by punctuation but not always
assistant production manager	Assistant to the production co-ordinator.
on tour	Said of actors when performing in a play from town to town
art director	Person who conceives and designs the sets.
tercet	A stanza structure of three lines, metrically aligned
curtain call	The final appearance of the by cast at the end of a performance to receive applause and take bows.
colour changer	An apparatus that attaches to a luminaire and allows one to remotely introduce one or more colour frames into the beam.
deck	the stage area
pejoration	A process of language change where, over time, the meaning of a word changes to take on a more negative meaning than the original meaning.
globe	a transparent or diffusing enclosure intended to protect a lamp, to diffuse and redirect its light or to change the color of the light.
juvenile	Role of a young man.
rhetorical trope	a device of figurative language which represents a deviation from the common or main significance of a word or phrase (semantic figures) or include specific appeals to the audience (pragmatic figures).
teaser	a horizontal drape across the stage, designed to hide the first electric
didactic literature	Literature disigned explicitly to instruct as in these lines from Jacque Prevert's "To Paint the Portrait of a Bird." Paint first a cage with an open door paint then something pretty something simple something handsome something useful for the bird Return to Menu
tripping	folding a piece of flying scenery as it goes out; generally done to save space
open stage	Platform stage surrounded on three sides by the audience.
master shot	A wide camera shot that includes the principal actors and background scene
redaction	In the study of literature, redaction is a form of editing in which multiple source texts are combined (redacted) and subjected to minor alteration to make them into a single work
haikaika	- HI-K-EYE-KAH or haikaika no uta
take	An unedited performance of a filmed scene.
forestage	(Apron) Area of stage that extends into the house side of the proscenium.
anecdote	a brief personal story used to illustrate a point
caricature	A style of writing (or drawing) which intentionally amplifies particular features of its subject or character, usually for comic and/or satirical effect
wrap party	A party following the completion of principal photography.
sono mama	- SO-NO MA-MA (J: as it is) To present an image without flourishes or embellishment.
areas	Divided portions of the stage.
meiosis	An understatement; the presentation of a thing with underemphasis in order to achieve a greater effect, such as, "the building of the pyramids took a little bit of effort."
cliffhanger	A moment of high suspense, frequently used at the end of a serial drama
plot	the arrangement of the action
rock musical	Musical that features rock music.
backstage	Area off stage not seen by the audience.
miracle play	A religious play of the middle ages
historiated initial	In the artwork of medieval manuscripts, a historiated initial is an enlarged, introductory letter in a written word that contains within the body of the letter a pictoral scene or figure related to the text it introduces
cross below	To move downstage.
travelling matte shot	(Bluescreen, Greenscreen) A shot in which action is digitally superimposed on a seperately filmed background.
scriblerus club	Association of writers, including Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, John Gay and John Arbuthnot, who met during 1714 to satirise 'all the false tastes in learning'
michi –	ME-CHEE (J: way or path) Used as way, road or path in the physical sense but also in the spiritual realm as representing the way to enlightenment
claque	A body of hired applauders
floodlight	A luminaire consisting of only a lamp and reflector with fixed spacing; generally, the reflector has a diffused finish and is often physically large in size
closed text examination	An examination where the texts studied are not allowed to be taken in or used during the assessment.
a.s.m.	Assistant stage manager
prosthetic appliances	Three dimensional makeup piece applied to an actor to hide, enhance or create physical features.
falling action	(or resolution) is characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot's conflicts and complications
macspaunday	Composite nick-name (devised by Roy Campbell) for Louis MacNeice, Stephen Spender, W.H.Auden and C
eyeline match	A technique used in special effects to assure a live actor is looking at the "face" of the special effects character who will later be inserted into the scene.
trilogy	A series of three movies which are closely connected by plot.
master electrician	Stagehand responsible for all lighting and of the lighting crew.
close reading	The careful and vigorous examination of literary texts; a technique advocated by the New Critics
dustlight luminaire	a luminaire so constructed that dust will not enter the enclosing case.
guignol - grand guignol	Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɑ̃ ɡiɲɔl]: "The Theater of the Big Puppet") — known as the Grand Guignol — was in the Pigalle area of Paris (at 20 bis, rue Chaptal)
domestic comedy	A production that explores the contradictions and eccentricities among individual characters.
directional lighting	lighting provided on the workplane or on an object predominantly from a preferred direction
dramatic poem	A composition in verse portraying a story of life or character, usually involving conflict and emotions, in a plot evolving through action and dialogue.
anachronism	Placing an event, person, item, or verbal expression in the wrong historical period
gross fee	Total compensation paid to a performer not including money paid for contracted expenses such as per diem allowances or travel costs.
temperance revival	religious meetings that stress the evils of alcohol
inter-act	Music, dancing or some other entertainment performed between the acts of a play
character look	Physical appearance of a character type.
commercial sound studio	A studio that provides space, equipment and engineers to ad agencies, producers and others for a fee.
negative capability	John Keats, in a letter of October 27, 1818, suggested that a poet, possessing the power to eliminate his own personality, can take on the qualities of something else and write most effectively about it.
flashback	Breaking normal chronology by shifting to a past time.
substitution	An acting technique by which the actor, uses a personal circumstance that is different from the given circumstances of the play
drama	A story acted out, usually on a stage, by actors and actresses who take the parts of specific characters
floor lamp	a portable luminaire on a high stand suitable for standing on the floor
counterweight system	A system used for raising and lowering scenery and lights which uses heavy weights to counterbalance the weight of the scenery and lights.
set	Location where a scene is being filmed.
proscenium lights	Lights fixed to a vertical pipe placed behind the tormentor
elision	The omission of one or more letters or syllables from a word
quick change room	A small dressing room in the wings for the use of a performer who has to make a quick change of costume
location scout	A person who looks for suitable locations for filming.
boom microphone: aka	Boom Mike, Boom, Fishpole, Giraffe A long pole with a microphone on the end
summoner	Medieval law courts were divided into civil courts that tried public offenses and ecclesiastical courts that tried offenses against the church
backing	Sections of scenery used to mask doors, windows or other openings
light-plot	A schedule of the lighting for a play with the cues indicating where it is required in the scene
aside	unspoken thoughts of a character delivered directly to the audience with the other characters on stage but unable to hear what is being said
pun	A word or phrase, sometimes referred to as a “play on words,” that suggests multiple meanings or interpretations.
phonology	A study of language which considers the distribution of speech patterns and their rules.
color temperature	The absolute temperature of a blackbody radiator having a chromaticity equal to that of the light source (see correlated color temperature).
investor	Financial backer for a commercial production.
camera crew	Crew members involved with operation of the camera .
fleshly school of poetry	Derogatory term coined by Robert Buchanan (writing as Thomas Maitland) to describe the work of D.G
house	(a) The auditorium
interlude	A scene that suspends the main flow of action.
monologue	(1) a speech of more than a few sentences, usually in a play but also in other genres, spoken by one person and uninterrupted by the speech of anyone else, or (2) an entire work consisting of this sort of speech
air play	Radio broadcasting.
rerun	Rebroadcast of a TV program.
hubris	The excessive pride or ambition that leads to the main character's downfall (another term from Aristotle's discussion of tragedy).
fretwork	ornamental woodwork frogging: a type of decorative braiding/trim on a jacket fust: become moldy
aesthetic values	Light effects, costumes, sets or other elements that create the production's sense of style and visual appeal.
summary	the material condensed to its main points
half hour	Warning to a production company given thirty-five minutes before a performance is to begin.
laureate	In English, the word laureate has come to signify eminence or association with literary or military glory
drama	(a) Plays in general
oriku	- OH-REE-COO J: Tanka or haikai with the given topic (dai) concealed in an acrostic, charades, or conundrum
cognates	Words having a common linguistic origin
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
shûka	– SHOE-KAH J: An outstanding waka, worthy of being a model for emulation.
front-of-house	The complete area of the theatre in front of the stage.
characterization	The way the author describes a character.
anthology series	a series each episode of which contains a separate complete story or other complete program entity, without a character or characters common to each of the episodes but held together by the same title, trade name or mark or identifying device or personality common to all of the episodes
nature poets/poetry	Term used to describe poets whose subject matter predominantly concerns animals, birds, insects and vegetation
buskins	Originally called kothorni in Greek, the word buskins is a Renaissance term for the elegantly laced boots worn by actors in ancient Greek tragedy
kidai	- KEY-DAY'EE (J: season topic) A system that designates a season by agreement among poets which makes the full moon a sign of autumn
asl	American Sign Language.
heavy	role of a villain.
paper	A ticket of admission to a theatre for which no payment is made
downgrade	Reduction of a performer's on-camera role from principal to extra.
loose sentence	A loose sentence is a type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses
repertory theatre	A theatre group which produces a number of productions throughout a season.
convention	in literature, a standard or traditional way of presenting or expressing something, or a traditional or characteristic feature of a particular literary genre or subgenre
divan –	DIE-WAN (A: collection)
kigo	- KEY-GO (J: seasonal word) Nouns which imply the season because they have been traditionally associated with certain times of the year in Japanese literature and/or real life
floodlight	a weatherproof unit so
archetypal criticism	The analysis of a piece of literature through the examination of archetypes and archetypal patterns in Jungian psychology
color rendering index	A measurement of the amount of color shift that objects undergo when lighted by a light source as compared with the color of those same objects when seen under a reference light source of comparable color temperature
representative character	A flat character who embodies all of the other members of a group (such as teachers, students, cowboys, detectives, and so on)
sight rhyme	Words which are similar in spelling but different in pronunciation, like mow and how or height and weight
trap	opening in the stage floor, normally covered, which can be used for special effects, such as having scenery or performers rise from below, or which permits the construction of a staircase which ostensibly leads to a lower floor or cellar
trailer	An filmed advertisement for a movie which contains scenes from the film.
end stopped line	A poetic line in which the end of the line coincides with the end of the grammatical unit, usually the sentence.
revolving stage set	A circular platform that can be turned 360 degrees to show different sets.
symbolist poets	Group of 19th century French poets including Verlaine, Rimbaud, Mallarmé and Laforgue who reacted against the objectivity and realism of the Parnassian movement
blocking	an actor's movement around a set, or the notations regarding movement in an actor's script
outtake	A bad take that will not be used in the final film.
conventions	Devices and features of a literary work such as themes, subjects, attitudes, or figures of speech.
photocell	A device that measures the amount of incident light present in a space.
cyc	A curved wall at the back of the stage
paralepsis	Making a statement while pretending not to.
confidant	a close friend of the protagonist in whom he/she can confide and thus disclose his/her innermost thoughts.
haibun	- HI-BUN (J: prose in the style of haikai) By adopting and adapting the practice of ancient diary keepers of Japan who combined prose with tanka, Basho created a new style by combining his diary accounts with his hokku
fourth wall	The invisible "wall" that separates the audience and the performers
task light	Light that is directed to a specific surface or area to provide illumination for visual tasks.
coming-of-age story	see initation story
apology	Apologetics (from Greek Î±ÏÎ¿Î»Î¿Î³Î¯Î±, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (usually religious) through the systematic use of reason
remote	TV or radio session held outside of the studio.
fixed cycle	For commercials, a 13-week period for which the advertiser pays a holding fee to retain the right to use performer's services, likeness and image in a previously produced advertisement.
adaptation	The reworking of one medium into another
second-person narrator	see narrator
experiencing i	in a homodiegetic narrative situation the narrator's perception of events at the time of their occurence (compare
amateur	an actor who is not a member of one of the acting unions.
logical fallacy - fallacy	In logic and rhetoric, a fallacy is incorrect reasoning in argumentation resulting in a misconception
set	structures on the stage which represent the setting of the play
monitor	Person in charge of checking actors in to a theatre audition, providing them with sides and determining in which order that actors will read.
deadpanning	To get laughs using a neutral facial expression.
harlequin	or Arlequin, one of the minor characters of the Commedia dell 'arte; now one of the characters in the Harlequinade
ambient light	Electric and/or natural lighting throughout a space that produces uniform general illumination.
tragi-comedy	A form of tragedy which, though ending unhappily, contains comic elements and some possibility of a happy ending.
shi/shih	Chinese term for different types of poetry/poems
liturgy	A liturgy is a form of public worship.
fallacies of reasoning	Consider Reviewing: Ad Hominem Argument from Authority Argument from Adverse Consequences Appeal to Ignorance Begging the Question Observational Selection Statistics of Small Numbers Non Sequitur Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc False Dichotomy
flat	Unit of scenery consisting of a wooden frame, covered with muslin, canvas or a wooden veneer which is painted with scenic elements.
fenestration	any opening or arrangement of openings (normally filled with media for control) for the admission of daylight.
dramatis personae	The characters of a play
scene shift	To move from one setting into another.
french scene	A numbering system for a play in which a new scene is numbered whenever characters exit or enter the stage
property plot	A list of all the properties, etc., used in each scene of a play, with plans of the arrangement of the furniture
ode	a formal lyric poem recited for ceremonial occasions
mime	An actor; "to mime" is to act
interplay	the tension between the abstract metrical grid and the actual linguistic and metrical realisation of verse, the term was introduced by the critics W.K
variety program	A production that consists of a mixture of songs, music, dance, comic sketches and specialty acts.
jongleur	Trouvere)
carpet bags	traveling bag or suitcase made of carpet
hard edge	A beam pattern edge that is very clear and distinguishable.
dying rhyme	Another term for feminine metrical endings
stage left	Left side of the stage when facing the audience.
objectivist poetry	Poems are treated as objects that can be analyzed in terms of mechanical features
syllable	a vowel preceded by from zero to three consonants ("awl" ..
concrete language	Points to actual events or facts as opposed to abstractions or vague language that speaks of events in terms that only the poet and a close circle of family and friends could understand.
futurism	Theatrical movement that emphasized the impact of technology on society.
yallar-boys and yaller jackets	gold coins
fill light	Supplementary illumination used to reduce shadows
conflation	The blending or bringing together of two texts into a whole.
texture	In the thought of John Crowe Ransom and the New Critics, "texture" involves poetic details such as the modification of the metrical pattern, associations attached to words, and the aural values of spoken sounds
tetractys	The poetic form of the tetractys only has five lines
bobbins	Wooden runners on the curtain wire to which curtain hooks are attached
documentation	accounting for and giving credit to the origin of a source
rearstage	The section of the stage farthest away from the viewing audience, the back of the visible stage as opposed to "backstage" and out of sight.
stichomythia	In both Greek and Latin drama, this is line-by-line conversation between two characters
consonance	The repetition of consonants, other than those at the beginning of words.
orchestra	The part of the theatre immediately in front of the stage for the use of instrumental performers
voice	A vehicle through which private vision is translated to the world.
death role	a character who dies.
medieval romance	See discussion under romance, medieval.
scenery	Everything on stage except the props.
antonomasia	Kenning, Periphrasis)
lyric poetry	Term originally derived from the Greek word meaning 'for the lyre' and indicating verses that were written to be sung
effect wash	Effect Lighting covering a broad area.
in medias res	Latin for "in the midst of things." One of the conventions of epic poetry is that the action begins in medias res
estates	See discussion under feudalism.
uta –	(y)OU-TAH (J: song)
farce	Today we use this word to refer to extremely broad humor
universality	Universality may refer to:
requiem	A song of prayer for the dead.
legend	A story which has been passed down through the generations and is believed to have some historical truth (although legends are fictions).
scènes à faire	ScÈne à faire (French for "scene to be made" or "scene that must be done"; plural: scÈnes à faire) is a scene in a book or film which is almost obligatory for a genre of its type
high hat	A top hat.
anapest	A metrical foot of three syllables, two short (or unstressed) followed by one long (or stressed), as in seventeen and to the moon
spot-light	A metal box with a high powered light, lens and reflector, used to direct light upon particular parts of the stage
audition	A try out for a film, tv or stage part
epilogue	(1) in fiction, a short section or chapter that comes after the conclusion, tying up loose ends and often describing what happens to the characters after the resolution of the conflict; (2) in drama, a short speech, often addressed directly to the audience, delivered by a character at the end of a play.
truck	a dolly for moving heavy equipment
running gag	Comic business that is repeated throughout a production.
side wings	Flats stood at an angle at the sides of the stage for a scene
picaresque novel	The picaresque novel (Spanish: "picaresca", from "pícaro", for "rogue" or "rascal") is a popular sub-genre of prose fiction which is usually satirical and depicts, in realistic and often humorous detail, the adventures of a roguish hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society
syntax	Refers to the order in which words are placed
round character	A character who is more developed or complicated, exhibiting a range of responses, emotions, and loyalties.
onomatopoeia	Refers to the property of a word whose pronunciation sounds like the thing it describes
exposition	a narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work, that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances
climax	The most powerful, dramatic moment in a script
antithesis	contrasting or combining two terms, phrases, or clauses with opposed or antithetical meanings.
ad libbing	acting without having planned what to do or say
dnouement	The events following the climax of a production in which the resolution or clarification takes place
criticism	Refers to the concept of analysis, evaluation and interpretation of literature.
eschatological narrative	Eschatalogy in Christian theology is the study of the end of things, including the end of the world, life-after-death, and the Last Judgment
open class	The category of content words--that is, parts of speech (or word classes) that readily accept new members.
changes	The different clothing that is worn for a performance.
aside	a brief comment by an actor, heard by the audience, but not the other characters on stage
first person narrative situation	the term used by the critic Franz Stanzel to denote a narrative situation where the narrator is also a character in the story and refers to him- or herself using the first person pronoun (equivalent to Genette's homodiegetic narration)
parent union	An actor's first union that may provide eligibility into another actor union.
production	Performance of a creative endeavor.
parable	a short fictional story that illustrates an explicit moral lesson through the use of analogy
exit discharge	the portion of a means of egress between the conclusion of an exit and a public way.
buskin	A buskin is a knee- or calf-length boot made of leather or cloth which laces closed, but is open across the toes
disyllable	Polysyllable, Trisyllable)
negative capability	Term coined by John Keats to describe the (true) poet's ability of 'being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason'
dramatis personae	literally, "persons of the drama" (Latin); the list of characters that appears either in a play’s program or at the top of the first page of the written play.
cadence	Modulation, Rhythm, Sprung Rhythm)
narrator	The person telling the story.
motif	the frequent repetition of one significant phrase or image within one work or a type of situation or formula that occurs frequently in literature, see also
jazz poetry	Closely associated with the Harlem Renaissance; has evolved over time from its conception in the early 1900s by African-Americans, to being maintained in the 1950s by counterculture and Beat poets, and now modernized with the coming of hip-hop music and Poetry Slams.
fluorescent lamp	a low-pressure mercury electric-discharge lamp in which a fluorescing coating (phosphor) transforms sonic of the UV energy generated by the discharge into light
vates	The earliest Latin writers used vates to denote "prophets" and soothsayers in general; the word fell into disuse in Latin until it was revived by Virgil
accentual rhythm	See discussion under sprung rhythm.
meiosis	Understatement
major markets	The large entertainment markets, New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.
cue	A verbal or physical signal that indicates when actor is to move, speak a line, execute stage business or execute a technical effect.
perfect rhyme	Also called true rhyme or exact rhyme, a rhyme which meets the following requirements: (1) an exact correspondence in the vowel sound and, in words ending in consonants, the sound of the final consonant, (2) a difference in the consonant sounds preceding the vowel, and (3) a similarity of accent on the rhyming syllable(s).
arena	Type of performance space with audience surrounding all sides of the stage.
anecdote	a brief story or tale told by a character in a piece of literature
apotropaic	Designed to ward off evil influence or malevolent spirits by frightening these forces away
act	(a) One of the main divisions of a play
chorus contract	Used for those actors who are primarily performing chorus work.
allusion	A brief or implicit reference to something outside the text.
blacks	black curtains at the back and sides of the stage.
mood	the atmosphere or tone of a work
theatre in the round	an arena style production in which the audience surrounds the acting stage, and the actors use the various aisles for exits and entrances
boulevard theatre	Boulevard theatre is a theatrical aesthetic which emerged from the boulevards of Paris's old city.
talent agency	A company that represents talent.
exitance coefficient	the ratio of the average initial (time zero) wall or ceiling cavity exitance to the lamp flux per unit floor area
stock character	see character
co-star	A supporting lead role.
center line	A line (real or imagined) that divides the acting area into two equal parts
limbo	A background having no detectable detail.
film festival	An event during which numerous films are shown, usually in competition.
meter	The arrangement of a line of poetry by the number of syllables and the rhythm of accented (or stressed) syllables.
kanshi –	CAN-SHE (J: Chinese poem)
symbol	an object or action that represents more than itself
driving beam	See upper (driving) beams.
time sheet	A written record of a performer's time of arrival, breaks and time of departure.
commercial actor	Actor (male or female) who performs in commercials.
falling action	The events that follow the climax and lead to the resolution.
monosyllable	Polysyllable, Trisyllable)
harlequin	A stock character originating in Commedia dell'Arte
heptameter	A line of poetry that has seven metrical feet.
"cans"	a slang term used for communication head-sets used during shows
box set	A type of setting that is built on the stage to look like the interior of a house or room, having three walls and no ceiling.
clean speech	A take in which dialogue is performed without error.
characterization	The physical attributes of a character as performed by an actor.
fourfold meaning	Another term for fourfold interpretation, this word refers to the medieval idea that every passage in the Bible can be interpreted according to at least one of four possible levels of meaning
high comedy	see comedy
honey wagon	A vehicle containing one or more dressing rooms and/or lavatories.
alternative literature	Literatures that, during their time, seem to be outside the conventional
main character	See Protagonist
slow burn	Comic device in which disgust and anger slowly builds within the actor until the actor explodes in rage.
jargon	Language that is not common to all or that cannot be understood by all due to either its association, it being unintelligible or meaningless, or its pretentious vocabulary.
lake poets	The Lake Poets are a group of English poets who all lived in the Lake District of England at the turn of the nineteenth century
commentator	One who comments on the action of a film.
forced call	A call to work less than 12 hours after dismissal on the previous day.
amphitheater	An open-air theater, especially the unroofed public playhouses in the suburbs of London
in the round	Seating arrangement where the acting area is enclosed on all sides by seating.
colloquial language	Informal writing of literate people; ordinary conversation as opposed to formal writing.
rising action	The increasing conflict or struggle within a story, the culmination of which will result in the climax
blackout	Rapidly dimming lights to total darkness.
haigon	- HI-GO'N (J: haikai words) Words not allowed in serious poetry meaning those words in foreign languages or those too vulgar for polite company
greenscreen	A technique similar to bluescreen in which a scene is shot against a large green backdrop
narrative	The narration of an event or story, stressing details of plot, incident, and action
alexander's feast	" bears a resemblance to the dithyrambic form.
edwardian period	The period in England when Edward VII was on the throne (1901- 10), i.e
fabliau	A bawdy medieval verse narrative, originally French but adapted by Geoffrey Chaucer's in "The Miller's Tale," "The Reeve's Tale," "The Merchant's Tale," and others of The Canterbury Tales.
episodic	Series of self-contained productions sharing a common title and featuring recurring lead characters, and any number of transient secondary characters.
catastrophe	The tragic denouement, or unknotting of a play or story.
below	Toward the audience.
apron stage	the apron is that part of the stage which projects beyond the proscenium arch; any stage which consists primarily or entirely of an apron and on which the action is not seen as framed within the proscenium; the apron stage was used in the Elizabethan theatre.
theme	a prevailing idea in a work, but sometimes not explicitly stated, as in Ogden Nash's "Candy is dandy, / But liquor is quicker," which is about neither candy nor liquor.
ethos	Ethos is an English word based on a Greek word and denotes the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, a nation or an ideology
role	A part taken by an actor in a play
nowell codex	The common scholarly nickname for the medieval manuscript that contains Beowulf
incantation –	IN-CAN-TA-SHUN (L: incantore – to chant, bewitch, cast a spell) Use of a ritualistic formula spoken to produce a magical effect or to charm
prompt-copy	The special copy of the play from which the prompter prompts the actors
principal photography	The filming of significant components of a movie which involve lead actors.
action	any event or series of events depicted in a literary work; an event may be verbal as well as physical, so that saying something or telling a story within the story may be an event
flat	A section of scenery constructed of timber covered with canvas
walking-on	To take a part without dialogue
chorus	In ancient Greek theatre, a character or group or characters who comment on the action, provide exposition and advance the plot
actor trap	a slang term assigned to any technical situation that will trip up an inattentive actor ,e.g., an uneven step on a staircase.
poet	Poetry)
satire	A literary technique in which ideas, customs, behaviors, or institutions are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society
protagonist	The major character around whom the action revolves; also called the hero or heroine.
above the title	In an a dvertisement, placement of a performer's name before the title of the production
low-key	Light which provides dim lighting with heavy, dark shadows.
bio	Short for biography
session fee	Fee paid to an actor for a single airing of a commercial.
gamebook	A gamebook (also sometimes referred to as choose your own adventure books or CYOA books, not to be confused with the series by that title) is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices that affect the course of the narrative, which branches down various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages
anchor	Secure a set piece to the stage floor.
soliloquy	a form of monologue, where no other person is present on stage beside the speaker, usually reveals the speaker's thoughts or feelings.
spoonerism	The comic (and usually unintentional) transposition of two initial consonants or other sounds
focalization	Dutch literary theorist Mieke Bal coined the term focalization to describe a shift in perspective that takes place in literature when an author switches from one character's perspective to another
fourteener	cf
rhythm	A rhythm is a uniform or patterned recurrence of beat, accent or similar
film magazines	A reel of film ready to be placed into the camera.
flashback	a plot-structuring device whereby a scene from the fictional past is inserted into the fictional present or is dramatized out of order.
imagism	Impressionism, Objectivism, Realism, Symbolism)
crisis	a turning point in the action of a story that has a powerful effect on the protagonist
high comedy	a type of comedy that appeals to the audience's intellect and has a serious purpose.
symbol	Word, sign or image that stands for something other than itself.
paraphrase	Paraphrase is restatement of a text or passages, using other words
tone	The means of creating a relationship o
countercross	A cross by an actor to re-establish visual balance of the acting area after another actor's cross.
shakespearian sonnet	The most popular form in English is the English or Shakespearian Sonnet
germicidal lamp	a low-pressure mercury lamp in which the envelope has high transmittance for 254-nm radiation
alternate rhyme	See rhyming couplets
conflict	A struggle between two opposing forces or characters in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem
copy	the written words of a script or advertisement.
simile	is an announced comparison introduced with the words like or as"
accentual verse	Lines whose rhythm arises from its stressed syllables rather than from the number of its syllables, or from the length of time devoted to their sounding
broadside ballads	Poems printed on one side of a single sheet during the Renaissance period.
flash frame	A shot which lasts only a few frames.
standard union contract	Standard union approved contract which specifies base levels of pay, benefits and other terms provided by the producers in exchangge for an actor's services.
subplot	Secondary action that is interwoven with the main action in a play or story
independent film	A movie produced by a production company not controlled a major studio.
breakdown script	A list of all items, people, props, equipment, etc needed for a shoot on a daily basis.
inciting incident	Action near the beginning of a play that gets the main action going.
alliteration	the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds through a sequence of words—for example, "While I nodded, nearly napping" in Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Raven."
progymnasmata	Progymnasmata (Greek "fore-exercises", Latin praeexercitamina) are rhetorical exercises gradually leading the student to familiarity with the elements of rhetoric, in preparation for their own practice speeches (gymnasmata, "exercises") and ultimately their own orations.
stage manager	Responsible for rehearsals and maintaining all the technical aspects and artistic integrity of a production once the performance has begun.
chorus	A person or group of people which stand outside the action and remark upon it
hot-cathode lamp	an electric-discharge lamp whose mode of operation is that of an arc discharge
hexameter	A hexameter is a line of poetry that has six metrical feet.
echo	Reverberanting sound
open call	A tryout open to all who attend.
ground plan	Plan for a set design which shows, as seen from above, the exact position of walls, doors, scenery, furniture and the like
répétion générale	A private performance preceding the public performance of a play
accent	There is a normal pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables associated with each word in a language
story	A succession of events, which become a plot once the events are structured into a narrative.
biographical criticism	an approach to literature which suggests that knowledge of the author's life experiences can aid in the understanding of his or her work
tautology	Pointless repetition.
scene-dock	A storage place for scenery
floodlight	a projector designed for lighting a scene or object to a luminance considerably greater than its surroundings
crossfade	To fade from one scene to another.
anglican church	The Protestant Church in England that originated when King Henry VIII broke his ties to the Vatican in Rome (the Catholic Church).
bulb	The glass part of a lamp.
picaresque novel	an early form of the novel, some critics call it a precursor of the novel, originating in Spain, which tells of the escapades of a lighthearted rogue or rascal, usually episodic in structure.
host	A performer who introduces or segues segments of a program
consonance	Sometimes just a resemblance in sound between two words, or an initial or head rhyme like alliteration, but also refined to mean shared consonants, whether in sequence ("bud" and "bad") or reversed ("bud" and "dab").
musical	Production in which a major component of the storytelling is accomplished through music, song and dance.
cowboy shot	A shot framed from mid-thigh up
top	To deliver a line more energetically than the line delivery preceding it.
diction	the choice and use of words in a text.
trim height	The height from the stage floor at which a batten is set.
infant model	A baby between 6 and 18 months old who appears in commercials or print ads.
syllabic verse	A type of verse distinguished primarily by the syllable count, i.e., the number of syllables in each line, rather than by the rhythmical arrangement of accents or time quantities.
ellipsis	The non-metrical omission of letters or words whose absence does not impede the reader's ability to understand the expression
emissivity/emittance	The ratio of radiance (for directional emissivity) or radiant exitance (for hemispherical emissivity) of an element of surface on a temperature radiator to that of a blackbody at the same temperature
chorus	A group of actors in Greek drama who comment on the action of the play
drop curtain	A painted cloth to let down between the acts
flash-pot	A small box that contains pyrotechnics which will cause a noisy explosion of smoke when ignited.
complication	in plot, an action or event that introduces a new conflict or intensifies the existing one, especially during the rising action phase of plot.
initiation story	a kind of short story in which a character—often a child or young person—first learns a significant, usually life-changing truth about the universe, society, people, or himself or herself; also called a coming-of-age story
narrative verse	Verse which tells a story e.g
apron	The apron of a stage is the front floor area of a stage, in front of the Proscenium Arch, when there is a stage area in front of the proscenium. Sometimes the apron is a temporary stage area that covers the Orchestra Pit.
petrarchan sonnet	The oldest form of the sonnet is the Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet (named for its greatest practitionerPetrarch)
orchestra pit	Depressed area between the audience and stage, that often reaches back under the front of the stage. This is where the orchestra is positioned for musicals and operas.
protagonist	The central character in a piece of drama or fiction
erythemal flux density	the erythemal flux per unit area of the surface being irradiated
tie lines	small cotton lines used to attach drapes and drops to battens
preposition	A part of speech which indicates a connection, between two other parts of speech, such as 'to', 'with', 'by' or 'from'
boom	A vertical pipe mounted in a base, used to hang lighting fixtures
formula	an often repeated phrase, sometimes half-a-line long and metrically distinctive.
dress rehearsal	A complete rehearsal of a play immediately before the actual performance
hendiadys	Prolepsis)
tension	Term coined by Allen Tate for the totality of meaning within a poem
uplight	Light from below the actors.
scrim	A gauzy curtain, used for special effects, that is transparent if lit from behind, but opaque when lit from the front.
agva	American Guild of Variety Artists
set-up	Each time the camera changes position.
wga	Writers guild of America.
rhetorical device	In rhetoric, a rhetorical device or resource of language is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective
mesostic	Similar to an acrostic but where the significant vertical phrase occurs in the middle of the lines rather than at the beginning or end
voice-over agent	A talent agent submitting clients for voice-over work.
controlling image	A single image or comparison that extends throughout a literary work and shapes its meaning
atmosphere	The emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene.
metonymy	Metonymy refers to the substitution of one thing for another closely identified thing, like "the White House" signifying the activities and policies of the president.
convention	an accepted or traditional feature of a work (e.g., the Greek Chorus, the Shakespearian aside, blank verse)
simile	a comparison between two objects or ideas which is introduced by 'like' or 'as'
trope	Figure of speech such as a metaphor or personification.
exit	a stage direction which specifies which person goes off stage.
illuminance	The density of incident luminous flux on a surface; illuminance is the standard metric for lighting levels, and is measured in lux (lx) or footcandles (fc).
cothurni	A style of acting which is tragic.
i had	It feels arbitrary
didactic poetry	Poetry which is clearly intended for the purpose of instruction -- to impart theoretical, moral, or practical knowledge, or to explain the principles of some art or science, as Virgil's Georgics, or Pope's An Essay on Criticism.
legend	a type of tale conventionally set in the real world and in either the present or historical past, based on actual historical people and events, and offering an exaggerated or distorted version of the truth about those people and events
ricochet words	Tmesis)
leaf - bookbinding	Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material
jingle	A short commercial message set to music.
hypotaxis	Hypotaxis is the grammatical arrangement of functionally similar but "unequal" constructs (hypo="beneath", taxis="arrangement"), i.e., constructs playing an unequal role in a sentence.
euphemism	A mild word of phrase which substitutes for another which would be undesirable because it is too direct, unpleasant, or offensive
scale	Minimum amount paid to an actor as specified by union contract.
tab curtain	a front curtain that is permanently secured at the top edge which is gathered by diagonal ropes when lifted
rizoku	– RYE-ZOH-COO (J: abstain from the low) – the haikai maxim of Yosa Buson.
epistle	An epistle (pronounced /i'pis.l/; Greek ἐπιστολή, epistolē, 'letter') is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter
groundlings	While the upper class paid two pennies to sit in the raised area with seats, and some nobles paid three pennies to sit in the Lords' rooms, the majority of viewers who watched Shakespeare's plays were called groundlings or understanders
episode	a distinct action or series of actions within a plot.
hair side	The side of a sheet or parchment or vellum that once carried the animal's hair
drama/dramatic literature	A play; a form of literature that is intended to be performed before an audience
ecologue	A pastoral poem (after Virgil).
catharsis	An emotional discharge that brings about a moral or spiritual renewal or welcome relief from tension and anxiety
maxim - saying	A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."
sermon joli	Another term for a sermon joyeaux
cut-off angle	The critical viewing angle beyond which a source can no longer be seen because of an obstruction (such as a baffle or overhang).
spine	The motivational or structural unity of a scene, play, or character.
profile shot	A view of the side of a subject.
tragedy	A form of Western drama originating in Athens, Greece in the 6th century B.C
decoration	The adornment of a play, the stage setting
pathya vat	The Pathya Vat is a Cambodian verse form, consisting of four lines, where lines two and three rhyme
protagonist	Main heroic character of a production.
apron	the stage area in front of the proscenium arch.
lament	A poem of sadness or grief over the death of a loved one or over some other intense loss.
hero/heroine	a character in a literary work, especially the leading male/female character, who is especially virtuous, usually larger than life, sometimes almost godlike
iris	An arrangement of thin, movable, heat-resistant metal plates (leaves) that form an adjustable circular opening.
epizenxis	Repetition of a word several times without connectives.
character	a person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, and characterization is the process by which a writer makes that person seem real
molossus	Greek and Latin metrical foot consisting of long, long, and long syllables / ' ' ' /.
fable	a legend or short story often using animals as characters
aftra	American Federation of TV and radio artists
virgule - slash	The slash is a sign, "/", used as a punctuation mark and for various other purposes
floor cloth	Painted canvas sheets placed on the stage floor to achieve a specific effect.
padding	Fabricated credits on one's resume.
zoom	An optical system where the lenses adjust.
realism	A method of writing, acting or producing a play to resemble real life
quiet on the set	Direction given before shooting a scene instructing cast and crew to be quiet.
tragedian	actor
fourth wall	This refers to an imaginary wall, as if separating the actors on stage from the audience.
dark theatre	A day or night with no performance.
move in	To cross toward the center of the stage.
blank verse	Poetry that is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
elision	Omission of words or parts of words.
go-see	A modeling interview with a client for a booking.
over-dub	To record a part onto a multi-track recording.
backdrop	A painted or plain surface hung from the grid and used to form a set on stage.
anaphora	In rhetoric, an anaphora (Greek: ἀναφορά, "carrying back") is a rhetorical device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of neighboring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis
buzzer	Sound device used in a film/TV production that cues everyone to be quiet for the shooting of a scene, and later that a scene has finished shooting.
characterization	The personality a character displays; also, the means by which an author reveals that personality
digital multiplex or dmx	a communications protocol used in stage lighting; may also refer specifically to DMX512 cable
concert batten	The first lighting batten, behind the tabs, known also as No
apophasis	Denying one's intention to talk or write about a subject, but making the denial in such a way
columbine	The female part in the Commedia dell 'arte
figure of sound	Conveys and reinforces the meaning or experience of poetry through the skillful use of sound.
beam apple	The angle at which the beam edges are 50% of the centre beam candlepower.
drabble	an extremely short work of fiction containing exactly 100 words
colour temperature	A factor given for lamps, comparing their colour to that of a blackbody at a given temperature.
archetypes	recurrent designs, patterns of action, character types, themes, or images which are identifiable in a wide range of literature
zuihitsu	– ZOO-HIT-SUE (J: following the brush) A style of writing that was loose, impulsive, and casual
jargon	specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group
decibel or db	n., A unit of sound volume.
sonnet	A lyric poem that is 14 lines long
dream-vision	A type of poem in which the narrator experiences a dream or vision, usually with a guide, which enables the story to be told.
burner lights	Round or square clusters of lamps on standards
theatre in the round	Performance in which the stage is surrounded on all sides by the audience.
balcony	Upper tier of seating in the auditorium.
parable	a short work of fiction that illustrates an explicit moral but that, unlike a fable, lacks fantastic or anthropomorphic characters
up stage	Toward the back of the stage
near rhyme	half rhyme, and perfect rhyme function to distinguish between the types of rhyme without prejudicial intent and should not be interpreted as expressions of value.
litotes	Meiosis)
type scene	A type scene is a literary convention employed by a narrator across a set of scenes, or related to scenes (place, action) already familiar to the audience
line	A unit of verse whose length is prescribed by a criterion other than the right-hand margin of the page (e.g., a certain length in syllables, meeting a boundary rhyming word, completing a phrase).
fresnel lens	A lens that acts similarly to a piano-convex lens but is thinner and lighter due to steps on the convex side
analogy	Resemblance in certain respects between things that are otherwise unlike; also, the use of such likeness to predict other similarities.
hamartia	tragic flaw of a character which causes the downfall of this character.
traveler	a horizontally drawn curtain
bungei	BUN-GEE J: Literature or art.
call time	The time an actor is to be on the set ready to work.
pathos	A scene or passage in a work evoking pity, sorrow, or compassion in the audience or reader, such as the poignant summation of the old man's grief in Wordsworth's Michael:
catalectic/catalexis	Where one or more unstressed syllables are missing from the end of a regular metrical line
noh drama	An ancient, lyrical Japanese dramatic form
prequel	A literary or dramatic work that is set before an existing work which it is linked to.
curtain line	1) the line on the stage floor where the front curtain touches when brought in
flood	To adjust a luminaire usually by moving the lamp closer to the lens; enlarging the diameter of the beam of light emitted.
liturgical drama	Liturgical drama or religious drama, in its various Christian contexts, originates from the mass itself, and usually presents a relatively complex ritual that includes theatrical elements.
walk-through	A rehearsal in which the actors go through the blocking.
contextual symbol	can be a setting, character, action, object, name, or anything else in a work that maintains its literal significance while suggesting other meanings
pension and health payment	An amount of money paid by the producer to cover actor's union benefits.
action	The movement of a play as carried on by the actors.
critical essay	an essay which interprets and/or evaluates
katauta –	KAH-TAH-OU-TAH (J: side poem)
motif	a recurrent device, formula, or situation within a literary work
assonance	The repetition of vowel sounds without the repetition of consonants
idealism	Imagism, Impressionism, Metaphysical, Objectivism, Realism, Symbolism)
house lights	Lights that illuminate the audience area.
decorated initial	In medieval manuscripts, this term refers to an introductory letter of a text division, embellished with some type of abstract design, i.e., a design not necessarily containing a picture (which would make it an inhabited initial) and not necessarily containing a scene from the story (which would make it an historiated initial)
fresnel spotlight	a luminaire containing a lamp and a Fresnel lens (stepped "flat" lens with a textured hack) which has variable field and beam angles obtained by changing the spacing between lamp and lens (flooding and spotting)
anapest	is called a rising or ascending rhythm; a rhythmic pattern with the accent occurring on the first syllable of each foot, as in the dactyl or trochee, is a falling or descending rhythm.
equivalence	In quantitative verse, the rule that two short syllables equal one long syllable
prompt-bell	A bell used by the prompter in the theatre to summon an actor
lamp	The complete assembly of a bulb, filament, base, etc.
fly loft	Space above the stage where scenery is "flown" out of sight of the Audience.
character part	A part in which peculiarities or eccentricities of character are stressed in make-up and playing
encores	audience demands or requests for a repeat peformance
out clause	Section of a contract which defines the circumstances under which a performer can terminate the contract.
afm	American Federation of Musicians
scrivener	Another term for a scribe
dirge	See discussion of elegy, below.
99-seat	The Actors Equity Association's agreement for low-budget theatres with a capacity of no more than 99 audience seats
dumb show	1
cross fader	A control for fading from one preset scene to another
epic	a long narrative poem, usually depicting the values of a culture through the adventures of a hero
slam	Please see Poetry Slam for definition.
conflict	When an agency has too many of an actor's "type".
scene number	A reference number designated for each scene in a production.
abstract language	words which represent broad qualities or characteristics (e.g., interesting, good, fine, horrible, lovely)
acting play	one having a wide variety of dramatics as opposed to a literary play which depends on the effective delivery of lines for success.
lamp	a high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp in which light is produced by radiation from sodium vapor operating at a partial pressure of about 1.33 X l0 Pa (100 Torr)
interval	The time between the performance of one act of a play and another
terminus ad quem	The latest possible date that a literary work could have been written, a potential ending point for dating a manuscript or text
social novel	also industrial novel or Condition of England novel, associated with the development of nineteenth-century realism gives a portrait of society, especially of lower parts of society, dealing with and criticising the living conditions created by industrial development or by a particular legal situation
masculine ending	line ending where the last syllable is stressed. See also
house manager	Person in charged the auditorium and anything related to the audience
tie line	(Also known as "trick" line)
psychonarration	a type of representation of consciousness: the narrator reports the character's thoughts in his or her (the narrator's) language, the level of mediation remains noticeable.
reader-response criticism	Reader-response criticism is a school of literary theory that focuses on the reader (or "audience") and his or her experience of a literary work, in contrast to other schools and theories that focus attention primarily on the author or the content and form of the work.
caesura	A caesura is a distinct pause or break in the flow of a line of verse, usually towards the middle.
reaction shot	Shot showing characters reacting to an action or statement.
anachronism	Hysteron Proteron)
entrance	Entering the acting area
scene shop	The place where scenery is constructed.
x-ray	See striplight.
offstage	Backstage area not seen by the audience.
garrulity	excessive or pointless talkativeness gnomic: characterized by the expression of pithy moral sentiments
matching	To perform the same physical movements and dialog from take to take in order to preserve the visual continuity over a range of camera angles.
escape literature	formula literature follows a pattern of conventional reader expectations
cravat	necktie; slang for hangmans noose
analepsis	Flashback (also called analepsis, plural analepses) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached
mix	To blend a multi-track recording into a master recording.
blocks	Wooden or steel cases surrounding a pulley wheel over which the line travels for flying scenery
act change	a change of setting, props, lights, and/or costumes between acts.
language poetry –	An American poetry style that emerged in the 1970s that deliberately flattened tonal register with the extensive use of non-sequitur
protagonist	the main character in a story or drama
bungaku	BUN-GAH-COO J: The study of literature.
purgation	See discussion under catharsis.
picture-stage	Methods of staging and playing in which the proscenium arch is regarded as a frame for the stage picture
picture's up!	Verbal warning that the scene is about to begin.
conflict	the struggle of opposing external or internal forces
monologue	a speech by a single character
genre	A literary type or form
upstage	1
cothurni	The Greek word for the elevator-shoes worn by important actors on stage
lines	The dialogue of a script.
literature	The art of written works
props	objects or items used by the actors on the stage
belt	To sing in a forceful manner.
black mountain poets	Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, and Robert Duncan, all associated with Black Mountain College, North Carolina, and all promoting a non-traditional poetics.
weather day	A day during which an outdoor shoot takes place
terminus a quo	The earliest possible date that a literary work could have been written, a potential starting point for dating a manuscript or text
juvenile	An actor or actress who plays a young man's or a young woman's part
tight shot	To frame of a shot with little or no space around the central figure.
asyndeton	The omission of a conjunction from a list ('chips, beans, peas, vinegar, salt, pepper')
fourth wall	an imaginary surface at the edge of the stage through which the audience watches a performance
ku	- COO (J: verse) Verse or stanza or link.
inductive/deductive reasoning	inductive reasoning moves from observation of specific circumstances and makes a general conclusion; deductive reasoning takes a general truth and applies it to specific circumstances
house right	Right side when seated in the audience.
baroque	Baroque (pronounced /bəˈroʊk/ bə-rohk in American English or /bəˈrɒk/ in British English) is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century in Europe
elizabethan	Occurring in the time of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, from 1558-1603
thespian	An actor.
soliloquy	A speech, usually lengthy, in which a character, alone on stage, expresses his or her thoughts aloud
poetry slam	Form of performance poetry pioneered by Marc Smith in Chicago U.S.A.
critic	Journalist who writes reviews of recorded or live productions.
in	Toward the center of the acting area.
ata	Association of Talent Agents.
specialist lead	An actor who specialises in leading parts of a certain type
favored nations	Contract provision that states if another specified actor or actors receive better terms or conditions than the contracting actor, then the contracting actor is entitled to the same terms or conditions of the other specified actor or actors.
ploces	among others.
diffusing panel	a translucent material covering the lamps in a luminaire to reduce the luminance by distributing the flux over an extended area.
matte shot	Combining two different shots on one print so it looks as if a single had been taken all at once.
humour	Humour or humor (see spelling differences) is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement
preview	A showing of a performance prior to the official premier showing.
epilogue	A short scene at the end of the main action of a production which explains or comments upon the action.
traps	Holes cut in the stage floor sufficiently large to allow an article or person to be lowered to the mezzanine floor
ground cyc	A cyclorama light used from the floor.
short	A film under thirty minutes in length.
tragicomedy	a sub-genre of tragedy which intermingles conventions derived from both comedy and tragedy, usually with a tragic ending.
dramatic	Action on the stage, particularly striking or impressive action
nikki	– KNEE-KEY (J: journey (literature))
fable	an ancient type of short fiction, in verse or prose, illustrating a moral or satirizing human beings
beauty shot	On TV soaps
set-piece	Any piece of scenery that stands on the stage and is not flown
sentence	This is a term which professional linguists still find impossible to define adequately
ode	A lyric poem (rhymed or unrhymed) that praises someone or something
fable	A moralistic story, told most often through animals, that were very popular in Ancient Greece
flash fiction	an extremely short work of fiction, containing 300-1000 words
interior monologue	A monolog understood by the audience to represen the unspoken thoughts of a character.
executive producer	A producer who is who is responsible for funding an overall production but not involved in the technical aspects of the production.
seasonal ad	Advertisement used during a specific season or holiday
gobo	A silhouette pattern used to project images from an ellipsoidal spotlight.
union card	A union membership card.
altar poetry	A poem that takes on the approximate shape of its subject or central movement
set dresser	Production staff member who is responsible for the props and furniture that are required on the set.
inner proscenium	False prosecenium that temporarily reduces the opening of the permanent proscenium.
palindrone	A word, line, phrase or sentence which can be read the same backwards as forwards
naturalism	A movement that developed around the idea that art should represent nature and the world exactly and without moral judgment
discomfort glare factor	the numerical assessment of the capacity of a single source of brightness, such as a luminaire, in a given visual environment for producing discomfort capacity of a single source of brightness, such as a luminaire, in a given visual environment for producing discomfort (this term is obsolete and is retained only for reference and literature searches)
expressionism	A stylized form of theater in which greater value on emotion than realism
pornographic film	A film which is produced primarily to depict explicit sexual acts.
organized numerically	" That's just nonsense
prologue	(1) In original Greek tragedy, the prologue was either the action or a set of introductory speeches before the first entry (parados) of the chorus
busker	Itinerant open-air street players such as jugglers, conjurers or acrobats.
antithesis	A figure of speech in which words and phrases with opposite meanings are balanced against each other.
tang-ka –	TONG-KAH (K: poem part)
aleatory writing	Where words and punctuation have seemingly been constructed arbitrarily
mock-heroic	Treating something trivial with high seriousness, as in John Philips' The Splendid Shilling.
ansi	American National Standards Institute.
musical comedy	A play with music and dancing of a light and vivacious kind
climax	The climax (from the Greek word âκλῖμαξâ (klimax) meaning âstaircaseâ and âladderâ) or turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension or drama or when the action starts in which the solution is given.
karuta -	KAH-REW-TAH J: Any of a number of card games which involve the matching of one element with another – somewhat in the manner of our Old Maid
amphibrach	A 3-syllable metrical foot of one accented or stressed syllable between two unstressed syllables
paraphrase	a restatement of a text in different words, often to clarify meaning
euphemism	substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant.
box set	a stage set composed of flats or connected walls enclosing three sides of the stage, with an invisible fourth wall open to the audience
antithesis	A figure of speech in which a thought is balanced with a contrasting thought in parallel arrangements of words and phrases, such as, "he promised wealth and provided poverty," or "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, " or from Pope's An Epistle to Dr
merlin	A small hawk.
tabi no uta –	TAH-BE NO OU-TAH (J: travel poem, poems or poetry)
in post	During post-production.
aristeia	An aristeia or aristia (Ancient Greek: ἀριστεία, IPA: [aristéːa], "excellence"; English: /à¦rÉ¨ËstiË.É/) is a scene in the dramatic conventions of such works as the Iliad in which a hero in battle has his finest moments (aristos = best)
back projection	(Rear Projection) Live action is filmed in front of a screen upon which background action is projected.
antinovel	An antinovel is any experimental work of fiction that avoids the familiar conventions of the novel
trim chain	short pieces of chain used to fasten a batten to a scenic piece used to keep the piece in trim
commercial modeling	Modeling something other than fashions.
illustration model	A model who poses for an artist or with a product (excluding fashion.)
catharsis	An emotional release felt by an audience or reader as they observe the fate of a tragic hero
setting	the environment in which the work takes place
experimental novel	Experimental literature refers to written works - often novels or magazines - that place great emphasis on innovations regarding technique and style.
clip	a brief excerpt from a filmed ot taped performance
end-stopped	Line of verse whose thought ends at the line's end
multilingualism	Multilingualism is the ability of an individual speaker or a community of speakers to use multiple languages.
director's guild of america	DGA
foreshadowing	The use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest what action is to come
flashtube	a tube of glass or fused quartz with electrodes at the ends and filled with a gas, usually xenon
terza rima	a sequence of three-line stanzas rhyming aba bcb cdc etc.
flat character	A character who is easily describable or represented with a one-track personality or who is representative of a stereotype.
black light	ultra violet light.
oeuvre	all of the works verifiably written by one author.
metaphorical language	Metaphorical language is the use of a complex system of metaphors to create a sub-language within a common language which provides the basic terms (verbs, prepositions, conjunctions) to express metaphors.
parody	A literary work that imitates the style of another literary work
technical director	the person who figures out how the set will be built and then oversees construction; sometimes in charge of lighting as well
effects projector	Lantern used to project an image onto a stage or, more commonly, the cyclorama.
catastrophe	The "turning downward" of the plot in a classical tragedy
slate	In an audition, to orally stating one's name and agency representation at the beginning of the audition.
dubbing	After filming, matching an actor's voice with the lip movements of the same or a different actor on the screen
classic	Three broad meanings include, firstly, works from ancient Greece or Rome ('classical' times)
sag	Screen Actors Guild
intermission	A formal break between acts of a performance during which the audience can usually move about the house, get refreshments, etc.
pastoral	following Theocritus (3rd cent
false proscenium	A temporary frame made of canvas or flats, used to reduce the opening of the permanent proscenium
trimeter	A line of poetry of three metrical feet
beam component	That component of flux received directly (or by specular reflection or transmission) from a point source (such as the sun or small lamp)
pun	A word play suggesting, with humorous intent, the different meanings of one word or the use of two or more words similar in sound but different in meaning, as in Mark A
under 5	A role with five lines or less.
ugly-up	To make less attractive.
green room	Room near the stage where the actors to meet and relax.
playhouse	A theatre
youth theatre	Theatre performed by young people.
sets	The physical objects and props necessary as scenery in a play (if they are left on-stage rather than in a character's possession).
serial	A series that presents a story in regular installments.
picturesque	A preoccupation in 18th century literature where many poets, such as Addison and Pope, sought out the beauty in nature to incorporate it in their writing
legit voice	A classically trained voice.
antonymy	semantic contrasts.
thrust stage	a stage that extends into the audience
regionalism	In literature, regionalism or local color fictionality refers to fiction or poetry that focuses on specific features – including characters, dialects, customs, history, and topography – of a particular region.
folk tale	An account, legend, or story that is passed along orally from generation to generation
melodrama	A performance in which the plot is simplistic, characters are clearly defined as hero, villian, etc
age of reason	See enlightenment.
amphitheater	a semi-circular large, outdoor theater with seats rising in tiers from a central acting area
profile left	To face stage left at a 90 degree angle from the full open position.
wild spot	A commercial that runs on a non-network station on a station-by-station basis in different markets across the country.
thesis	An attitude or position on a problem taken by a writer or speaker with the purpose of proving or supporting it.
silent part	a part for which there are no spoken lines.
freelance	Actors who work non-exclusively through more than one talent agent
expository essay	an essay which shares, explains, suggests, or explores information, emotion, and ideas
in medias res	"in the midst of things"; refers to opening a story in the middle of the action, necessitating filling in past details by exposition or flashback
call	The time one must be at the Theatre or ready to go onto to stage.
box light	A metal box with a high powered light and a reflector, but no lens
homophone	A word that has the same sound as another word but a different spelling and meaning.
resolution	The point during a drama when the conflict is resolved.
feature men	Actors who specialise in "star" roles and only appear as such
tragic flaw	the tragic heros flaw (often excessive pride or hubris") which leads directly to a reversal of his good fortune (catastrophe)
ambiguity	When words, sentences and texts have more than one meaning
upgrade	Promoting an extra performer to the category of principal performer.
dark adaptation	the process by which the retina becomes adapted to a luminance less than about 0.034 cd/m^2.
poet –	POH-ET (Gr: poiein - to make; piortes – maker L: poeta) The definition - a person who writes poetry is surely far too simple
editorial omniscience	refers to an intrusion by the narrator in order to evaluate a character for a reader, as when the narrator of The Scarlet Letter describes Hester's relationship to the Puritan community
oxymoron	A contradiction in terms.
setting	the time and place in which a portion of the story is taking place
character breakdown	Concise description of a character for casting purposes.
emotion	A conscious state of feeling created by the writer to convey joy, sorrow, love, hate etc to the reader
turn in	To face upstage away from the audience.
feminine rhyme	Occurs between words in which an unstressed syllable follows a stressed syllable.
treatment	Written outline of a script
electric discharge	See are discharge, gaseous discharge and glow discharge.
acrostic	A poem in which the first or last letters of each line vertically form a word, phrase, or sentence
point of view	The perspective from which the narrator speaks to us
spenserian stanza	The Spenserian stanza is a fixed verse form invented by Edmund Spenser for his epic poem The Faerie Queene
after-piece	A short play or scene following the main item of a programme
polishing rehearsal	Rehearsal that focuses on timing and tempo of a production.
diction	Choice of words (i.e
envelope	Rondeau)
germicidal exposure	See bactericidal (germicidal) exposure.
call sheet	List of actors and crew required for various scene rehearsals
noise	In communication studies, anything that interferes in the communication process between a speaker and an audience.
omniscient	All knowing or able to see everything at once
verisimilitude	Verisimilitude, with the meaning ˝of being true or real˝ is a likeness or resemblance of the truth, reality or a fact's probability
dressing room	Rooms near the stage in which the actors dress and make-up
true rhyme	Another term for perfect rhyme or exact rhyme
casting	the process of choosing the actors for a play.
first sound shift	An explanation for the shift in pronunciation and form which occurs between Indo-European languages.
major character	see character
glow discharge	an electric discharge characterized by a low, approximately constant current density at the cathode (on the order of 10 jiA/mm2) at low cathode temperature, and a high voltage drop (typically 50 V or more)
neoclassicism	A "new classicism," as in the writings of early 18th-century writers like Addison and Pope who imitated classical Greek and Latin authors.
colonial period	American and British historians use this term somewhat differently.
right	The actor's right-hand side of the stage when facing the audience
naturalism	See Realism
radio commercial	A commercial produced for radio broadcast.
auxesis	Another term for rhetorical climax
farce	An amusing play consisting of absurd and improbable situations
apologue	An apologue (from the Greek "Î±ÏÎ¿Î»Î¿Î³Î¿Ï," a "statement" or "account") is a brief fable or allegorical story with pointed or exaggerated details, meant to serve as a pleasant vehicle for a moral doctrine or to convey a useful lesson without stating it explicitly
prompter	Teleprompter; a device used to supply lines to actors
agent	A person responsible for the professional business dealings of an actor, director, or other artist (talent)
enjambment	provides a variation by making a pause in the thought appear at some place other than the end of a line, but they should not be over-used.
trilogy	A group of three literary works that together compose a larger narrative
pander to an audience	To gain audience approval at the expense of artistic development of a production.
subplot	a secondary plot in a work of fiction or drama
erotic poetry	Explicit poetry dealing with sex or sexual love e.g
cast	the actors in a play.
topos	a commonplace, an older term for motif deriving from classical rhetoric and denoting recurring formulas or types of situation in literary texts.
quick change booth	Temporary dressing rooms used for quick changes of costumes, wigs, makeup, etc.
allegory	a drama in which a character becomes a symbol for a concept or idea.
pantomime	1
effect lighting	Lighting intended to create a mood or an impression.
epizeuxis	In linguistics, an epizeuxis is the repetition of words in immediate succession, for vehemence or emphasis.
meiosis	Understatement, the opposite of exaggeration: "I was somewhat worried when the psychopath ran toward me with a chainsaw." (i.e., I was terrified)
atmosphere actors	Actors who appear in a scene to help establish the time, place, or mood of a scene
hazer	A machine that produces clouds of white, non-toxic fog through the vaporisation of mineral oil.
peg	See Stage Screw
matrix	A patching apparatus that can be a patch panel or diode pin matrix.
anticlimax	The intentional use of elevated language to describe the trivial or commonplace, or a sudden transition from a significant thought to a trivial one in order to achieve a humorous or satiric effect, as in Pope's The Rape of the Lock:
fill light	Light which fills dark areas and the shadows that the key light creates.
semantic marking	When the meaning of a word is limited semantically, that word is said to possess a semantic marking
back story	The history and personal relationships of a character before the events written in the script.
sharefû	SHAH-REH-FOO (J: witty style) The name of the school and style of haikai writing established by Basho's student Kikaku after Basho's death
connotation	Those words, things, or ideas with which a word often keeps company but which it does not actually denote
consisting	Made up of or composed of.
prose	Writing or speaking in the usual or ordinary form
stage whisper	An acting technique by which an actor gives the impression of whispering yet is actually speaking loudly enough to be heard by the entire audience.
kva	Abbreviation for Kilovolt-Ampere.
neoclassic couplet	See discussion under heroic couplet.
ham	A performer who exaggerates movement or voice.
loose plot/episodic plot	a plot where there is little emphasis on the causal connections between events in the narrative, episodes might be linked by a common character or a common theme, also called episodic plot (opposite: tight plot).
fight captain	Company member responsible for fight choreography and safety of actors engaged in staged fights.
radiant energy	Energy traveling in the form of electromagnetic waves
tragedy	Dramatic form in which the protagonist suffers a grave loss or death at the end
non-dim	A circuit supplying electrical power to a luminaire by means of a switch or a relay in order to permit an on-off function rather than a dimming function.
prosody	the diaeresis was a break or pause in a line of verse occurring when the end of a foot coincides with the end of a word.
top	pick up the energy, the pace, and the volume of a scene: one actor tops the other thereby building tension and emotional impact
autofollow	A cue which is automatically run as soon as the preceding cue is complete.
book	The prompt copy of a play
anagnorisis	A character's self revelation or self discovery, particularly when the revelation initiates a turning point in the action.
iau	Italian Actors' Union.
rhythm	Refers to the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
narrative poetry	Poetry that tells a story
drawing room comedy	Witty, upper-class comedies popular from the turn of the century.
hommondori-	HOME-MON-DOOR-EE J: the direct borrowing or taking over of a passage from an older work more or less as it was
near rhyme	Term used to describe a number of devices which come close to full rhyme but don't create the perfect chiming sound associated with words such as 'cat' and 'mat'
cliché	an idea or expression that has become tired and trite from overuse, its freshness and clarity having worn off
voice lessons	Instruction in voice quality.
sarcasm	Another term for verbal irony--the act of ostensibly saying one thing but meaning another
curtain call or walkdown	when the actors come to the front of the stage to bow at the end of a performance.
rhyming couplet	Rhyming couplets are a pair of lines that are the same length and usually rhyme and form a complete thought
floor lights	Lights which emit a general fixed spread of light.
book	To be offered and accept a role.
hyperbole	exaggeration beyond reasonable credence
against type	playing a different sort of character than expected
regency novel	Regency novels are either:
transient adaptation	The process of the eye adapting from viewing an area at one level of light to an area of higher or lower level.
arena stage	A theater arrangement in which viewers sit encircling the stage completely
fancy	Fancy was used interchangeably with imagination in the eighteenth century but during the Romantic period came to signify the faculty of arranging ideas and images in pleasant combinations, as opposed to imagination which was more profound, intellectual and radically inventive.
textual criticism	Textual criticism (or lower criticism) is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts
audiobook	Sound recording of a dramatic reading of a literary work.
cut	A direction given by the directo to stop the action of a scene
caudate rhyme	Another term for tail-rhyme or rime couée
auditorium	Area of a theater seating or accomodating the audience.
runway	A long, narrow, raised platform that projects from a main stage into the auditorium upon which models display fashions.
low-angle shot	A shot taken from below a subject.
internal conflict	In literature, internal conflict is the struggle occurring within a character's mind
trivium	In medieval universities, the trivium comprised the three subjects that were taught first: grammar, logic, and rhetoric
ballad stanza	A quatrain that alternates tetrameter with trimeter lines, and usually rhymes a b c.
one quarter left	To face stage left at a 45 degree angle from fully open.
assonance	Assonance is also called 'vowel rhyme'
crane shot	A shot, usually from overhead, taken by a camera mounted on a crane.
satire	ridiculing stupidity, vice, folly through exaggeration and humor
resolution	Also called denouement,
model's book	A model's portfolio of pictures.
incandescent	A term used to describe a lamp, or a luminaire that utilizes such a lamp, that employs the incandescence of a filament such as a light source.
type character	A literary character with traits commonly associated with a particular class of people.
straight part	A part played without character make-up
sign-in sheet	A sheet of paper signed by an actor upon arriving for an audition.
follow spot	any instrument operated so as to follow the movement of an actor
voice	See speaker, poetic.
decasyllable	Dodecasyllable, Heptasyllable, Octosyllable)
fly-rail	A rail on the fly floor to which the lines used for flying scenery are tied to pins or cleats
anapest	A fairly uncommon metrical foot where two unstressed syllables are followed by a stressed syllable.
stage director	See Producer
romantic comedy	type of comedy which usually presents a pair of lovers and their struggle to be united.
gloss	A gloss (from Latin: glossa, from Greek: γλῶσσα glóssa "tongue") is a brief notation of the meaning of a word or wording in a text
victorianism	Victorianism is the name given to the attitudes, art, and culture of the later two-thirds of the 19th century
stage convention	Unrealistic circumstances that the audience will accept as "real" within the context of the play.
didactic	teaching a lesson or having a moral"
airs	actions of a person who thinks he or she is superior to others
ballet	A theatrical dance with pantomime
romantic comedy	Sympathetic comedy that presents the adventures of young lovers trying to overcome social, psychological, or interpersonal constraints to achieve a successful union
set-back	A framing for doors and windows to give the appearance of thickness to a scene
burlesque	A work caricaturing another serious work
callback	A second, more specific audition where a director looks closer at given actors.
rhyme	when final vowel and consonant sounds in the last syllable of one word match those of another, usually at the end of lines
lamp	an arc light source utilizing mercury vapor and metal halide additives for an approximation of daylight (5000-6000-K) illumination
jeweled escapements	jeweled watch and clock parts
spokesmodel	An individual who represents a product, service or company.
exposition	the introduction of essential characters, setting, circumstances of a story or play
house position	A lighting position located in Front-Of-House.
"break a leg"	a saying for actors before they go out on stage, meaning "good luck".
diffused lighting	lighting, provided on the workplane or on an object, that is not predominantly incident from any
flies	Area above a stage in which scenery, lighting and other equipment are suspended from pipes (battens.)
accent	A stressed syllable
pardons	Another term for papal indulgences
high-mast lighting	illumInation of a large area by means of a group of luminaires which are designed to he mounted in fixed orientation at the top of a high mast, generally 20 m (65 ft) or higher.
fovea	A small region at the center of the retina, subtending about two degrees and forming the site of the most distinct vision and greatest color discrimination.
expressionism	a movement in drama which emphasizes subjectivity of perception
assistant film editor	Assistant Picture Editor, Assistant Sound Editor, Assistant Editor, First Assistant Editor, Second Assistant Editor, Apprentice Editor
fluency	Automatic word recognition, rapid decoding, and checking for meaning.
mystery play	type of medieval drama based on the Bible; 'mystery' is used in the archaic sense of the 'trade' conducted by each of the medieval guilds who sponsored these plays.
pathetic fallacy	The ascribing of human traits or feelings to inanimate nature for eloquent effect, especially feelings in sympathy with those expressed or experienced by the writer, as a "cruel wind," a "pitiless storm," or the lines from Shelley's Adonais:
ground row	Lighting strips aimed up from the base of a cyclorama or drop
masking	1
arena stage	a stage design in which the audience is seated all the way around the acting area; actors make their entrances and exits through the auditorium.
structuralism	A term coined by Jakobson in 1929, which represented a new scholarly paradigm for the humanities and social sciences as well as a dialectical synthesis of the two global paradigms dominating European thought in the 19th century—Romanticism and Positivism
call time	the time at which each individual actor is expected to be at the theater
russian formalism	a theory which considers literary language as deviant from everyday language and postulates the concept of poetic function of literary texts.
mos	(Mit Out Sound) A shot without dialogue or sound.
heterodiegetic narration	a narrative which is told by a narrator who is not a character in the story, terminology introduced by the critic Gérard Genette.
analogue	Usually a semantic or narrative feature in one work said to resemble something in another work, without necessarily implying that a cause-and-effect relationship exists (as would be the case with source and influence)
university wits	University Wits were a group of late 16th century English playwrights who were educated at the universities (Oxford or Cambridge) and who became playwrights and popular secular writers
wheel	an alliterative rhyming quatrain with four-stress lines that follows the so-called bob, known together as a bob-and-wheel.
sentimentality	evoking a predictable emotional response with a clichéd prompt
clause	The word is often used but very hard to define
cockney school of poetry	a mocking name for London romantic poets such as John Keats and Leigh Hunt (from a scathing review in Blackwood's Magazine in October 1817).
mythography	The commentary, writings, and interpretations added to myths
tetrameter	Four feet, a measure made up of four feet
dialect	the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group of people
call	(a) When an actor is summoned to a rehearsal
epistrophe	Successive phrases, lines, or clauses that repeat the same word or words at their ends.
diamante	The diamante, or diamond, poem is a style of poetry made up of 6 lines, using only 13 words, and forms the shape of a diamond
flashback	A scene in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem that interrupts the action to show an event that happened at an earlier time.
film noir: literally	Genre of film which features brooding characters, corruption, crime, detectives, and the seedy side life.
guest star	On a TV program, prominent one-time or multiple-episode lead actor who is not a regular.
rhetorical question	A question solely for effect, with no answer expected
nonce word	for a particular circumstance or occasion.
jump cut	A cut which conveys an abrupt change in time and/or place.
dry tech	1
dissonance	The deliberate use of inharmonious syllables/words/phrases in order to create a harsh-toned effect
rapacity	greediness recumbent: reclining, more or less horizontal redolent: suggesting
amplification	Rhetorical figures of speech that repeat and vary the expression of a thought.
ellesmere manuscript	An illustrated (or illuminated) manuscript thought to date from the fifteenth century of Chaucer's, The Canterbury Tales.
emblem	A symbol which is representative of something.
satire	The use of wit or humour to attack something.
script reading	Recitation of lines from a script for an audition or rehearsal.
city dionysia	See discussion under dionysia.
synecdoche	A rhetorical figure in which a part is substituted for the whole or a whole for the part.
high-bay lighting	interior lighting where the roof truss or ceiling height is greater that approximately 7.6 m (25 ft) above the floor.
proscenium	1
imagism	A poetic movement signifying important elements such as visual imagery and dry, clear language; advocated free verse as well as new rhythmic effects, colloquial language, and the expression of ideas and emotions with clear, well-defined images.
romance	Alexandre le Grand, written about 1180, in which the measure was first used.
iambic	See discussion under meter.
monologue	Characterized by a single speaker.
center stage	The middle of the performance space.
phonetic symbolism	Sound suggestiveness; the association of particular word-sounds with common areas of meaning so that other words of similar sounds come to be associated with those meanings
fable	A short, simple story that teaches a lesson
boom	A pipe or pole supporting an overhead microphone, light or camera.
quarter	Call given twenty minutes before curtain goes up.
lament	A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.
proscenium	An arch that frames a box set and holds the curtain, thus creating a sort of invisible boundary through which the audience views the on-stage action of a play.
field angle	The angle a which the beam edges are 10% of the centre beam candlepower.
burlesque	A play or part in which exaggerated mockery is made of persons or a situation
tercet	A verse unit of three lines, usually rhymed, mostly used as a stanzaic form.
poetry –	POH-EH-TREE (L: poema, poetria) Bound speech that convey a heightened form of perception, experience, meaning or consciousness
hand model	Performer whose hands are featured in movies, television or commercial productions.
topic	See subject.
overplay	To exaggerate.
hôraku –	WHORE-AH-COO J: Votive poetry composed for presentation to or expressive of the wishes of the gods or of Buddha
lead role	Principal performer in a movie or a television show.
overplot	especially in Shakespearean drama, a subplot that resembles the main plot but stresses the political implications of the depicted action and situation.
backlight	A light that illuminates the actors from an upstage position.
cheat out	A body position for the stage wherein the actor faces more towards the audience.
acrostic –	A-CROSS-TIC (Gr
stream of consciousness	a concept developed in psychology by William James which denotes the idea that one's thoughts are not orderly and well-formulated but more of a jumbled-up sequence of associations, these are not necessarily verbal but also include other sensual perceptions.
monody	Any elegy or dirge represented as the utterance of a single speaker
cyhydedd naw ban	A syllabic verse form in ancient Welsh poetry in which some lines are composed of nine syllables
limited point of view	a perspective confined to a single character, whether a first person or a third person
hazardous location	an area where ignitable vapors or dust may cause a fire or explosion created by energy emitted from lighting or other electrical equipment or by electrostatic generation.
chorus performer	Performer hired as a group of singers, dancers or actors.
narrative modes	the kinds of utterance through which a narrative is conveyed.
travesty	- Travesti, transgendered men in South America - Travesti (theatre), about men and women playing the opposite sex in Western opera, ballet and theatre
climax	The high point of action or conflict within a scene or a play.
dramatic monologue	a type of lyric poem in which a character ( the speaker) addresses a distinct but silent audience imagined to be present in the poem in such a way as to reveal a dramatic situation and, often unintentionally, some aspect of his or her temperament or personality
out-take	Filmed scenes not used in a movie.
imitative poem/structure	a poem structured so as to mirror as exactly as possible the structure of something that already exists as an object and can be seen.
dialect	A distinct regional or linguistic speech pattern.
fûga –	FUH-GAH J: true art
fair copy	A corrected--but not necessarily entirely correct--manuscript that a dramatist might submit to a theatre company, as distinct from the draft version known as "foul papers."
diction	The social position (the sociolect or idiolect) indicated by the choice of words for the poem.
book	The stage manager's copy of the script which includes all cues and notes
disability glare	the effect of stray light in the eye whereby visibility and visual performance are reduced
technical rehearsal	rehearsal for perfecting the technical elements of a show, such as the scene and property shifts, lighting, sound, and special effects
cretic	Greek and Latin metrical foot consisting of long, short, and long syllables.
epithet	An adjective or adjectival phrase, usually attached to the name of a person or thing, such as "Richard the Lion-Hearted," Milton's "ivy-crowned Bacchus" in "L'Allegro," or Homer's "rosy-fingered dawn."
abecedarian	The abecedarian is a poetic form from pre- Biblical times
colloquial	ordinary language, the vernacular
try-out	A test performance of a play in the provinces prior to its appearance in a metropolitan theatre
legitimate theatre	Term which refers to live theatre performed on a stage.
canon	The concept of an accepted list of great literature which constitutes the essential tradition of English
tragedy	dramatic sub-genre marked by representations of serious actions which end in disaster for the protagonist.
kabuki	Popular theatre of Japan usually featuring stock, superhuman heroes and villains.
barndoor	Shutters attached to lights to control the amount of illumination.
high-key lighting	a type of lighting that
verbal irony - irony	Ironic statements (verbal irony) often convey a meaning exactly opposite from their literal meaning
idyll	An idyll is either a short poem depicting a tranquil country scene, or a long poem telling a story about heroic deeds or extraordinary events of myth and legend.
ambiguity	A statement with two or more meanings that may seem to exclude one another in the context
concert border	The border used to mask in the No
retina	A light-sensitive membrane lining the posterior part of the inside of the eye.
free	Clearly, if something is free, implying in this case that it lacks form (is not formal) then there can't be, by definition, a prosody
mock-heroic	treating something trivial with high seriousness, as in John Philips' The Splendid Shilling.
heavy-stress rhyme	Another term for a masculine ending in a rhyme.
limited point of view	See discussion under point of view.
composition	(of writing) The putting together of words in a correct and effective way.
dressing rooms	Rooms in which actors change into their costumes and apply make-up.
flicker index	a measure of the cyclic variation in output of a light source, taking into account the waveform of the light output
text	The words of a script.
mansion of many apartments	Theory devised by John Keats stating that people are capable of different levels of thought
above	that area of the stage farthest away from the audience
stage brace	See Brace
properties	Objects used by actor on the set.
cheat	When an actor turns toward the audience or the camera a small amount so as to show more full-face
triad	A triad in simplest terms is defined as a "group of three".
antithesis	The place of a line or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas.
manikin	Another name for marionette
action	1) A verbal cue which indicates that the scene is to begin and that the camera is filming
fool	A professional role
clown	An ancient stage character, a jester, dressed in motley, and usually shown as a fool or knave; in Shakespeare sometimes a yokel
promo	Short for promotional
denouement	Pronounced Dee-noo-ma, the denouement is that part of a drama which follows the climax and leads to the resolution, sometimes synonymous with resolution.
guignol - grand guignol	Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɑ̃ ɡiɲɔl]: "The Theater of the Big Puppet") â known as the Grand Guignol â was in the Pigalle area of Paris (at 20 bis, rue Chaptal)
ushers	Members of Front-of-House staff who attend to audience members.
dead-head	A member of the audience who has made no payment for his seat
buffo	A burlesque actor
lay	Virelay)
ghost light	A light, usually by the stage door, that is always left burning.
monophthongization	The tendency of diphthongs to turn into simple vowels over time, or the actual process by which diphthongs turn into such vowels
house open	when the audience is allowed into the auditorium.
company	Cast, crew and other staff associated with a production.
false proscenium	A structure placed around the Proscenium to lessen the height and breadth of the stage
acting edition	softbound copy of the script which often contains the stage directions, sound and light, cues, prop lists and costume descriptions from the prompt script of the world premier production
denouement	Pronounced Dee-noo-ma, the denouement is that part of a drama which follows the climax and leads to the resolution
casting couch	Refers to the highly unethical practice of pressuring talent into providing sex in return for a role.
extra	A performer who appears in a non-specific, non-speaking character usually as part of a crowd or in the background of a scene.
exposition	the first phase or part of plot, which sets the scene, introduces and identifies characters, and establishes the situation at the beginning of a story or play
follow spot	1
chorus	in greek tragedies, a group of people who serve mainly as commentators on the characters and events
choric figure	Any character in any type of narrative literature that serves the same purpose as a chorus in drama by remaining detached from the main action and commenting upon or explaining this action to the audience
gvs	The abbreviation that linguists and scholars of English use to refer to the Great Vowel Shift
gas-filled lamp	an incandescent lamp in which the filament operates in a bulb filled with one or more inert gases.
figurative language	language that uses figures of speech.
spot	a commercial message.
underplot	a particular type of subplot, especially in Shakespeare’s plays, that is a parodic or highly romantic version of the main plot
largess	Generosity; a boon or favor granted by a noble person.
decorum	In order to observe decorum, a character's speech must be styled according to her social station, and in accordance with the occasion
proverb	A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity
footlights	a set of striplights at the front edge of the stage platform used to soften face shadows east by overhead luminaires and to add general toning lighting from below.
costume	Clothing and accessories worn by an actor for a production.
box set	A set (usually of an interior space) composed of a back and two side walls and sometimes a ceiling.
resolution	see conclusion.
bell board	A sound effects board on which are mounted different types of bells (doorbells, phone bells, etc.)
classicism	A movement or tendency in art, music, and literature to retain the characteristics found in work originating in classical Greece and Rome
gnomic poetry	Gnomic poetry consists of sententious maxims put into verse to aid the memory
plot summary	a brief recounting of the principal action of a work of fiction, drama, or narrative poetry, usually in the same order in which the action is recounted in the original work rather than in chronological order.
epinicions	his name is enduringly associated with that genre of poetry.
dramatic irony	A device whereby the audience (or reader) understands more of a situation or of what is being said than the character is aware of
int.	A scene shot indoors.
director	One who guides or controls a company of players or a play
back-up	Actor who is hired to work only if the designated performer can't perform satisfactorily.
ground cloth	Heavy piece of cloth used to cover the stage floor.
acting	creating an illusion with behavior attributed to a particular character, project by voice and movement to an audience.
catharsis	The purifying of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions.
autobiography	A non-fictional account of a person's life--usually a celebrity, an important historical figure, or a writer--written by that actual person
hard light	light that causes an object to cast a sharply defined shadow.
break character	Speaking or acting which is not in keeping with the character.
mesozeugma	See discussion under zeugma.
little theatre	(a) A small theatre, without necessarily any other characteristics
apron	The stage area which is downstage of the proscenium arch.
tag line	final line of a scene or act, or the exit line of a major character
resonance	The quality of richness or variety of sounds in poetic texture, as in Milton's:
ray light reflector	A retrofit reflector and lamp socket assembly, creates a narrow, almost cylindrical shaped beam.
true rhyme	Words that rhyme on a single stressed syllable.
fantasy	Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting
claque	People hired for the purpose of initiating and sustaining applause, cheering, whistling, or other enthustic displays of appreciation for a performer or a performance
inflected	An inflective or inflected language is one like Latin, German, or Anglo-Saxon, in which special endings called declensions appear on the end of noun-stems to indicate case
logopoeia	Term coined by Ezra Pound to describe a poem which induces both melopoeia and phanopoeia by 'stimulating the associations (intellectual or emotional) that have remained in the receiver's consciousness in relation to the actual words or word groups employed'
principal actor	A performer who speaks eleven or more lines or who performs a major role without lines.
sarcasm	a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually harshly or bitterly critical
episteme	Episteme, as distinguished from techne, is etymologically derived from the Greek word ἐπιστήμη for knowledge or science, which comes from the verb ἐπίσταμαι, "to know".
satire	A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses and wrongdoing of individuals, groups, institution, or humanity in general.
emotional memory	A technique of acting by which an actor recalls the intricate details of a past experience and the emotions experienced for the purpose of evoking a similar emotion which is then used by the actor in performance.
fly bars	Metal bars to which scenery and lanterns are attached for flying above the stage.
cameo	A bit part played by a notable actor who would normally only perform larger roles.
set	Stage area that is visible to the audience.
setting	The place where a story occurs
shahed	SHAH-HEED (A: witness) When using H
tract	A tract is a literary work, and in current usage, usually religious in nature
fly gallery	See Fly Floor
rounds	Trips to casting offices which an actor visits on a regular basis.
glare	the sensation produced by luminance within the visual field that is sufficiently greater than the luminance to which the eyes arc adapted to cause annoyance, discomfort or loss in visual performance and visibility
stage direction	A direction inserted in a play to indicate the appropriate action, etc
phrenology	studying the shapes of a person head for clues of intelligence and abilities
acetone	strong solvent used to remove spirit gum or other adhesives used in makeup.
ring down	To close the front curtain.
payday	The day paychecks are distributed.
float	See Footlights
comic relief	A comedic line or scene included in what is otherwise a serious production
antagonist	a character or a nonhuman force that opposes or is in conflict with the protagonist.
lux	The SI unit of illuminance equal to one lumen per square meter.
victorian	verse written in the reign of Victoria, from 1837 to 1903.
arc	The progression of plot throughout a story and how those changes effect the various characters.
cold submission	Sending an unsolicited headshot and resume to a casting person.
teaser	A preview of a program used to enticing the listener to watch the program.
voice	the verbal aspect of point of view, the acknowledged or unacknowledged source of a story’s words; the speaker; the "person" telling the story and that person’s particular qualities of insight, attitude, and verbal style
ear poetry	see Concrete poetry.
junior model	A young looking teen model who fits the smaller sizes.
third person narration	When a story is told by someone who is an outsider and not a character
inky	A small fresnel spotlight with a 1.5 to 3 lens.
back	The portion of the stage behind the scene
resolution	The outcome of the conflict in a play or story
ga –	GAH (J: elegant or elegance) The highest form of any art in opposition to zoku
nobel prize for literature	Nobel Prizes were instigated by the Swedish chemist Alfred Bernhard Nobel
syllable	A word or part of a word representing a sound produced as a unit by a single impulse of the voice, consisting of either a vowel sound alone as in oh or a vowel with attendant consonants, as in throne.
apostrophe	addressing a person, personified object, abstract quality, or idea as if it was actually present.
tracking shot	A shot taken with a mobile camera mounted on a dolly or a moving vehicle.
stress	The prominence or emphasis given to particular syllables
colonial criticism	See post-colonial criticism.
pageantry	Spectacular, highly theatrical performance.
asm	Assistant Stage Manager.
anapodoton	Deliberately creating a sentence fragment by the omission of a clause: "If only you came with me!" If only students knew what anapodoton was! Good writers never use sentence fragments? Ah, but they can
counter	When an actor moves, another actor may shift their own position to balance the composition of a scene.
gather	Gather, gatherer, or gathering may refer to:
feature presentation	The main movie shown during a screening.
tormentor	flats or drapes at the sides of the proscenium arch that may be used to alter the with of the stage opening
catharsis	Much disputed term used by Aristotle in his Poetics where he suggests that tragedy should purge the emotions of pity and fear and, hence, lead to a catharsis
touring show	a play performed by a company at numerous locations
cloth	Canvas scenery suspended from above
playbill	A bill or poster announcing a theatrical performance
go	Word used by stage managers to cue technical effects.
narrative present	the present tense used to tell a narrative.
hold	A contractual obligation to reserve a block of time to work
cancel	A bibliographical term referring to a leaf which is substituted for one removed by the printers because of an error
stare	This is the way grammar works in normal English sentences
living newspaper	Living Newspaper is a term for a theatrical form presenting factual information on current events to a popular audience
power distribution	A term used to describe electrical equipment that is specially designed to intake electricity and route it to output wiring device or devices.
breve	A mark in the shape of a bowl-like half circle that indicates a light stress or an unaccented syllable.
dodecasyllable	Hendecasyllable, Heptasyllable, Octosyllable)
cinquain	A verse form of five lines with lines of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 2 syllables.
house lights	General lighting provided for the audience area.
pathetic fallacy	Describing an inanimate object as though it were animate.
pose	A position or stance assumed for visual effect.
hau	Hebrew Actors' Union.
cast	The talent hired to play the characters in a production
prompter	One who has charge of the book of the play and follows the actors when speaking their words
dramaturge	a theatrical scholar
fairy tale	A story, generally for children about magical beings or the supernatural, often with a moral or message.
fictional character	An imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story).
wardrobe	Clothing a performer wears for rehearsals and the performance.
revenger type	major character in revenge tragedies who seeks revenge for some injustice done to him or his family (usually the death of a beloved person or a family member).
telescoping	Acting technique in which one actor speaks before another is finished.
breakdown services ltd.	A company that provides to talent agencies descriptions of roles being cast for film and television projects.
caesura -	SAY-SURE-A (F
act	A section or a major division within a play
bridge	Walkway above the stage to reach stage equipment.
ladder lights	See Proscenium Lights
cross	To move from one area of the performance area to another.
pararhyme	Term coined by Edmund Blunden to describe a form of 'near rhyme' where the consonants in two different words are exactly the same but the vowels vary
assistant art director	An assistant to the art director .
fox fire	moss or fungus that appears to glow
follow spot	A lighting instrument used to follow a performer on stage.
diction	a writer's choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative languages, which contribute to help create meaning
cast	(a) The list of players taking part in a play
quantitative metre	Lines whose rhythm depends on the duration or length of time a line takes to utter
haikai	Another term for haikai renga or renku
colour filter	Any coloured transparent material that can be placed in front of a beam to colour the light.
scene	a small unit in a narrative, in which an event happens in a single setting
theme	a central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work
pastoral	Originally a love poem about idealised nymphs and shepherds; now refers to poems located in an idealised rural setting.
leg	A long, narrow curtain hung to mask the left and right wings from the audience.
autobiography	an account of the authors own life
paymaster	Independent payroll/accounting company hired by the producer to issue paychecks to actors and crew.
mark	A specific place on a set where an actor is to stand to in the proper light and camera angle
intertextuality	Intertextuality is the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts
visual cue	A cue taken from the action on stage rather than being cued by the stage manager.
exposition	1
hubris	Excessive confidence
peripheral vision	The seeing of objects displaced from the primary line of site and outside of the central visual field.
motif	In narrative, a motif (pronunciation) (help·info) is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story
preteen model	A model under thirteen years old.
monodrama	A monodrama (also Solospiel in German; "solo play") is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character.
dolly	A wheeled platform upon which a camera is mounted which allows physical movement of the camera.
three bells!	Audible warning for QUIET when a scene about to be filmed.
metafiction	a subgenre of works that playfully draw attention to their status as fiction in order to explore the nature of fiction and the role of authors and readers
octosyllabic	having eight syllables.
foot	repeating pattern of
alliteration	The purposeful repetition of sounds, particularly the beginning consonants of words
stereotype	A character who is so ordinary or unoriginal that the character seems like an oversimplified representation of a type, gender, class, religious group, or occupation
inference	Inference is the act of drawing a conclusion by deductive reasoning from given facts
walk-on	A small role with no lines.
sticks	Slate or clapboard upon which information about a film take is displayed
theatrical	(a) Belonging to the theatre
speaker	(1) the person, not necessarily the author, who is the voice of a poem; (2) anyone who speaks dialogue in a work of fi ction, poetry, or drama.
intonation	Patterns of pitch in sentences.
exclusivity	Contract provision in which an actor agrees not to work for other employers during the time the contract is in effect.
trestle	the framework used to support a platform
antagonist	A person or force which opposes the protagonist in a literary work
arena stage	A stage with the audience surrounding it on all four sides.
anthology	An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler
fable	A fictitious moral tale or legend of ancient origin.
syntax	The way in which linguistic elements (words and phrases) are arranged to form grammatical structure.
mesmerism	hypnosis
bretons	The Celtic inhabitants of Brittany ("Little Britain") in northeast France who speak the Breton language
low comedy	see comedy
repetition	The return of a word, phrase, stanza form, or effect in any form of literature
trombone	the lever on a follow spot that allows the operator to make the beam larger or smaller
virelai	A medieval French lyric form (a common dance song) developed in the 13th century performed by one or more leading voices and a chorus
trochaic rhyme	Another word for double rhyme in which the final rhyming word consists of a heavy stress followed by a light stress.
allusion	a reference to another literary / artistic/ historic, work, author, character, or event (frequently biblical or mythological)
grand guignol	Shock theatre originating in France; popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s
homonym	One of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning
traveler	A horizontally drawn curtain.
historical linguistics	Historical linguistics (also called diachronic linguistics) is the study of language change
juxtaposition - contrast	In semantics, contrast is a relationship between two discourse segments
m.o.w.	Movie of the week
characterization	The way in which an author represents or portrays a character for the reader
sonnet	A fixed form consisting of fourteen lines of 5-foot iambic verse
property master	Responsible for obtaining or constructing props and their use during the production.
simile	A comparison made with "as," "like," or "than."
improvisation	A work or performance that is done on the spur of the moment, without conscious preparation or preliminary drafts or rehearsals
form	The arrangement, manner, or method used to convey the content; how ideas or a story is represented.
literary ballad	A story told in verse in which a known writer imitates a folk ballad.
spec script	A script written before any production agreement has been secured.
metanoia	A rhetorical term for the act of self-correction in speech or writing.
scene	A division of a script, usually denoting a change in time or place
metafiction	a type of fiction (usually a novel) which takes the writing process as its topic.
existent	a character in a story or the setting.
apostrophe	Apostrophe (Greek ἀποστροφή, apostrophé, "turning away"; the final e being sounded) is an exclamatory rhetorical figure of speech, when a speaker or writer breaks off and directs speech to an imaginary person or abstract quality or idea
consonance	The close repetition of the same end consonants of stressed syllables with differing vowel sounds, such as boat and night, or the words drunk and milk in the final line of Coleridge's "Kubla Khan."
apron stage	A stage that projects out into the auditorium area
gallery	In 19th century theatre, the highest and cheapest seats in the house
cadence	The ametrical rhythm of natural speech.
focus	the visual component of point of view, the point from which people, events, and other details in a story are viewed; also called focalization
french scene	A scene division within a play marked by the entrance or exit of a character.
pre-rigged truss	A truss section, usually provided with wheels, that has lamp bars installed.
grand drapery	See Pelmet
enjambment	A line which ends before grammatical and semantic unity has been achieved and where the sense therefore carries on to the next line without a pause.
cross-fade	To bring lights down in one stage area of the stage while bringing lights up in another stage area.
orchestra	in classical Greek theater, a semicircular area used mostly for dancing by the chorus.
orchestra	the playing area in an ancient Greek theater
production schedule	A detailed plan of the timing of activities associated with making a production.
talent	An individual with specific skills.
reel	A composite of brief clips from an actor's film, TV, or commercial work.
stage fright	Fear of speaking or performing in front of an audience.
aisle	A pathway for easy travel through a seating area.
floor plan	A drawing that show the location of scenic elements.
skin money	Extra payment made to performers if nudity is required on stage.
costume fitting	the process of getting measured and trying on costumes for a production.
daylight lamp	a lamp producing a spectral distribution approximating that of a specified daylight.
walkaway	A meal break in which cast and crew get a meal on their own.
prefix	An affix or addition to the beginning of a word.
crisis or turning point	A point of great tension in a narrative that determines how the action will come out.
stage	The entire area behind the proscenium on part of which the acting is done
tudor interlude	Short tragedies, comedies, or history plays performed by either professional acting troupes or by students during the early sixteenth century.
accentual-syllabic	the
screen actors guild	SAG
verse	As a mass noun, poetry in general (but in a non-judgmental sense); and, as a regular noun, a line of poetry.
dramaturg	Someone who works as a consultant to the production company, who researches script selection, and background and historical relevance of the production
on book	Time when performers have not yet memorized their lines.
neologism	A new word or phrase that ties together existing words or ideas
dress rehearsal	A full rehearsal, with all technical elements included.
prologue	Introductory speech that introduces the performance, commenting on the action which will take place.
break a leg	A traditional alternative to saying "Good Luck" (which is considered bad luck).
motion picture sound editors	MPSE
dmx 512	A unique digital multiplex signal with specific characteristics that is used in the stage and studio lighting industry.
content	Diction, Form, Motif, Style, Texture, Tone)
puff/puffery	Reviews which overpraise or laud unworthy work; usually produced by literary cliques
down right	Acting area closest to the audience, on the right side of the stage as the actor faces the audience.
characterization	Characterisation or characterization is the process of conveying information about characters in narrative or dramatic works of art or everyday conversation
antagonist	Opposes the hero (protaganist) of a drama.
ruritanian romance	A Ruritanian Romance is a story set in a fictional country, usually in Central or Eastern Europe, such as the Ruritania that gave the genre its name
play	A script that is intended to be performed live.
doggerel	Rhymester, Versifier)
subplot	plot which is less important than and separate from the main plot though usually linked to it.
setting	Time period and place (which can include geographical location) of a story
fit-up	Temporary stages, prosceniums and equipment for converting an ordinary platform into a stage
isocolon	a line or lines that consist of clauses of equal length.
glossmeter	an instrument for measuring gloss in terms of the directionally selective reflecting properties of a material at angles near to and including the direction giving specular reflection.
syndication	A system of broadcasting programs through independent distributors.
holograph	A holograph is a document written entirely in the handwriting of the person whose signature it bears
stereotype	A stereotype is a held popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals
stage-fright	Nervousness experienced by an actor when appearing before an audience, especially on his first appearance
spectacle	1
allegory	A pattern of reference in the work which evokes a parallel action of abstract ideas
euphony - phonaesthetics	Phonaesthetics (from the Greek, "voice-sound"; and "aesthetics") is the claim or study of inherent pleasantness or beauty (euphony) or unpleasantness (cacophony) of the sound of certain words and sentences
close reading	The careful focus upon ways that writers' choices of form, structure and language shape meaning
franchised agent	A talent agent approved by AFTRA or SAG to solicit and negotiate employment for their members.
catharsis	an emotional purging or cleansing experienced by an ancient Greek audience at the end of a tragedy
middle style	In classical rhetoric, the middle style is represented by speech or writing that falls between the extremes of the plain style and the grand style.
onomatopoeia	The use of a word whose sound in some degree imitates or suggests its meaning
accentual prosody	Poetry where the stressed syllables are the only syllables counted.
curtain call	When actors are called before the audience at the fall of the curtain on a play or act of a play
pause	A break or suspension in a line of verse.
colour frame	Frames into which are placed coloured gelatine or glass for stage lighting
mononym	A one-word name (such as "Oprah" or "Prince") by which a person or thing is known.
diffusing	Those surfaces and glazing that redistribute some of the incident flux by scattering in all directions.
volpone	If the medial letters are used, it is a mesostich; if the final letters, a telestich
fluorescent	A discharge lamp in which a phosphor coating transforms ultraviolet energy into visible light.
allusion	A casual reference to any aspect of another piece of literature, art, music, person or life in general. Authors suppose that the reader will identify the original source and relate the meaning to the new context
melodrama	A play of a sensational character with strong action and a happy ending in which virtue triumphs
on hold	a casting director will put you 'on hold' when you are wanted by the client for the job but not formally hired yet
non-union	A person or production not affiliated with a union.
hot set	A set on which a scene is being shot and which should not be changed or disturbed.
comedian	Actor who specializing in comedy.
apothegm	An adage (pronounced /ˈædɨdʒ/), or adagium (Latin), is a short but memorable saying which holds some important fact of experience that is considered true by many people, or that has gained some credibility through its long use
focus	To aim a lighting fixture, or to adjust a fixture's beam.
iatse	International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees.
melodrama	A form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh-so-pure
striplight	A luminaire with a number of lamps arranged in a line
metaphor	one thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy between them
verso	See discussion under quarto or examine this chart.
flat character	see character
doggery	cheap saloon
light ground row	A batten used on the floor of the stage
allusion	– A-LOU-SHUN The inclusion in a poem of identifiable elements from other sources
actor's equity association	Labor union for professional live performance actors.
historical novel	According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is: "a novel that has as its setting a period of history and that attempts to convey the spirit, manners, and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail and fidelity (which is in some cases only apparent fidelity) to historical fact
identical rhyme	The use of the same words as a "rhymed" pair
all-american look	Middle-American appearance.
border	Drapery or masking scenery hung above the acting area to mask overhead lights and the area above the stage.
aperture	The opening in the front of a camera through which light passes to create the image.
starring	A lead role.
revolutionary age	A term from time to time employed to refer to American literature
catwalk	a narrow, elevated walkway, as on the sides of a bridge or in the flies above a theater stage
equity	A trade union for actors and stage managers involved in live performances.
prolepsis	anticipation.
artificial sky	An enclosure that simulates the luminance distribution of a real sky for the purpose of testing physical daylighting models
above	Toward the back wall of a stage.
syllable	The smallest unit of speech that normally occurs in isolation, or a distinct sound element within a word
revenge tragedy	Tragic Flaw: In a tragedy, the quality within the hero or heroine which leads to his or her downfall
theater	Form of performance that tells a story through a mix of acting, dance, mime, verbal narrative and song.
catastrophe	in Gustav Freytag's terminology the final stage of development in a tragedy usually involving the death of the protagonist.
finno-ugric	A language group including such languages as Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian and others.
aside	a dramatic technique in which a line is said by one character to him or herself or to the audience
pelmet	A short curtain or drapery placed just behind the top of the proscenium to mask in the No
modality	Linguistic devices that indicate the degree to which an observation is possible, probable, likely, certain, permitted, or prohibited.
light loss factor	A factor used in calculating the illuminance after a given period of time and under given conditions
syllable	A unit of pronunciation making up a word
scrim	A thin, gauze-like curtain
downstage	Acting area nearest to the audience
booking	A firm commitment to accept a role offered to an actor.
line of business	The parts in which an actor specialises
symbol	A person, place, or object that represents something beyond itself
slapstick comedy	Comedy in which humor is derived from physical action.
business	(a) The action and movement of the actors as distinguished from dialogue
antitype	A figure, event, or symbol in the New Testament thought to be prefigured by a different figure, event, or symbol in the Old Testament
canon	In a literary sense, the authoritative works of a particular writer; also, an accepted list of works perceived to represent a cultural, ideological, historical, or biblical grouping.
dialogue	conversation of characters in fiction or drama
cable network	Nationally distributed programming provided by a cable hookup (such as Showtime, ESPN, CNN, HBO.)
medieval theatre	Medieval theatre refers to the theatre of Europe between the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance
marxist criticism	an approach to literature under Marxist premises.
light plot	The diagrammatical layout of luminaire's and related equipment.
looping	Recording and adding dialog to a scene after the scene has been filmed.
beam spread factor	A number with which you multiply the throw distance to determine beam spread.
catharsis	in Aristotle's terms the cleansing emotional effect achieved by drama as a result of the audience's emotional involvement in the plot and the feelings of the characters in the play.
caricature	A portrait (verbal or otherwise) that exaggerates a facet of personality.
crash box	Metal box filled with broken crockery which is dropped offstage to simulate breaking glass.
run	The consecutive performances of a play
blocking	The movement and positioning of actors for a scene.
house left	Left side when seated in the audience.
diction	A writer's choice of words, particularly for clarity, effectiveness, and precision
prompter	One who assists the actors with lines.
three-quarters right	To face stage right in a position halfway between full back and right profile.
style	a distinctive manner of expression
photo double	A film actor cast to perform in place of another.
throw distance	The distance from a lighting fixture to the object being lit.
lyric –	LEER-RICK (Gr: lyra – a musical instrument) Lyric is one of the three general categories of poetic literature
apron	(forestage) stage area in front of the main curtain.
amphibrach	In classical poetry, a three-syllable poetic foot consisting of a light stress, heavy stress, and a light stress--short on both ends
fantods	state of having the fidgets, being nervous
thesis	the central debatable claim articulated, supported, and developed in an essay or other work of expository prose.
hysteron proteron	The hysteron proteron (from the Greek: ὕστερον πρότερον, hýsteron próteron, "latter before") is a rhetorical device in which the first key word of the idea refers to something that happens temporally later than the second key word
act drop	the painted curtain closing the proscenium between the qacts of a play, so-called ruing the latter part of the eighteenth century.
stage door	Backstage entrance to the theatre.
heptameter	Heptameter is one or more lines of verse containing seven metrical feet (usually fourteen or twenty-one syllables).
monologue	A monologue is a speech or composition presenting the words or thoughts of a single character.
formel	A female eagle.
make-up artist	One who specializes in applying make-up to actors or models.
accentual verse	Verse in which the metrical system is based on the count or pattern of accented syllables, which establish the rhythm
sequence	a series of scenes that create a segment
consonance	a common type of near rhyme that consists of identical consonant sounds preceded by different vowel sounds
in medias res	A plot device where the action starts at an exciting point then flashes back to the beginning proceeding to the end.
epilogue	A final section of a work which serves to conclude the whole.
falling action	All of the action in a play that follows the turning point
dialogue	(1) usually, words spoken by characters in a literary work, especially as opposed to words that come directly from the narrator in a work of fiction; (2) more rarely, a literary work that consists mainly or entirely of the speech of two or more characters; examples include Thomas Hardy's poem "The Ruined Maid" and Plato's treatise Republic.
personal essay	an essay which emphasizes a personal, subjective view
ad lib	to improvise words and actions
mystery	A religious play of the middle ages
narration	(1) broadly, the act of telling a story or recounting a narrative; (2) more narrowly, the portions of a narrative attributable to the narrator rather than words spoken by characters (that is, dialogue).
everyman character	main character that actually represents all people
top billing	the star of the show whose name is most prominent on the marquee and at the top of the playbill
haiku	a form of Japanese poetry, usually about nature, consisting of 17 syllables in three metrical phrases of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively
minnesingers	German lyric poets who were writing between the 12th and 14th centuries
tabs	The front or tableaux curtains
blackout	The fast shutdown of all lighting
open turn	To turn toward the audience.
sobikimono	– SO-BEE-KEY-MO-NO (J: rising things) Phenomenon like fog, clouds, smoke, etc
stock company	A company of players attached to a theatre with a stock of plays, or able to perform any play as required
business	An incidental bit of unscripted or improvised action used to establish a character or establish the scene.
analytic plays	plays which start in ultimas res.
three quarters left	To face stage left in a position halfway between full back and left profile.
upstaging	To deliberately cross to a place upstage of another performer thus forcing the other performer to turn away from the audience in order to talk with the upstager.
analepsis	see flashback.
anacrusis	In poetry, anacrusis (Ancient Greek: ἀνάκρουσις "pushing back") is the lead-in syllables, collectively, that precede the first full measure.
stigma of print	The stigma of print is the concept that an informal social convention restricted the literary works of aristocrats in the Elizabethan and Tudor age to private and courtly audiences â as opposed to commercial endeavors â at the risk of social disgrace if violated, and which obliged the author to profess an abhorrence of the press and to restrict his works from publication
persona	A personality, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor
tragicomedy	a play that combines the elements of tragedy and comedy
throw line	Sash cord or rope used for lashing flats together
grand guignol	Le Thà©à¢tre du Grand-Guignol (French: "The Theater of the Big Puppet") â known as the Grand Guignol â was in the Pigalle area of Paris (at 20 bis, rue Chaptal)
private symbol	In contrast with an archetype (universal symbol), a private symbol is one that an individual artist arbitrarily assigns a personal meaning to
metrical substitution	A way of varying poetic meter by taking a single foot of the normal meter and replacing it with a foot of different meter
consonance	repetition of final consonant sounds in words close together (short and sweet, struts and frets)
satyr play	A burlesque play submitted by Athenian playwrights along with their tragic trilogies
morphology	Morphology is the branch of linguistics (and one of the major components of grammar) that studies word structures, especially in terms of morphemes.
novella	a work of prose fiction that falls somewhere in between a short story and a novel in terms of length, scope, and complexity
dieresis	The pronunciation of two adjacent vowels within a word as separate sounds rather than as a diphthong, as in coordinate; also, the mark indicating the separate pronunciation, as in naïve.
historical novel	According to Encyclopà¦dia Britannica, a historical novel is: "a novel that has as its setting a period of history and that attempts to convey the spirit, manners, and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail and fidelity (which is in some cases only apparent fidelity) to historical fact
voice	Indicates whether the subject is acting or being acted upon
rising action	The events in a story that move the plot forward
close reading	Reading a piece of literature carefully, bit by bit, in order to analyze the significance of every individual word, image, and artistic ornament
teleplay	A script written to be produced for television.
blocking precise	Stage directions and movements given to an actor by the script or the director.
beat	the smallest division of action in a play
working title	Name by which a production is known while it is being made
covering	making up dialogue and or blocking due to a mistake or accident onstage without breaking character.
high comedy	High comedy or 'pure comedy' is a type of comedy characterized by witty dialog, satire, biting humor, or criticism of life.
octave	the first eight lines of a
house lights	The lights in the auditorium
letters - intellectual	An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence (thought and reason) and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.
light ending	Light ending may refer to:
rhyme	A rhyme is a word that is identical to another in its terminal sound: 'while' is a rhyme for 'mile'.
point of view	The perspective from which the story is told. In a third person point of view, a narrator outside the story describes the events and thoughts of the characters. Limited point of view refers to a narrator who tells the story in the third person but from a character's viewpoint. The first person point of view, narrated from an "I" perspective, is very limited because the reader only knows what the character knows.
onomatopoeia	The formation or use of words that imitate sounds, or any word whose sound is suggestive of its meaning.
treads	A stage staircase or set of steps.
thesis	The main position of an argument
master carpenter	Stagehand responsible for all scenery and the crew that handles the scenery.
pastiche	An artistic effort that imitates or caricatures the work of another artist.
child labor laws	Government regulations (vary from state to state) covering the employment of children.
character objectives	The goal a character is trying to achieve.
character	A person portrayed in a novel, short story, or play.
skylight	A relatively horizontal glazed roof aperture for the admission of daylight.
perfect rhyme	Occurs when both the consonant and the vowel sound in two words sound identical, even if the words are spelled differently, as in "to" and "two," and "fight" and "sight."
first team	The principal actors.
exposition - dramatic structure	Dramatic structure is the structure of a dramatic work such as a play or film
setting	Time and place in which a performance is set.
footcandle	A unit of illumination
pupil	The opening in the iris of the eye that admits light.
showing	the direct (mimetic) presentation of speech or action (opposite: telling).
tragedy	A play with a fatal or disastrous conclusion
surrealism	A dream state in which reality and the unreal co-exist without contradicting one another; the suggestion of a dream in which the irrational is expressed through a synthesis of opposite meanings
tenor	The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register
kuzari	- COO-ZAH-REE (J: suspension) The lapse of a number of stanzas between the use of certain words
slug line	Notation appearing in a script before each shot detailing the location, date, and time that the following action is to occur in.
fairy tale	A story written for, or told to, children that includes elements of magic and magical folk such as fairies, elves, or goblins
bar	a pipe suspended above the stage upon which scenery, ighting and other equipment are hung.
proskenion	A raised stage constructed before the skene in classical Greek drama
motion picture editors guild	Professional union for picture and sound editors, re-recording mixers, projectionists, recordists, mic boom operators, engineers and story analysts.
bowdlerize	Thomas Bowdler (pronounced /ˈbaʊdlər/) (11 July 1754 â€" 24 February 1825) was an English physician who published an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's work, edited by his sister Harriet, intended to be more appropriate for 19th century women and children than the original.
product conflict	Inability to accept commercial work for a product because the actor is contractually associated with a competing product.
prozeugma	See discussion under zeugma.
cyc	Short for Cyclorama
antagonist	a character that hinders the protagonist from achieving his or her goals.
size card	A card filled out with personal information by the talent at an audition.
dithyramb	In ancient Greece, an irregular and wildly passionate choral hymn or chant sung in honour of Dionysius at a sacrificial festival.
mood	The quality of a verb that conveys the writer's attitude toward a subject.
gel or gelatine	A thin, transparent colored filter placed infront of a lighting instument to color the light emitted.
phonetics	A study of the production of speech sounds.
focal point	Place within the acting area that attracts the interest to the audience at that moment.
slang	Informal diction or the use of vocabulary considered inconsistent with the preferred formal wording common among the educated or elite in a culture
dim	A direction to decrease the light on the stage
low comedy	see comedy
curtain warmers	A cue designed to light the grand drape (if used) or uninhabited stage (if no front curtain is used) in order to give the audience something at which to look before the performance begins, at intermission, and after the performance ends.
catharsis	For an audience to have an emotional reaction while watching a performance where they purge themselves of their pity and fears.
audience	An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called the "reader"), theatre, music or academics in any medium