3rd six weeks vocab

animatronic (TA 6) – a type of puppet that is animated by means of electromechanical devices.

aside (TA 6, 7) -- unspoken thoughts of a character delivered directly to the audience with the other characters on stage but unable to hear what is being said; the actors “hear” but the characters do not hear; usually used to share with the audience a secret or a mean thought you’d not want to say to the other character in real life but you do think in your head anyway.

auditions (TA 6, 7)-- competitive tryouts for a performer seeking a role in a theatre

biting the words (TA 6)—a puppetry term that means the puppet’s mouth is closing before the sound of the word has finished being spoken.

box office (TA 6, 7) -- place where tickets are sold for admission to performances.

bring up (TA 6, 7) -- 1. Increase brightness of lights; 2. Raise the curtain.

casting (TA 6, 7) – the difficult task of matching the actors who auditioned for the production with the roles in the play or musical.

closed turn (TA 6, 7) -- turn made away and with the actor’s back to the audience, usually considered a poor movement. The opposite, an open turn, is most often preferred.

comedy (TA 6, 7) – the genre (type) of play with a mixture of humor and pathos, that celebrates the eternal ironies and struggles of human existence, and ends happily.

dramatist (TA 6, 7)-- writer of drama; playwright.

flipping the lid (TA 6) - when the puppeteer opens the mouth of the puppet too wide that it appears that the puppet’s head is flipping backwards painfully.

foreshadowing (TA 6, 7) -- action or dialogue in one part of a play that gives hints to something that will happen in another part of the production.

grand drape(TA 6, 7) -- the main curtain; aka, the main drape – the front “pretty” curtain.

hand puppet (TA 6) – a type of puppet that is made to fit over and be manipulated by the puppeteer’s hand.

intention (TA 6, 7) – another word for objective or goal for a character.

lights up (TA 6, 7)-- to bring up full house lights for intermission or at the end of a play.

lip sync (TA 6) - the ability of the puppeteer to open and close the mouth of a puppet in such a way that it appears the puppet is actually talking.

manipulate (TA 6) - to operate with the hands or by mechanical means in a skillful manner (as in puppetry).

marionette (TA 6) - a type of puppet that is typically carved from wood and suspended from strings that are manipulated from above by the puppeteer.

objective (TA 6, 7)-- the goal toward which a character is striving. The super-objective (also called spine) is the life goal that determines how the character responds in any situation.

pick up (TA 6, 7)-- to speed up or shorten the time between a cue and the next line.

producer (TA 6, 7)-- practical visionary of a theater company (like a chairman of the board or president of a corporation) whose primary responsibility is to secure rights to the script, establish the budget for the production, raise money, lease an appropriate theater space, and draw together the artistic leadership. Working with the producer is a legal counselor and an accountant.

public domain (TA 6, 7)-- an opera, play, musical, song, etc., that is not under copyright.

puppet (TA 6) - any object you bring to life to tell their story to the audience; a small scale figure that is moved by the hands of a puppeteer.

puppet theater (TA 6) - a place where puppet plays are performed, often much smaller and more portable than regular theaters.

puppeteer (TA 6) - someone who operates a puppet to bring it to life.

puppetry (TA 6) – the art of making and using puppets.

read-through (TA 6, 7)—a rehearsal where the cast reads through the play to clarify meaning and pronunciations and to gain greater insight into character development and interpretation.

rod puppet (TA 6) – a puppet that is operated by sticks or rods.

score a script (TA 6, 7) – to mark a script with visual cues or reminders to add vocal emphasis or pauses.

shadow puppet (TA 6) – a type of puppet often made from un-tanned leather that is pressed flat and carved so that when it is held up to the light, it casts a shadow resembling a particular character; can also use hands or paper.

stage whisper (TA 6, 7)-- a very loud whisper uttered by an actor so that the entire audience can hear it – volume is normal but the actor’s vocal quality makes it “read” as a whisper.

timing (TA 6, 7)-- -- selecting the right moment to say a line or do an action for maximum effectiveness.

top (TA 6, 7)-- -- pick up the energy, the pace, and the volume of a scene: one actor tops the other thereby building tension and emotional impact.

version (TA 6, 7)-- -- a script that has been altered or adapted from its original form.

Middle School Level 2 Vocabulary

actor proof (TA 7) -- a term meaning the script is so good that any actor, regardless of his ability, could succeed in using it.

agent (TA 6, 7) -- a professional representative who takes care of bookings and negotiates performance contracts for actors in return for a percentage of the actor’s pay.

angel (TA 7) -- someone who provides financial support to a company or production.

booth (TA 7) -- area in which the light and sound operators sit, usually in rear of the theatre.

break a leg (TA 6, 7) -- an expression used instead of “good luck” when one wishes an actor success before a show

call (TA 6, 7) -- 1) announcement to performers or crews that they are needed for a rehearsal or performance; 2) warning to performers to get ready for an entrance.

call board (TA 7) -- place backstage in a theatre where company rules, announcements, notes, and messages are posted.

cast (TA 6, 7) – all the actors in a show.

casting (TA 6, 7) – the difficult task of matching the actors who auditioned for the production with the roles in the play or musical.

children’s theatre (TA 7) – plays meant for elementary age or younger children.

choreography (TA 7) – planned dance moves for a musical (dance blocking) .

climax (TA 6, 7) -- highest point of dramatic tension in a script. Usually the crux of the play, when the major conflict can proceed no further without beginning the process of resolution. The point in the story when the audience knows if the protagonist will or will not get what he/she wants.

comic relief (TA 7) -- inclusion of a comic line or scene in an otherwise serious play to provide relief from tension.

cut (TA 7) - to shorten a longer play by “cutting” or eliminating lines or scenes; also a direction from a director to stop filming.

cutting (TA 7) – to remove parts of a script because they are inappropriate or to short the length – must have a playwright’s permission to do so.

director’s notes (TA 8) – notes the director gives to the cast and crew after rehearsal.

double (TA 6, 7) -- to play more than one role in a production.

doubling (TA 6, 7) – when one actor plays two or more roles in a play.

dramatization (TA 7) -- to rewrite into a drama a work otherwise not written for the stage.

dynamic character (TA 6, 7) – a character who changes from the start of the show to the end of the show – usually the protagonist.

ensemble (TA 6, 7) – a group of 3 or more.

entrance (TA 6, 7)-- 1) entering the stage; 2) opening in the set that is used for entering.

exeunt (TA 6, 7) -- Latin word referring to an actor’s exit.

exit (TA 6, 7)-- 1) leaving the stage; 2) opening in the set that is used for leaving.

fluffed line (TA 7) – a line is mis-said, words are jumbled or stumbled over.

hold (TA 6, 7)– to pause for laughter or applause to die down.

house(TA 6, 7)– rows of seats in which the audience sits to watch a performance.

house left/right (TA 6, 7)– the left/right side of the auditorium, from the audience’s point of view.

ingenue (TA 7) -- role of a young girl.

intermission(TA 6, 7) -- intervals between the acts or scenes allowing for set changes audience respite, costume change, etc.

juvenile (TA 8) -- role of a young man.

minimal setting (TA 6, 7) – a set for a play that uses very few set pieces to create the environment, no walls.

overlap (TA 6, 7)-- to respond before an actor stops speaking; indicated in the script by “. . .” at the end of the cue line and by “. . .” in the next line.