Thespian Dictionary

Tchotchke: Tchotchke is a statue goat (?) that reigns over props crew. If you join props, you sell half your soul to Tchotchke, non-negotiable. Tchotchke also makes an appearance during every spring musical!

Quincy: A little dinosaur with a big heart. He is the child of props, and makes an appearance during every fall play. Check out the polaroids in the props room to see all the adventures he's gone on! Take care of the child.

The Stack: The stack is that odd large machine in the corner in the booth. It does stuff with the sound board, I guess.

The Cave: The cave is the room where we clean paintbrushes. It is located just inside the auditorium hallway near the ticket booth.

Edwin: Edwin is our theater's resident ghost. Usually, encounters include hearing footsteps going up to the grid while the theater is empty! (Dun dun dun!) He really likes the hammock on the grid. Also, he has a chair in the audience which you are not supposed to sit in.

Gen Mem: Gen mem is short for "General Membership Meeting", which means that it's a meeting for everyone in the company. It takes place every Tuesday after school and it's very important to show up to keep up with what we're working on and planning.  If you miss it though, we understand, and you can find meeting minutes here!

Francis: Francis was a small porcelain cow that we would hold up at the beginning of gen mem and cheer for. However, he has sadly been lost... RIP Francis we loved you.

Francis II: Second iteration of Francis who's graciously taken over the role of Francis I after his mysterious disappearance. Good job Francis II!

Donatello/The Turtle/Any Name: At the beginning of gen mem, we hold up a turtle figurine and boo at it. Don't be fooled by his adorable exterior, he is a being of pure sadness and despair. BOO! YOU SUCK, DONATELLO!

Pay to Play (P2P): $50 that needs to be paid to participate in a play or musical. This covers food, t-shirts, wrap party, and any other expenses that need to be covered over the course of a mainstage show. Can't/Don't want to play it? Sell ads to local buinesses in order to cover the cost

Off-book: Off-book is when you have your lines and entrances and pretty much everything memorized. If you're in a show, your director will give you a day that you need to be off-book by.

Blocking: Blocking is a type of rehearsal where you start putting movement together with the lines. This is when you figure out entrances, exits, acting, and everything between!

"Places!" or "Places in ___!": Places is when you NEED to be ready for the show to start. If you start onstage, this means being in that place. If you start offstage, that means being backstage and ready. "Places in _[number]_" is telling you how many minutes you have until places. When you hear it, you should usually parrot back "Thank you _[number]_!"

Gobo: Gobos are metal disks that we use in lighting design to project a pattern onto the stage or the cyc. They get placed directly in the cannon of the light to work.

Gel: Gels are sheets of colored material which are placed in the cannons of the lights to change the color they project. Typically, they are found in the filing cabinet next to the stairs to the grid.

Tech Decks: Tech decks are the small rooms to the left and right of the booth. They are used as storage mostly, but they also have lights in them.

Thespian: Basically a fancy word for actor. If we say 'inducted thespian', however, we're talking about someone that is inducted into the International Thespian Society.

International Thespian Society: An honor society for high school and middle school theater students. Our troupe is a part of it! Since we're an inducted troupe (#4619), we get to go to cool events like State Thespian Festival and Leadership Camp.

The Pit: A lowered area located between the stage and the audience where the musicians perform. Don't fall in!

Stage Left and Right: Stage directions are from the view of the actor looking out to the audience. So if you're an actor looking out, stage left is your left and stage right is your right. If you're looking at the stage from the audience, stage left is your right and stage right is your left. Confusing!

Upstage and Downstage: Upstage is further away from the audience. Downstage is closer to the audience.

The Tech Booth: Most of the time, it's just called 'the booth'. This space encompasses both lights and sound crews.

"Green Room in ___!" : Green Room is something we do before every performance. You'll find out. When we say this phrase, we're just telling you how many minutes you have until the activity starts.

The Cyc: The cyc is a giant panel of fabric at the back of the stage. We use it to project lights onto and as a general background. DO NOT TOUCH IT! If you touch it, it will leave a mark that will stay there forever. There is a whole handprint on there from years and years ago that is still there to this day. I repeat, DO NOT TOUCH IT.

Ghost Light: Any light left on overnight in a theatre (Ours kinda looks light a buoy) They're used for safety, and to make sure that the spirits in the theatre are contented (shoutout Edwin). 

Strike: Strike is when everyone comes in for the 2 days after the last performance of a show in order to take down the set and clean up our space. In Act2, this is MANDATORY. Failure to go to strike means that you cannot audition for our next show. Both cast and crew must go to strike.

Meeting Minutes: Meeting minutes are notes on what was discussed in a meeting,  and in Act2's case, they are notes on what we discussed in gen mem. If you missed the meeting, or just need a reminder, check here for your meeting minutes!

The Scottish Play: The Scottish play is the nickname for Shakespeare's play that starts with 'M' and ends with 'Acbeth'. DO NOT SAY THE TRUE NAME IN THE THEATER. It is, according to many years of theater superstition, BAD LUCK.