THEATER 101: Theater Terms You Need To Know

Here are fifteen theater terms that can get anyone started in basic theater lingo. The next time you find yourself in the company of theater people, you won't be as 'lost' as before. You can now feel your way through their conversations and eventually pick-up more theater terminology and expand your theater vocabulary along the way. =) (Photo from nyctourist.com)
 

1) AUDITION: the process where the director and his production team ask actors/dancers/performers to show them what they can do.
 

2) BREAK A LEG: a superstitious and widely accepted alternative to "good luck" which is a big no-no in theater; saying "good luck" is considered bad luck.
 

3) CURTAIN CALL: at the end of a performance, the acknowledgment of applause by actors; commonly known as "the bows".
 

4) DIVA: a female star who is so much larger than life that she inspires or commands devotion bordering on fanaticism.
 

5) ENTR'ACTE: the music played at the beginning of the second act of a musical, just before the action resumes.
 

6) INGENUE: a young, pretty, vulnerable female lead or second lead.
 

7) LIBRETTO: the lyrics to a musical; often includes some "connective tissue" that explains what happens between songs.
 

8) MUSICAL: theatrical production that is characteristically sentimental and amusing in nature, with a simple but distinctive plot,and offering music, dancing and dialogue.
 

9) OVERTURE: a song used to open a musical; it almost always consists of a medley of good bits from the other songs in the show.
 

10) PROSCENIUM: a fixed framework in front of the stage within which the curtain rises and falls- the conventional type of "picture-frame" stage.
 

11) RUN THROUGH: a practice of an entire play or act.
 

12) SITZPROBE: a first, rough rehearsal of an opera or musical stage play with singers and musicians, but without acting, scenery or costumes.
 

13) TRIPLE THREAT: someone who can sing, dance, and act.
 

14) UNDERSTUDY: someone who has a small role in the show and can also cover for one or more usually larger roles.
 

15) VAMP: in terms of people, a seductress... in terms of music, a short introductory segment that's often repeated several times before a solo or between verses. - JJV

Photo from a2c2.org