Glosario De Teatro Británico

Act: A unit or division of a play, each of which is composed of one or more scenes. Originally, Greek plays were continuous and the introduction of divisions was a later development. Plays today may divided into one, two, or three acts.
Act Curtain: Also referred to as an Act-Drop, the term refers to a curtain or painted cloth which was closed or opened to signify the beginning or ending of anact, as distinguished from the main curtain or grand drape.
Aside: Sometimes referred to as breaking the proscenium or breaking the fourth wall, the term refers to a speech or comment made by an actor directly to the audience about the action of the play or another character. The audience is to understand that this comment is not heard or noticed by the other characters in the play.
Backstage:The entire area behind or beyond the stage, including the dressing rooms. Sometimes includes the "wings", or sides of the stage area.
Audition: A trial run or "tryout" for a particular part in a play. In earlier theater, actors were often engaged on the basis of hearsay or their performance in other productions, with auditions coming into vogue in the latter part of the 19th century.
Costume:Clothing and accessories worn by an actor in to signify period and portray character. While we often emphasize scenery and effects in today's theatre, costume can often be more important to an actor's creation of a role. In early theatre, scenery was eschewed in favor of costume.
Comedy: From the Greek, "revel-song", it originally referred to satiric plays of Aristophanes and Menander, asdistinguished from the more pastoral "satyr plays" that may have pre-dated Dionysian tragedies. Often deriving their satirical or humorous nature from topical subjects, comedy is not as "ageless" as tragedies. In the more modern sense, the term applies to any play with a happy ending.
Corpsing: Primarily a British term -- "corpsing" refers to an actor mugging or otherwise drawing attention to themselveswhen, in fact, they are supposed to be "dead".
Cue: The words or actions at which an actor is expected to deliver a line or a crew member is expected to perform some task.
Cue Sheet: A list of cues from which a stage manager, lighting operator or sound technician works.
Curtain: Sometimes referred to as the " grand drape" or "main drape", the curtain is a screen, usually made of cloth, used toseparate the stage from the auditorium.
Curtain Call: The final appearance of the cast, at the end of the play, to receive the applause of the audience.
Curtain Raiser: A one-act play performed before the main play in the 19th Century.
Curtain Set: A set consisting simply of drapery or curtains at the back and sides of the stage. An example of a curtain set can be found in Arthur Millers TheCrucible.
Dialogue: Passages of speech between characters in a play.
Director: The person charged with overall interpretation of a dramatic work, who conducts the rehearsals, blocks the action and assists the actors in developing their characters.
Downstage: Stage direction: the front of the stage, or that portion of the stage closest to the audience.
Dress Rehearsal: Rehearsal, usually late in theschedule, just before actual performances, in which lighting, costumes, makeup, costume changes, set changes, properties, sound effects, and special effects are used. Also called a "full dress rehearsal".
Exit: Stage direction. The action of leaving the stage.
Farce: Popular comedy in which horseplay and bodily assualt figure largely in contrived and often improbable situations. Farce has itsantecedents in Greek satyr plays, the Roman fabula atellanae, and in other native, pastoral drama. It is, however, a higher form of theatre than burlesque, retaining elements of insight into the human situation.
Fourth Wall: The imaginary fourth wall that is removed from box set to enable the audience to see the action on stage. The term now applies to the "wall" separating audience and...