Act: Either a subdivision between sections of a play. A short play is a 'One-Act', majority of shows are done in two acts with an intermission in between. Acts are subdivided further into Scenes. Also known as the thing Actors can do which makes them different from Techies.

Apron: The part of the stage closest to the audience. The area of the theatre that is located between the curtain and the audience.

Arbor: The part of the counter-weight system that holds steel weights. The weight of the arbor must match the weight of the batten. See also Fly Rail and Batten.

ASM: Assistant Stage Manager.

Audition: Process where the director or casting director of a production asks actors / actresses / performers to show him/her what they can do. Sometimes very nerve-wracking, but auditions can be a fairly painless process if handled properly. Performers are often asked to memorize a monologue from a play they like to perform for the director. Books full of suggested monologues are available. You may be asked to do a 'Cold Reading' which tests your own response to a piece of text you've not prepared.

Auditorium: The part of the theatre accommodating the audience during the performance. Sometimes known as the 'house'.

Backstage: The part of the stage and theatre which is out of the sight of the audience. The service areas of the theatre.

Batten: the pipes above the main stage that are the part of the counter-weight system on which scenery and lights are hung. See also Fly Rail and Arbor.

Blackout: Complete absence of stage lighting.

Blacks: Black clothing worn by stage crew during productions.

Blocking: Direction given to actors as to where they should stand or move to during the course of the play.

Booth: Non-existent at NET, but is generally where the stage manager and usually sound and light crews are during the production.

Border: A narrow horizontal masking piece (cloth), normally of neutral color (black) to mask the lighting rig and flown scenery from the audience, and to provide an upper limit to the scene. Often used in conjunction with legs.

Break a Leg: A superstitious and widely accepted alternative to 'Good Luck' (which is considered bad luck).

Call: The time that all actors and crew are expected to be at the theater.

Callbacks: The second round of

Cast Party: The generic term for a party where all cast and crew involved with a production are invited to relax and have a good time after the show.

Cheating: the practice of turning one's body towards the audience even while keeping the head facing one's scene partner. Cheating is usually necessary for the audience to really see the actors and view the scene.

Costume Parade: When the actors dress up in their costumes and stand in front of the Costume Designer and the Director to see how they look.

Cue-to-cue: A kind of technical rehearsal. Technicians from sound, lighting, rigging, stage management, etc. will run through a show in sequence. Other cue-to-cues can be used to evaluate each lighting look, sound, or staging for each cue and make the necessary changes.

Curtain Call: When the actors come out at the end of the show to take their bows.

Curtain Warmers: The lights that are focused on the curtain so that the audience has something to look at before the show starts.

Curtain: Either the large drape that obscures the stage from an audience or a time when the show will start.

Down stage: The part of the stage that is closest to the audience. It is called "down" because some theatre stages are sloped ("raked") towards the audience, so it literally is the lowest point of the stage. See also stage left, stage right, and up stage.

Dry Tech: The first technical rehearsal, without actors (therefore, without costumes and props) so that lights, sound, and running crew can rehearse their parts.

Fire curtain: A large sheet of material that, in case of a fire emergency, comes down up stage of the proscenium and completely blocks the stage from the audience. This ensures that fire does not spread to the audience if there is a fire onstage.

Fly Rail: the part of the counter-weight system where the rope locks are located. Also, the area where the Fly operator stands. It can be found stage right at NET. See also Batten and Arbor.

Fourth Wall: an imaginary surface at the edge of the stage through which the audience watches a performance. If a character speaks directly to the audience or walks on/off the stage, this is known as breaking the fourth wall.

Ghost Light: a light left on the stage overnight and/or when the stage is not in use for safety. It also has superstitious meaning for the run of the play.

Glow Tape: light sensitive tape that will glow when the lights go out, enabling actors not to kill themselves on stairways in the dark.

House: The auditorium where the audience sits when they watch the show.

Line: The words that the actors speak during a performance. Also, during rehearsals, the term actors use to let the stage manager know they don't remember what to say next and that they need to be prompted - short for "I don't remember my next line."

Off-Book: When an actor no longer uses his or her script to deliver lines.

On-Book: A role typically done by the ASM, AD or Stage Manager. They follow along in the script as actors say their lines, ready to give a line or correct a mistake.

Paper Tech: A meeting of the Director, Stage Manager, designers and, often the crew chiefs. This is where all the light changes, sound changes, props movements, fly movements and other backstage activities that occur at specific points are precisely determined and are documented in the Stage Manager's script and by each designer and crew chief.

Pit: The area below the stage where the orchestra sits.

Places: When actors and technical crews have been told that the production is about to begin and they are to be in place and ready.

Preview: Final dress rehearsal when an audience has been invited (at no charge) to see the show.

Production Meetings: The (generally) weekly gathering of all departments (lights, costumes, props...) to discuss their progress and concerns about the show.

Props: Those things that an actor works with during the production that are not costume pieces.

Proscenium: The frame through which the audience views the stage.

Running Crew: The technical crew who move furniture on and off the stage, bring in backdrops and other large set pieces.

Running lights: The hidden lamps that have been set up to provide some light backstage so that actors and technical crews can see a little bit. Usually they have a blue "gel" covering them so that the light is not noticed by the audience.

Set Dressing: The things that make the set look real but are never touched or moved by an actor. Once these items are touched by an actor they become 'props'.

SM:  Stage Manager

Speed-Through: A rehearsal generally for 'brush up' without sound, lights, or running crew when the cast sits around a table and says their lines as rapidly as possible (but with emotions) in order to check for line accuracy and to bring the tempo of the show up.

Spike Marks: Tape (or sometimes paint) markings on the stage that indicate where props, furniture, and sometimes actors, are to be placed.

Stage left: The left side of the stage as seen by the actors looking out at the audience. From the audience's perspective, stage left is on the right (confusing huh!). See also stage right, up stage, and down stage.

Stage right: The right side of the stage as seen by the actors looking out at the audience. See also stage left, up stage, and down stage.

Strike: When you tear down the set, or to remove something from the stage.

TD: Technical Director

Techies: All those people who work on technical crews for a show.

Understudy: an actor familiar with another actor's role so that he or she can substitute in an emergency.

Up stage: The part of the stage that is furthest from the audience. It is called "up" because some theatre stages are sloped ("raked") towards the audience, so it literally is the highest point of the stage. See also stage left, stage right, and down stage.