A glossary of Stage Terms for students exploring design for Stage and Screen

Black Leg

Black Leg. A vertical hanging fire retardant or fireproof black drape used for masking off stage areas such as the wings.

Fog Machine

A Fog Machine can come as a “Dry Ice” machine, whereby the dry ice is heated thus producing a white vapour. The Smoke Machine is a machine that heats up a special fluid which turns into a similar vapor. Both machines can in turn expell onto the stage, what appears to be a white fog […]

Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene means, all the visual content on the stage, including the performers, the scenery, the props, etc. Everything!  

French Brace

A French Brace or Jack Brace is a wooden construction of three lengths of timber fixed in the form of an elongated right angle triangle. To make them less noticeable on stage they are painted matt black. Their long side of the right-angle is screwed or hinged to the back of a flat and the […]

Sightlines

Sightlines are the lines of vision indicating the limits to what the audience can see of the stage from different positions in the auditorium.

Single Purchase counterweight

Single purchase counterweight flying system is where the weight cradle travels the same distance as the fly bar travels. The counterweight frame occupies the full height of the stage side wall. See Counterweight Flying System.  

Stage Left

Stage Left or SL, the left hand side of the stage as viewed by the performer facing the audience also termed Prompt Side.

Stage Right

Stage Right or SR, the right hand side of the stage as viewed by the performer when facing the audience also termed Opposite Prompt.

Floor Cloth

Floorcloth, this is a canvas covering that is stretched over the surface of the stage. The cloth is usually painted and decorated to resemble a surface appropriate to the design of the set. The cloth can be removed with ease to reveal another painted cloth or the stage floor

Forestage

Forestage is the area on the stage nearest the apron, or on a proscenium stage the area in front of the house curtain, in front of the proscenium arch. Stage