Ambiance—As you walk into the hall, what does it feel like to you? First impressions count.
Arena stage—A stage surrounded by the audience on four sides. Examples would include Staples Center and Pauley Pavilion. [See also proscenium and platform stage.]
Cheater—A narrow curtain that when positioned along the sides of the stage, hides the wings from the audience who sit near the opposite sides of the auditorium.
Choir risers—A series of risers that normally create a semi arc and whose standing area is normally 1.5 feet in depth (virtually no room to move around). [See also platform risers.]
Concerts—What we do during Christmas when we act like a choir. [See performances.]
Controller—A electronic device or board with lots of buttons and switches that handles the lighting of the stage.
Depth—The distance from the downstage edge (closest to the audience) to the upstage wall (farthest from the audience).
Fly—The ability to hang backdrops, scrims and guillotine curtains and raise them far enough above the stage to be out of audience sight (usually found in theaters with a tall edifice)
Follow spot—A cannon-shaped lamp mounted on a swivel stand operated by a person who keeps a light on a specific person or group during the performance
Gel—a translucent color plastic covering to a lamp of follow spot
Grand piano—the horizontal shaped piano, the type whose strings are actually horizontal with a large lid that is often propped up toward the audience. Typically used on stage for concerts. [See upright piano.]
Guillotine—A type of curtain that drops in from a fly system all at once. In more substantial theatres, used as a fire curtain. [See also traveler.]
Mixer—A controller that manages the various microphones—standard, wireless, body--during a performance
PA—Public Announcer. These are usually large speakers positioned or mounted in strategic locations around the audience to enhance the sound or fill dead spots in the hall.
Patch-in—The ability for the electronic instruments to be plugged in directly to the theater’s sound system.
Performances—What we do during non-Christmas parts of the year when we perform as a troupe. [See concerts.]
Pit—A designated area, usually in front of the stage or off to one side for the instrumentalist. [The term pitiful came from tech crews who would relay the message to the stage manager that all the musicians had arrived by yelling, “The pit is full!” However, as years went by, it was morphed to “They’re pitiful!”]
Platform Risers—These are raised surfaces whose depth is at least 3 feet and can be arranged in many different configurations and heights. Performers are able to easily maneuver on or about these platforms. [See also choir risers.]
Platform stage—A stage that is thrust out into the middle of the audience, so that the audience is seated on three sides. This limits scenery to the back of the stage. Usually there is no curtain. An example is the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. [See also proscenium and arena stage.]
Proscenium—The part of the stage between the main curtain and the orchestra; sometimes called the forestage. The proscenium wall is the wall separating the stage from the auditorium, and the proscenium arch is the arch over the opening in the proscenium wall. A stage with a proscenium arch is called a proscenium stage. [Latin < Greek: pro- (before) + skene (buildings at the back of the stage)] [See also platform stage and arena stage.]
Raked—A raked stage is one that has an angled or pitched floor, the lowest area closest to the audience. It is similar to standing on the roof of your house. This is where the terms downstage and upstage come from. A raked audience is one in which each row of seats is positioned higher than the row in front of it, usually on a terraced floor or stadium-like structure.
State-of-the-art—A theater control booth that has all the latest bells and whistles. You decide.
Traveler—A type of curtain that moves side to side. This style has many options such as framing and entrances through a closed curtain. [See also guillotine.]
Upright piano—A piano whose general shape is vertical, along with the strings. Usually used in the orchestra pit or off stage. [See grand piano.]
Width—The distance from one vertical edge of the stage to the other--the side to side viewing area of the audience.
Wings—The area immediately adjoined to the stage proper, hidden from view by cheaters (and other unsavory characters).