general revision

• Accent

  Way of speaking used in a local area or country
• Articulation

  Clear pronunciation of words
• Aside

  A remark to the audience only
• Audience

  People watching a drama
• Auditorium

  The area for the audience, generally filled with seats
• Avenue

  Audience seated on two sides of the acting area
• Backcloth

  Canvas cloth which covers the back of the stage: can be painted
• Backstage

  Non-acting area behind the stage
• Balance

  Keeping an even distribution of weight
• Barndoors

  Adjustable metal flaps attached to the front of a fresnel spotlight for shaping the beam of light
• Blackout

  The acting area is not lit
• Slow fade to

  The lighting/sound is faded out slowly
• Fast fade to

  The lighting/sound is faded out quickly
• Snap blackout

  Blackout is achieved instantly
• Blocking

  Deciding where and when actors will move on stage
• Body Language

  Messages given by the position or movement of the body
• Centre Stage (CS)

  The centre area of the stage
• Centre Stage Left (CSL)

  The left hand centre side of the acting area as the actor faces the audience
• Centre Stage Right (CSR)

  The right hand centre side of the acting area as the actor faces the audience
• Character

  Specific person in a drama
• Characterisation

  The process of fully developing a character
• Clarity

  Clearness of the voice
• Comedy

  A drama which is funny/comical
• Conventions

  Alternative ways of presenting parts of a drama
• Costume

  Clothes worn by actors for their character
• Creating

  The process of developing a drama's content and roles through practical exploration, experimentation and problem solving
• Crossfade

  To change from one lighting cue to another with no blackout in between, or to change from one sound cue to another with no silence in between
• Cue

  A signal for an actor to do or say something, or for a lighting or sound effect to begin or end
• Cyclorama

  The back wall of the stage which can be painted or lit
• Dance Drama

  A drama presented through dance moves
• Dialogue

  A conversation between two or more characters
• Docu-drama

  A documentary style drama, including reconstructions of events
• Down Stage Centre (DSC)

  The middle part of the stage nearest the audience
• Down Stage Left (DSL)

  The part of the stage nearest the audience on the left as the actor faces the audience
• Down Stage Right (DSR)

  The part of the stage nearest the audience on the right as the actor faces the audience
• Dramatic Irony

  Actions or remarks whose significance is not realised by all the characters but is realised by the audience
• Emphasis

  The stress on a word or phrase
• End on

  Audience seated at one end – acting area at the other
• Enter

  To come on stage
• Evaluate

  To judge the strengths and weaknesses of a drama