Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
The moment in a play when a character or audience gains a crucial realization, often a turning point in the narrative.
A through-sung musical is one where the story is told almost entirely through continuous music instead of spoken dialogue. Songs and recurring melodies connect seamlessly to carry the narrative, giving the show a heightened and operatic feel. This structure makes the emotions of the characters more immediate and helps the audience stay immersed in the musical world.
A performance space that extends into the audience on three sides, encouraging intimacy and dynamic staging.
A French avant-garde theatre in Paris that staged Symbolist and experimental plays during the late 19th century.
An archaic form of 'your,' often seen in English Renaissance theatre, used to convey familiarity or poetic style.
The quality or color of a sound that distinguishes voices and instruments, crucial to vocal performance and design.
A key element in dramatic structure, referring to pacing, chronology, or the period in which the play is set.
A time jump is a narrative device in which the story skips forward, sometimes years or decades, between scenes or acts. It highlights the passage of time and allows audiences to see characters at different stages of life without depicting every moment in between. This technique can create dramatic contrasts, reveal change, or intensify tension.
A break in rehearsal or performance, used by actors to reset emotionally or physically; also refers to a pause in action.
A musical notation indicating the number of beats in each measure and which note value receives the beat; essential in musical theatre.
The precise execution of actions or lines to achieve the desired comedic, dramatic, or rhythmic effect.
A collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who shaped American popular music and early musicals.