Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
An opera genre blending serious and comic elements, commonly used by Mozart and other classical composers.
A costume technician who creates fabric patterns and drapes them on a dress form to shape garments.
A play set in a domestic space, often used for social commentary, manners, and restrained emotional tension.
A non-literal theatrical scene representing a character's inner thoughts, fears, or desires, often surreal in style.
A foundational spiritual and storytelling concept in Indigenous Australian cultures, informing ritual and performance.
A full performance run-through with costumes, props, lights, and sound, conducted as if it were a live show.
A backstage crew member responsible for helping actors change costumes quickly and maintaining wardrobe items during performances.
A private or shared backstage space where actors prepare for a performance.
A storytelling structure in which a narrative unfolds across two distinct time periods, often weaving together past and present to reveal connections, contrasts, or hidden truths. This technique allows audiences to see how earlier events influence later outcomes, deepening themes of cause and effect. It also creates dramatic tension by gradually disclosing information across parallel storylines
A formal combat between two characters, often used in theatre to heighten stakes and illustrate honor or revenge.
A nobleman character used in historical or Shakespearean drama to represent power, lineage, or court politics.
A prominent 17th-century English theatre company patronized by the Duke of York, featuring actors like Thomas Betterton.