Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
The transitional area in a singer’s vocal range where they shift between registers, particularly from chest to head voice. Mastery of the passaggio is crucial in classical singing.
An opera or musical work assembled from the music of various composers, often used to create new narratives from pre-existing music.
A work imitating styles or genres from various sources, often used in postmodern theatre for satire or homage.
A form of comedy set in rural, idealized landscapes, often exploring romantic entanglements and class differences. Common in English Renaissance drama.
To assign a lighting or sound signal to a specific control channel. Patching is essential in programming lighting consoles and sound boards.
An old-fashioned term meaning the top of the head, used humorously in Shakespearean and other classical texts.
A 17th-century English law that gave exclusive performance rights to two theatre companies, shaping the Restoration stage.
The male head of a family or group, often dramatized in theatre to explore power, legacy, and traditional authority.
A system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line.
A character of aristocratic background, frequently portrayed in plays dealing with class, privilege, or political power.
Devotion to one's country, portrayed in theatre to inspire pride or question nationalism and identity.
Rapid and rhythmic speech or singing, often used in comic opera roles or musical theatre for humorous effect.