Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
A performance environment shaped by design, architecture, and blocking, influencing actor-audience relationships.
A device that projects audio from microphones or recorded sources into the performance space. Placement and type affect sound quality.
Special effects in theatre are technical illusions designed to create extraordinary images or sounds on stage that go beyond everyday reality. These effects may include projections, lighting tricks, stage machinery, or soundscapes that make impossible actions—like a person passing through a wall or objects moving on their own—appear real to the audience. They are often used in supernatural or fantasy-themed productions to heighten the sense of wonder and bring the story’s magic to life.
Spectacle refers to the visual elements of a production that create wonder and excitement through design, movement, or scale. This might include elaborate costumes, dazzling choreography, special effects, or impressive sets. Spectacle often heightens the theatrical experience by leaving audiences with vivid visual impressions alongside the story and music.
A term from Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed for an audience member who engages in the performance to affect change.
Tape markings placed on stage to indicate where props, scenery, or actors should be positioned. Spiking helps maintain consistency in blocking and scene changes.
An adhesive used in theatrical makeup to attach facial hair, wigs, or prosthetics to an actor’s skin.
Historically associated with melancholy or ill temper, 'spleen' appears in poetic drama to express emotional imbalance.
A staging technique where two or more locations are shown simultaneously onstage, often highlighting thematic parallels or contrasts.
A humorous imitation of a genre or style, often used in theatre to satirize popular themes or famous works.
A vocal technique between speaking and singing, used in modernist opera and theatre to convey heightened expression.
A paramilitary Nazi organization portrayed in historical theatre to expose fascist violence and complicity.