Drama Glossary
Key theatre terms and definitions including related shows.
A person who tends the furnace on a steamship or steam train.
Makeup used to subtly enhance an actor’s natural features for visibility under stage lighting, without altering character appearance.
A character in comedy who contrasts with an eccentric partner, enhancing humor through understatement and seriousness.
A vocal warm-up using a straw to balance pressure and airflow, improving resonance and vocal health for singers and actors.
A performance style rooted in hip-hop and urban culture, featured in contemporary musical theatre and movement-driven plays.
The first section of an ancient Greek choral ode, paired with the antistrophe and epode in a formal structure.
The distinct manner of expression in performance or writing, shaped by genre, period, and artistic intent.
A smaller category within a genre that has specific traits or themes, such as romantic comedy or musical parody.
A character of lesser rank or status, used to highlight power dynamics and conflict in drama.
Subtext refers to the unspoken thoughts, emotions, or intentions that lie beneath a character’s dialogue or actions. It provides depth and complexity to performances, allowing audiences to sense hidden conflicts or desires. Directors and actors often rely on subtext to create nuance and tension in storytelling.
A mythological female demon who seduces men, occasionally used in fantasy or symbolic theatrical works.
The right to vote, often explored in political or feminist plays to examine historical struggle and empowerment.