Parts of the Stage

Parts of the Stage

Introduction

What is stage left? How do you tell upstage from downstage? And what is a fly space? This guide will define the parts of the stage, from stage zones to the technology used in productions.

Terminology

  • Apron: The usually curved area of the stage, in front of the proscenium, closest to the audience.
  • Backdrop: The area of the theatre not accessible or visible to the audience.
  • Backstage/Offstage: Usually the entire stage area not visible to the audience.
  • Batten: A type of bar that hangs above the stage from which curtains, backdrops, or other set decoration hang.
  • Catwalk: Narrow paths above the stage and/or audience where technicians can hang lights, create special effects, or use spotlights.
  • Center: Center of the stage.
  • Cyclorama: A large, usually white, curtain that is lit to create setting and masks the back of the stage behind the set.
  • Downstage: The area of the stage that is the closest to the audience.
  • Electric: A type of bar that hangs above the stage with electrical outlets for lighting instruments.
  • Fly Loft/Space: The area above the stage where curtains and set pieces are stored and hidden during a production.
  • Fourth Wall: The imaginary wall between an audience and actors. To “break the fourth wall” means that actors acknowledge that the audience is there.
  • Grand Drape/Main Drape: The front, often decorative, curtain of a stage.
  • House: The area of the theatre in which the audience sits.
  • Legs: Narrow curtains in the wings to mask the backstage areas.
  • Lip: The very edge of the stage.
  • Proscenium: An arched opening through which the audience sees the stage. Also a style of theater with the audience seated predominantly in front of the stage.
  • Orchestra Pit: The space immediately in front of or underneath the stage where the musicians sit.
  • Scrim: A type of curtain, usually right behind the main drape, that can be opaque or transparent, depending on how it is lit.
  • Stage Left: The left side of the stage from the actor’s point of view (facing the audience).
  • Stage Right: The right side of the stage from the actor’s point of view (facing the audience).
  • Trap: An opening in the stage floor for actors to pass through to make entrances and exits.
  • Traveler: A type of curtain at the back of the stage, similar to the main drape, that can be closed to hide the back wall of the stage.
  • Upstage: The area of the stage that is the furthest from the audience.
  • Valence/Border: Short curtains that run the length of the stage and are designed to hide lighting instruments.
  • Wings: The spaces immediately offstage of the playing space, sometimes referred to by technicians as “the deck.”

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