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Quiz about Mastering Theatre Lingo
Quiz about Mastering Theatre Lingo

Mastering Theatre Lingo Trivia Quiz


If you're an avid Actor this quiz should be a breeze. However, if you are only just starting to get involved in the world of Theatre, this quiz may be an excellent learning experience!

A multiple-choice quiz by Lucay. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Lucay
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
205,390
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1746
Last 3 plays: Guest 161 (9/10), cmpetras (9/10), Guest 68 (9/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The sides of a stage are referred to as stage left and stage right. Stage left is located... Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. You walk upstage. Where are you headed? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Who or what is the House? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. You are at rehearsal for a play you have just started working on. Today you are blocking scene 6. What exactly are you doing? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. You strike the set. What have you done? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. You are flipping through your script and notice that there is a line that reads:
All: (ad libbing)
What does this mean?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Curtain Call! What is happening? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What is a beat? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. An actor, downstage and to the audience's left, walks horizontally across stage. What position is he now in? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Often, a line will have a subtext. What is subtext? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 02 2024 : Guest 161: 9/10
Feb 29 2024 : cmpetras: 9/10
Feb 28 2024 : Guest 68: 9/10
Feb 28 2024 : Guest 73: 8/10
Jan 29 2024 : Guest 73: 10/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The sides of a stage are referred to as stage left and stage right. Stage left is located...

Answer: To the actor's left when on stage, facing the audience

Keeping this little piece of information in mind can be a big help when reading scripts and blocking scenes.
2. You walk upstage. Where are you headed?

Answer: To the back of the stage

Most theatres today have the auditorium seats slanted (each row is higher up than the rows in front of it) to ensure all audience members have a good view. However, it used to be that the audience sat all at one level and the stage was slanted. If an actor walked to the back of stage, he or she walked on an upward slant. Hence the name, upstage.
3. Who or what is the House?

Answer: The audience

A full house refers to a sold-out show.

The house lights are the lights in the theatre not projected on stage. These lights are on before and after the show, as well as during intermission (if there is one). Dimming of the house lights generally signals that the show is about to begin.
4. You are at rehearsal for a play you have just started working on. Today you are blocking scene 6. What exactly are you doing?

Answer: Deciding each actor's position on stage for scene 6

It is important to know to where each actor should be on stage. Certain positioning is crucial for a smooth performance.
5. You strike the set. What have you done?

Answer: Taken the set off the stage

It's courteous to strike your set after you have finished rehearsing. Unless, of course, you are lucky enough to have a stage all to yourself...
6. You are flipping through your script and notice that there is a line that reads: All: (ad libbing) What does this mean?

Answer: All actors on stage should improvise lines

Ad libbing is generally used in scenes that involve a crowd of people all talking at once. For example, if a character had just made a controversial speech, the other characters may then "ad lib" with lines such as "Has he gone mad?", "Of course that makes sense!", "What is he thinking?".
7. Curtain Call! What is happening?

Answer: The show has just finished and the actors are coming back onstage for a bow

This is the time for an audience to truly show their appreciation for the talent on stage. If the performance was especially well done, the actors may receive a standing ovation, which is when the audience not only claps but stands as well as claps. However, these are not to be tossed out freely. I once had a very good drama teacher who said, "We don't clap for crap". Therefore I am quite selective in determining whether a performance is worthy of a standing ovation.

The "second audition" I referred to is called a callback. Typically, when trying to cast a few roles from a large number of people, a director will narrow down the choice in steps. He or she will ask only those that stood out to come back for another audition. This process may repeat several times until the choice becomes clear.
8. What is a beat?

Answer: A break or pause for effect

Beats generally occur frequently throughout a play. After a beat the energy tends to build until the next beat. For example, two characters may be in an argument. They get more and more angry at each other and the volume of their voices steadily increase. Their lines continue to pick up speed and they cut off each other's sentences. Suddenly, one of them yells out "I wish you were dead!". Both characters fall silent. This is a beat.

"Beat" in theatre can also have much the same meaning it does in music - a unit of time, which can be used to manage tempo.
9. An actor, downstage and to the audience's left, walks horizontally across stage. What position is he now in?

Answer: Downstage left

Downstage left is an important position on stage because it is where the audience's attention is most drawn to. Downstage is the part of the stage closest to the audience and left is actually to the audience's right. Most people read from left to right so their eyes tend to briefly pause at the end of a line (the farthest right side).

This is why the audience's eyes tend to skim over to the right (stage left). Most people when reading would not like to stop in the middle of a line. They subconsciously want to keep their eyes moving until the end of the line. Thus, downstage left is a natural resting point for the audience's eyes.
10. Often, a line will have a subtext. What is subtext?

Answer: The character's thoughts at that time (not spoken aloud)

To really explore your character, it is fun to do a subtext run. This is when after each line the actor says his or her character's subtext.
For an example of subtext, a character may say "Could you take out the garbage?". However, at the same time that character was thinking "It smells worse than you do." This was the character's subtext.
Source: Author Lucay

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