Theater - Middle School

Here's your cue: Put this list in the spotlight and learn all about theater. Review genres of drama, parts of a play, stage directions, and more. Set the stage for vocabulary and you're sure to steal the show.
133 words 734 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. acoustics
    the study of the physical properties of sound
  2. action
    the series of events that form a plot
  3. adaptation
    a written work that has been recast in a new form
  4. ad-lib
    perform without preparation
  5. amphitheater
    a sloping gallery with seats for spectators
  6. antagonist
    someone who offers opposition
  7. apron
    the part of a stage between the curtain and the orchestra
  8. archetype
    something that serves as a model
  9. articulation
    the aspect of pronunciation that shapes the sounds of speech
  10. aside
    a line spoken by an actor not intended for others on stage
  11. atmosphere
    a particular environment or surrounding influence
  12. audition
    a test of the suitability of a performer
  13. backdrop
    scenery hung at the rear of a stage
  14. backlighting
    lighting from behind
  15. backstage
    a stage area out of sight of the audience
  16. balcony
    an upper floor projecting over an auditorium's main floor
  17. bit part
    a small role
  18. book
    a written version of a play or other dramatic composition
  19. box office
    the office where tickets of admission are sold
  20. Broadway
    a street in Manhattan that passes through Times Square
  21. cast
    the actors in a play, film, or television show
  22. casting
    the choice of actors to play particular roles in a play or movie
  23. center stage
    the central area on a theater stage
  24. character
    an actor's portrayal of someone in a play, film, etc...
  25. characterization
    dramatically representing a person on stage
  26. classical
    characteristic of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures
  27. climax
    the decisive moment in a novel or play
  28. comedy
    light and humorous drama with a happy ending
  29. company
    an organization of performers and theatrical personnel
  30. conflict
    opposition in a work of fiction between characters or forces
  31. costume
    the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
  32. costume designer
    someone who designs or supplies costumes
  33. cue
    a reminder for some action or speech
  34. curtain call
    an appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
  35. deadpan
    deliberately impassive in manner
  36. debut
    appear for the first time in public
  37. delivery
    characteristic style or manner of expressing oneself orally
  38. dialogue
    the lines spoken by characters in drama or fiction
  39. diction
    the articulation of speech to be intelligible to an audience
  40. director
    one who supervises the actors and action in a play
  41. double
    a stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts
  42. double take
    a delayed reaction indicating surprise
  43. downstage
    the front half of the stage (as seen from the audience)
  44. drama
    the literary genre of works intended for the theater
  45. dramatic irony
    when the audience understands something the characters don't
  46. dramatis personae
    the actors in a play
  47. dramatization
    a representation intended for performance
  48. dress rehearsal
    a full uninterrupted rehearsal in costumes shortly before the first performance
  49. encore
    an extra performance in response to audience demand
  50. ensemble
    a cast other than the principals
  51. epilogue
    a short speech by an actor at the end of a play
  52. extra
    a minor actor in crowd scenes
  53. farce
    a comedy characterized by broad satire
  54. finale
    the concluding part of any performance
  55. flashback
    a transition in a story to an earlier event or scene
  56. flat
    a wooden frame covered with painted canvas
  57. footlights
    theater light at the front of a stage that illuminate the set and actors
  58. foreshadowing
    the act of providing vague advance indications
  59. gaffer
    an electrician responsible for lighting on a movie or TV set
  60. gel
    a thin translucent membrane used over stage lights for color effects
  61. genre
    a class of art having a characteristic form or technique
  62. gesture
    the use of movements to communicate familiar signals
  63. greasepaint
    a greasy substance used as makeup by actors
  64. greenroom
    a backstage room in a theater where performers rest or have visitors
  65. house
    a building where performances can be presented
  66. houselights
    lights that illuminate the audience's part of a theater or other auditorium
  67. improvisation
    a performance given without planning or preparation
  68. lead
    an actor who plays a principal role
  69. libretto
    the words of an opera or musical play
  70. lighting
    the craft of providing artificial light
  71. line
    a row of text written across a page or computer screen
  72. matinee
    a theatrical performance held during the daytime
  73. method acting
    an acting technique introduced by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed
  74. mezzanine
    first or lowest balcony
  75. mime
    an actor who communicates entirely by gesture
  76. miscast
    cast an actor, singer, or dancer in an unsuitable role
  77. monologue
    a dramatic speech by a single actor
  78. motivation
    psychological feature arousing action toward a desired goal
  79. musical theater
    a play or film whose action and dialogue is interspersed with singing and dancing
  80. offstage
    situated or taking place in the area of a stage not visible to the audience
  81. opera
    a drama set to music
  82. orchestra
    seating on the main floor in a theater
  83. orchestra pit
    lowered area in front of a stage where an orchestra accompanies the performers
  84. overture
    orchestral music at the beginning of an opera or musical
  85. pantomime
    a performance using gestures and movements without words
  86. parody
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style
  87. pitch
    the high or low quality of a sound
  88. playbill
    a printed program for a theatrical performance
  89. playwright
    someone who writes plays
  90. premiere
    the first public performance of a play or movie
  91. principal
    an actor who plays a lead role
  92. producer
    someone who finances and supervises the making of a show
  93. production
    presentation for the stage or screen or radio or television
  94. project
    cause to be heard
  95. prologue
    an introductory section of a novel or other literary work
  96. promptbook
    the copy of the playscript used by the prompter
  97. prop
    an object used on the set of a play or movie
  98. proscenium
    the part of a stage between the curtain and the orchestra
  99. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  100. realism
    artistic movement that represents the world accurately
  101. repertory
    a collection of works that an artist or company can perform
  102. reprise
    a repetition of a short musical passage
  103. role
    an actor's portrayal of someone in a play, film, etc...
  104. run-through
    an uninterrupted rehearsal
  105. script
    a written version of a play or other dramatic composition
  106. set
    scenery used to identify a location of a dramatic production
  107. setting
    arrangement of scenery and properties to represent a place
  108. sight gag
    a joke whose effect is achieved by visual means rather than by speech (as in a movie)
  109. slapstick
    a type of comedy characterized by pranks and physical humor
  110. soliloquy
    a dramatic speech giving the illusion of unspoken reflection
  111. special effect
    an effect used to produce scenes that cannot be achieved by normal techniques (especially on film)
  112. spirit gum
    an adhesive solution made of gum and ether and used to attach false hair to skin
  113. spotlight
    a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer
  114. stage crew
    crew of workers who move scenery or handle properties in a theatrical production
  115. stage direction
    instruction or description written in the script of a play
  116. stage fright
    fear that affects a person about to face an audience
  117. stage left
    the part of the stage on the actor's left as the actor faces the audience
  118. stage manager
    someone who supervises the physical aspects in the production of a show and who is in charge of the stage when the show is being performed
  119. stage right
    the part of the stage on the actor's right as the actor faces the audience
  120. stage whisper
    a loud whisper that can be overheard
  121. staging
    the production of a drama on the stage
  122. suspense
    excited anticipation of an approaching climax
  123. theater in the round
    a theater arranged with seats around at least three sides of the stage
  124. thrust stage
    a theater stage that extends out into the audience's part of a theater and has seats on three sides
  125. top billing
    the advertisement of a star's name at the top of a theatrical poster
  126. tragedy
    drama exciting terror or pity
  127. tragicomedy
    a dramatic composition involving elements of both tragedy and comedy usually with the tragic predominating
  128. troupe
    an organization of performers and associated personnel
  129. typecast
    select for the same kind of role repeatedly
  130. understudy
    an actor able to replace a regular performer when required
  131. upstage
    at or toward the rear of a platform for performers
  132. villain
    the principal bad character in a film or work of fiction
  133. wing
    a stage area out of sight of the audience
Created on Fri Feb 03 16:33:45 EST 2017 (updated Wed Mar 29 16:07:13 EDT 2017)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.