Hillingdon and Uxbridge Stage Crew
 
Jargon Buster
  

 

  

On stage, as in many areas of life, terminology is used that to a newcomer has no obvious meaning. We have compiled the list below to help people who are unfamiliar with working in the stage environment to break through and understand the jargon we use.

Cleat A two pronged device attached to the back of a piece of scenery on to which a rope can be tied.
Cloth A large piece of painted cloth which stretches the full width of the stage to represent a particular scene e.g. exterior of a house, landscape.
Control Board (The Board) A control panel located in the wings of the stage from which cues are given to the follow spot, orchestra and cast.
Cyclorama Familiarly known as the 'CYC'. A sheet stretched on a frame at the back of the stage used as a projection screen for special lighting effects.
Down Stage The area towards the front of stage, closest to the audience.
Flat A framework of timber covered with canvas and painted to represent a particular scene e.g. interior of a room, house or foliage.
Flies The platform areas above the wings of the stage.
Follow Spot A spot light located at the back of the auditorium used to flood light a member of cast on stage.
Get In The building of a stage set.
Get Out The dismantling of a set and removing it from the stage at the end of a run of shows.

Hinge Cleat

 A pair of metal plates screwed to each half of a pair of flats, the outer edges of the plates are cut and rolled to form tubes which mate together and can be held together by a hinge pin.
Hinge Pin Used with a pair of hinge cleats to fix two flats together.
House Tabs The main front of stage curtains which screen the stage area from the audience prior to and following a performance.
Lighting Bars These are bars that are hung above the stage stretching the full width of the stage on which cloths or lighting is hung.
Masking A solid black flat or black curtain used at side of stage to mask the wings.
Number 1's,
Number 2's &
Number 3's		 Numbering sequence of curtains. The number 1's being closest to the audience
Opposite Prompt Side The right hand side of stage when looking out to the audience from the stage. Ofter referred to as O.P.
Prompt Side The left hand side of stage when looking out to the audience from the stage.
Scope An item of high-level access equipment used to gain access to lighting bars/cloth bars. This is short for "tallescope".
Set The generic term used for cloths, trucks flats.
Stage Brace An adjustable support mechanism used together with a stage weight to support a flat.
Stage Weight A heavy weight used in conjunction with a stage brace to support a flat from moving.
Strike Either removing an item of the from the stage so that it is no longer visible to the audience, or the dismantling of a stage set at the end of a show.
Tabs Plain curtains
Tallescope Usually referred to as the "scope", it is an item of high-level access equipment used to gain access to lighting bars/cloth bars.
Track A long rail stretching across the width of the stage, on which a cloth is hung so that it can be pulled across the stage into position.
Truck An item of scenery built on a mobile base.
Upstage The area towards the back of the stage furthest from the audience.
Winch A winding mechanism used to raise and lower lighting or cloth bars.
Wings The areas off each side of the stage not visible to the audience.
Wipe To stretch a cloth out across the stage making it visible to the audience, or to pull the cloth off stage when it has finished being used.
Wipe Track This is the longer name for a "Track" on which cloths are hung.