- green room—A:box
office. B: backstage room
for actors to relax in.
C: storage area for
scene ry foliage. - blocking—A: set con-
struction. B: derogatory
term for bad acting.
C: positioning of per-
formers on stage. - entr’acte—A: actor’s
entrance. B: intermission.
C: opening night. - claque—A: group paid
to applaud a performance.
B: curtain pulley. C: cos-
tume closet. - soliloquy—
A: dance interlude.
B: love scene. C: speak-
ing to oneself.
6. corpsing—A: review-
ing a play so badly that it
stops running. B: having
an uncontrollable giggle
fit during a performance.
C: dismantling the set.
7. fourth wall—
A: perceived separation
between the audience and
performers. B: painted
backdrop. C: slang for
a non-speaking role.
8. histrionic—A: overly
dramatic. B: treating
a historical subject.
C: monotonous.
9. swan-slinger—
A: play with animal
characters. B: device
that makes objects glide
across the stage.
C: Shakespearean actor.
10. cue—A: signal to
perform an action or line.
B: instruction from the
director.C:casting-agency
role description.
11. bunraku—
A: Chinese opera.
B: wig-storage rack.
C: Japanese puppet
theatre.
12. farce—A: satirical
comedy with an improb-
able plot. B: makeup that
renders facial expressions
visible from afar. C: fan-
tastical play, often for
children.
13. gobo—A: tech-crew
slang for “ready.”
B: sound engineer’s
headset. C: plate affixed
to a spotlight that pro-
jects patterns.
14. underscoring—
A: cadence of an actor’s
speech. B: music playing
during dialogue. C: finan-
cial sponsorship.
15. dramaturge—
A: aspiring star. B: literary
consultant for a theatre
company. C: frequent
theatre-goer.
“Is there no play to ease the anguish of a tor-
turing hour?” asks Theseus in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. Spend part of an hour enter-
taining yourself with these theatrical words.BY Beth Shillibeerreader’s digestrd.ca 109WORD POWER