Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
actable | capable of being acted. |
aside | on or to one side; (noun) a comment by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not the other actors. |
audition | the act of hearng; (verb) to give a trial performance. |
backdrop | a backcloth; (verb) to provide with a scenic background. |
backstage | behind the scenes, unobserved by the public; (noun) the back area of a stage. |
baignoire | (Fr.) a theatre box on a level with the stalls. |
baladin | (Fr.) a (male) theatrical dancer. |
baladine | (Fr.) a (female) theatrical dancer. |
balladin | (Fr.) a (male) theatre dancer. |
balladine | a (female) theatre dancer. |
barnstorm | to tour country areas giving theatrical performances. |
basoche | (Fr.) a mediaeval guild of clerks of the parliament of Paris, performers of mystery plays. |
boxkeeper | an attendant at a theatre who has charge of the boxes. |
buffa | (Ital.) the comic actress in an opera > BUFFE or BUFFAS. |
buffo | (Ital.) the comic actor in an opera. |
bunraku | (Japanese) a form of puppet theater with large puppets. |
byplay | action subordinate to the main action, as in a play. |
callboy | a boy who calls actors when they are required on stage. |
catchword | among theatrical performers, the last word of the preceding speaker, which reminds one that he is to speak next. |
chorus | the combination of voices in one simultaneous utterance; (verb) to speak in chorus. |
clapperboy | the person who works the clapperboards. |
claquer | one of the claque employed to applaud at a theater. |
claqueur | (Fr.) one of the claque employed to applaud at a theater. |
comique | (Fr.) a comic actor or singer. |
continuity | a script or scenario in the performing arts. |
corpse | a dead, usually human body; (verb) of an actor, to forget one's lines. |
decor | (Fr.) scenery and stage embellishments; a general decorative effect. |
derig | to dismantle and remove esp theatre equipment. |
downstage | the front of a stage. |
dramaturg | a dramatist; spec. a reader and literary editor etc. to a permanent theatrical company. |
dramaturge | a dramatist; spec. a reader and literary editor etc. to a permanent theatrical company. |
dramaturgist | a dramatist; spec. a reader and literary editor etc. to a permanent theatrical company. |
dumbshow | gesture without words; pantomime. |
encore | (Fr.) again; (noun) a repeat performance; (verb) to give a repeat performance. |
epitaxis | the part of a play in which the main action develops. |
fantoccini | (Ital.) mechanically worked puppets used in street theatre. |
farcer | a writer of farces. |
farceur | (Fr.) a writer of farces. |
farceuse | (Fr.) a (female) writer of farces. |
feerie | a theatrical extravaganza. |
footlight | one of a row of lights along the front of a theatre stage. |
galanty | as in galanty show, a pantomime shadow play, esp one in miniature using cutout figures from paper. |
galleryite | a person who frequents the gallery in the theatre. |
gracioso | (Spanish) a clown in a Spanish comedy. |
greasepaint | a melted tallow or grease used in theater makeup. |
guisard | a person in disguise; a masker; a mummer. |
guiser | a person in disguise; a masker; a mummer. |
guizer | a mummer. |
ham | the thigh of an animal, esp of a pig salted and dried; a bad actor (verb) to overact, exaggerate |
hambone | to overact. |
hamfatter | a third-rate minstrel or variety actor; (verb) to perform as a third-rate minstrel. |
hammily | (Adv.) HAMMY, overacted. |
hamminess | the quality of being hammy, overacted. |
hammy | overacted. |
histrio | (Arch.) an actor. |
histrion | (Arch.) an actor. |
histrionic | relating to the stage or actors. |
histrionical | relating to the stage or actors. |
histrionically | (Adv.) HISTRIONICAL, relating to the stage or actors. |
histrionicism | acting, theatricality. |
histrionics | playacting; stagy action or speech. |
histrionism | acting, theatricality. |
hoke | hokum (verb) to overact a part in a play |
improv | (Coll.) improvisational comedy. |
interlude | an interval between acts of a play, etc; (verb) to write or perform a dramatic interlude. |
interludial | relating to an interlude. |
loquitur | (Lat.) 'He (or she) says', used with a person's name as a stage direction. |
mainstage | the stage of the principal theatre operated by a theatrical company, usually the one on which major works are performed. |
marionette | (Fr.) a puppet moved by strings, as in a puppet show. |
matinee | (Fr.) an afternoon performance at a theatre, cinema, or concert hall. |
mummer | an actor in a folk play, a mimer; (verb) to take part in mumming activities. |
offstage | a part of a stage not visible to an audience. |
onstage | of an actor, on the stage. |
outact | to surpass in acting. |
overact | to act with exaggeration. |
overpart | to give too important or difficult a part to eg in a play. |
panto | (Short for) pantomime. |
parascenium | in the Greek theatre, a wing, a side-scene. |
periaktos | (Greek) in the ancient Greek theatre, a tall revolving prism at the side of the stage, projecting a variety of backdrops. |
pierrot | (Fr.) a comic character in French pantomime, dressed in a floppy white suit. |
pittite | (Obs.) someone who frequents the pit of a theatre. |
playdate | the scheduled date for showing a theatrical production. |
playgoer | one who attends the theatre. |
playgoing | the practice of visiting the theatre. |
playmaking | the process of making a play. |
playreader | one who reads over the script of a play. |
plumper | a pad kept in the mouth to round the cheeks, used by actors. |
premiere | (Fr.) the first performance of a play or film; (verb) to present or perform (a play, film, etc.) for the first time. |
prolog | a prologue; (verb) to provide a play etc. with a prologue. |
prologise | to speak a prolog. |
prologize | to speak a prolog. |
prologue | an introduction; (verb) to provide a play etc. with a prologue. |
promptbook | a copy of a play for a prompter. |
propman | a man in charge of stage properties. |
puppeteer | one who operates a puppet; (verb) to operate a puppet. |
restage | to stage again. |
revue | (Fr.) a loosely constructed theatrical show. |
revuist | one who takes part in a revue. |
sceneman | the man who manages the movable scenes in a theater. |
scruto | a stage trap door. |
semichorus | half, or part of, a chorus; a passage sung by it. |
soliloquy | an act of talking to oneself; a speech of this nature made by a character in a play, etc. |
stageable | that can be staged. |
stagecraft | the effective management of theatrical devices or techniques. |
stagery | exhibition on the stage. |
stagey | savouring of the stage, acted, assumed. |
stagily | (Adv.) STAGY, savouring of the stage, acted, assumed. |
staginess | being stagy, theatrical. |
stagy | savouring of the stage, acted, assumed. |
stichomythia | dialogue in alternate lines. |
stichomythic | relating to stichomythia. |
stichomythy | dialogue in alternate lines. |
strawhat | of or relating to summer theatre. |
supernumerary | above the stated, usual or necessary number; (noun) an actor without a speaking part. |
theatral | of or pertaining to a theatre. |
theatregoer | one who habitually visits the theatre. |
theatric | relating to or suitable for the stage. |
theatricality | the state of being theatrical. |
theatricalize | to adapt to the theater. |
theatrically | (Adv.) THEATRICAL, of or pertaining to a theater. |
theatricise | to play a part. |
theatricize | to play a part. |
theatrics | the activity of a theatrical character. |
thermochemist | one who studies thermochemistry. |
thesp | (Short for) a thespian, a member of the acting profession. |
thespian | a member of the acting profession. |
tragedienne | (Fr.) a female tragic actor. |
tragedy | a disastrous event. |
tragic | very sad (noun) the element of the drama that produces tragedy |
tragical | relating to tragedy. |
tragically | (Adv.) TRAGIC. |
tragicalness | the state of being tragical. |
typecast | to cast continually for the same kind of part. |
unactorish | not like an actor. |
underplot | a series of events in a play, proceeding collaterally with the main story, and subservient to it. |
upstage | to divert attention from (another person) to oneself, to outshine. |
wayang | (Javanese) a type of Indonesian theatre featuring puppets or human dancers. |
woman | a female (verb) to play the part of a woman |