Or traverseclosetraverse stagingWhen the audience is placed on either side of the actors’ playing space or stage, facing each other. This means it is impossible to have an upstage and downstage and stage right and stage left. All nine positions on stage are from the perspective of the performer. When a performer is standing in the middle of the stage, their position is referred to as centre stage. As the performer looks out to the audience, the area on their right-hand side is called stage right and the area on the left is called stage left.
An actor who turns to his or her right is moving stage right, while an actor who turns to his or her left is moving stage left. The front of the stage, called downstage, is the end closest to the audience. The rear of the stage, called upstage, is behind the actor’s back, furthest from the audience. These terms come from the structure of stages in the Middle Ages and early https://accounting-services.net/accurately-measure-center-of-gravity/ modern period, which were built on an upward slope away from the audience to improve viewer visibility. “Upstage” refers to the section of the stage that was higher, while “downstage” refers to the area that was lower. These notations in the script, written by the playwright and set aside with brackets, tell the actors where to sit, stand, move about, enter, and exit.
The nine stage positions
Every play has some degree of stage direction written into the script. Stage directions serve many functions, but their primary purpose is to guide actors’ movements on the stage, called blocking. If the stage has been divided into 15 sections instead of nine, there will be a “left-center” and “right-center” in each section, for five possible locations in each of the three zones. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.
- This means it is impossible to have an upstage and downstage and stage right and stage left.
- Sometimes it can be too complicated to use certain stage positions.
- Stage directions are written from the perspective of the actor facing the audience.
And thrustclosethrust stagingWhen the audience surround the stage on three sides, and the other side connects to the backstage area.. Sometimes it can be too complicated to use certain stage positions. For example, when using theatre in the roundclosein the round stagingWhen the audience are placed all around the outside of the performers’ playing space. The stage area may be circular or square, with entrances and exits through the audience.
Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
Stage directions also can be used to tell an actor how to shape his or her performance. They may describe how the character behaves physically or mentally and are often used by the playwright to guide the play’s emotional tone. Some scripts also contain notations on lighting, music, and sound effects. Stage positions are used to help keep track of how performers and set pieces move during rehearsal and performance. Whether you’re an actor, writer, or director, knowing how to use stage directions effectively will help you improve your craft.
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
If a performer walks towards the front of the stage, approaching the audience, this area is referred to as downstage, and the opposite area of the stage further away from the audience is called upstage. The term downstage originates from when stages were sloped or rakedcloserakedSloped at an upwards angle. Downwards towards the audience to improve sightlinesclosesightlineThe view of the performers or audience.. Stage directions are written from the perspective of the actor facing the audience.