Stage Terminology

Stage Blocking

Stage blocking refers to the director guiding the actor’s movement and positioning on the stage. The term may be used during a performance of an opera, film, ballet or play. It is mainly used to ensure the actors don’t clash with each other.

Sightlines

A sightline is the line between the edges of the stage also known as the spectacle in a theatre or stadium or any sort of staging. Script writer and prop makers need to be aware of the measurements on the stage so that the stage isn’t too over crowded.

Stage Directions

A stage direction is simply the instructions written in a script to guide everyone in order to keep the show flow fluently. The directors are given in professional terms which include: upstage, down stage and stage right and stage left.

Upstage

Upstage refers to cover the back half of the stage, in relation it is also used as directions. Staging directors are important because actors need to be able to know in which director they should approach and arrive so that they don’t clash between other actors. This looks very unprofessional during a performance which is why the term is used during the process. 

Downstage

Downstage is the opposition of upstage, it covers the front half of the stage and similarly can also be used to direct actors.

Stage Right and Stage Left

Stage right and stage left is as stated the right and left halves of the staging area. All the stage terms cover the whole stage.

We use these terms in theatre becuase its professional and when you're in a real life working environment you need to be able to fully understand the terms. Saying just left or right on stage would be the opposite to the audience and when rehearsing this will confuse yourself and to whom you are trying to communicate with. All terms cover the whole stage so if one term is said you will deifnitly be on the stage somewhere. Its important for anybody who works in a theatre design or similar environment to be able to assertively use the terms without any confusion.