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Off Book |
The point during rehearsals at which actors have memorized their lines and no
longer must read from the script. |
Off-Broadway |
Term used to describe theatres and playhouses in New York City not located on or
near Broadway in the maintstream theatre. Such playhouses came into being during the 1950's as a result of the high
cost of production on Broadway. |
Offstage |
Areas of the stage that are not part of the set. |
Old Comedy |
Refers to the comedies of Aristophanes in ancient Greek Theatre. Old Comedy employed
more broadly satirical and topical subject matter than its successors, Middle and New Comedy. It was highly political --
making fun of Athenian society and public figures of the time. Old Comedy, which may have derived from and was certainly
influenced by earlier pastoral rites contained much physical comedy of a slap-stick nature, as well as scurrilous jesting
and ribaldry. |
Oleo |
Also called a "roll curtain", because it rolls up and down rather than
being flown. Used extensively in vaudeville theatre and musical revues, it was often located downstage so that action
could take place in front of it while scene or set changes could be accomplished behind it. |
Open Stage |
A platform stage surrounded on three sides by the audience. Derives from the
thrust stage of the Elizabethan theatre. |
Orchestra |
From the Greek word for "a dancing place". In ancient times was
applied to the circular area where the chorus performed. In Roman theatres, it was the semi-circular area in front of
the stage reserved for senators and other important persons. Towards the end of the 17th Century, the term was derived
to describe the area in front of the stage where the musicians sat and, ultimately, the term came to refer to the
musicians themselves. It is still used to describe the main ground floor seating area in modern theatres. |
Orchestra Pit |
In modern theatres, the sunken area immediately in front of the stage, designed
to accomodate musicians. |
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