Theatre Vocabulary Worksheet

Press Print worksheet to match twelve parts of the stage, from proscenium to fly system, to their meanings.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Theater vocabularyprosceniumapronwingsupstagedownstageorchestra pitthrust stagefourth wallfly systemrakeflattheater in the rounda stage with the audience seatedall the way aroundthe offstage areas on both flanks,out of sightthe front part of the stage, closeto the audiencea tall, light panel painted to looklike a wallropes and pulleys that lift sceneryabove the stagethe slope of a stage floor, risingtoward the backan imaginary barrier between aplay and its viewersthe part of the playing floorforward of the main archthe lowered space where themusicians playa stage with the audience seatedon three sidesthe frame around the stageopening, often an archthe back part of the stage, farfrom the audience
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Theater vocabularyAnswer keyprosceniumapronwingsupstagedownstageorchestra pitthrust stagefourth wallfly systemrakeflattheater in the rounda stage with the audience seatedall the way aroundthe offstage areas on both flanks,out of sightthe front part of the stage, closeto the audiencea tall, light panel painted to looklike a wallropes and pulleys that lift sceneryabove the stagethe slope of a stage floor, risingtoward the backan imaginary barrier between aplay and its viewersthe part of the playing floorforward of the main archthe lowered space where themusicians playa stage with the audience seatedon three sidesthe frame around the stageopening, often an archthe back part of the stage, farfrom the audience
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All 36 terms

Parts of the stage 12

  • apron The part of the playing floor forward of the main arch. An actor on the apron stands close to the front row.
  • downstage The front part of the stage, close to the audience. An actor who walks downstage moves toward the audience.
  • flat A tall, light panel painted to look like a wall. Several flats side by side make the walls of a room on stage.
  • fly system Ropes and pulleys that lift scenery above the stage. A fly system can hoist a curtain, a light or a piece of scenery.
  • fourth wall An imaginary barrier between a play and its viewers. An actor who speaks straight to the audience breaks the fourth wall.
  • orchestra pit The lowered space where the musicians play. The musicians in the orchestra pit are mostly hidden from view.
  • proscenium The frame around the stage opening, often an arch. A stage with a proscenium is sometimes called a picture frame stage.
  • rake The slope of a stage floor, rising toward the back. On a raked stage the back is higher than the front.
  • theater in the round A stage with the audience seated all the way around. In theater in the round the stage sits in the center of the audience.
  • thrust stage A stage with the audience seated on three sides. A thrust stage is joined to the backstage area at its upstage end.
  • upstage The back part of the stage, far from the audience. An actor who walks upstage moves away from the audience.
  • wings The offstage areas on both flanks, out of sight. An actor stands in the wings until it is time to go on.
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

People of the theater 12

  • actor Someone who performs a role on stage. One actor may play two small parts in the same play.
  • audience Everyone seated out front to see the show. The audience claps when the curtain falls.
  • company A troupe of performers that stages shows together. A touring company takes one show from town to town.
  • costume designer The person who plans what each character wears. A costume designer may work on a film, a play or a television show.
  • director The person who guides how a play is staged and acted. A director can change the meaning of a scene by where the actors stand.
  • lighting designer The person who plans how the stage is lit. The lighting designer works with the director and the other designers.
  • makeup artist A person who puts makeup on the performers. A makeup artist can make a young actor look old.
  • playwright The author of a work written for the stage. A playwright writes the lines the actors speak.
  • set designer The person who plans the scenery for a show. The set designer decides what the stage will look like.
  • sound designer The person who plans the music and noises of a show. A sound designer might add thunder to a storm scene.
  • stage manager The one in charge backstage while a show is running. A stage manager also oversees rehearsals and passes messages between the teams.
  • understudy A standby who is ready to take over a role. When a lead actor cannot go on, the understudy plays the part.

Rehearsal and script 12

  • blocking The planned moves and positions of actors on stage. Blocking is worked out in rehearsal, before the show opens.
  • character A person in the story of a play. An actor speaks and moves as the character would.
  • comedy A play meant to make people laugh, with a happy end. Mix-ups and jokes fill a comedy.
  • cue A signal for an actor or crew member to do something. The last words of one speech can be the cue for the next actor.
  • dress rehearsal The last run-through, with costumes, lights and sound. The dress rehearsal is the last rehearsal before the first performance.
  • improvisation Acting made up on the spot, with no written lines. In improvisation the actors invent the words as they go.
  • opening night The evening on which a show begins its run. After weeks of rehearsal, opening night arrives.
  • prompt To tell an actor a line he or she has forgotten. Someone offstage may prompt an actor in a low voice.
  • script The full wording of a play, set down on paper. Each actor marks his or her own lines in the script.
  • stage direction A note in a play that tells an actor what to do. "Exits left" is a stage direction.
  • technical rehearsal A practice for the lights, sound and scene changes. A technical rehearsal tries out the lighting and sound cues.
  • tragedy A drama about a great person's ruin and grief. In a tragedy a flaw in the main character often brings the fall.

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-03. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and, for the terms with no entry or no fitting sense there (costume designer, lighting designer), against the articles Costume designer and Lighting design in English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The terms were chosen with the articles Stagecraft, Stage (theatre), Blocking (stage), Technical rehearsal and Rehearsal of English Wikipedia open, read the same day. The example after each meaning is our own. The example for stage manager follows the article Stage management of English Wikipedia, read on 2026-10-05, when every meaning was read against its source again. Licence: own work

How it works

This theatre vocabulary worksheet prints twelve terms down the left and their meanings, mixed up, down the right. As a theater vocabulary worksheet for a first drama class, it opens on the parts of the stage.

Read the full guide

Drama vocabulary worksheets in three sets

Set opens on Parts of the stage: proscenium, apron, wings, upstage, downstage, orchestra pit, thrust stage, fourth wall, fly system, rake and flat. People of the theater runs from actor, director and playwright to stage manager, understudy and the four designers.

Rehearsal and script words

The third set prints script, cue, blocking, dress rehearsal, technical rehearsal, stage direction, improvisation, comedy, tragedy and prompt. Under the tool each term has an example. Your own term = meaning lines, typed in the box, replace ours.

  • The sheet prints words and meanings, with no plan of a stage to label.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a stage called?

The frame around the opening is the proscenium, and the strip in front of it is the apron. Upstage is the back and downstage the front. The wings are the hidden areas at the sides, and the orchestra pit lies below the front edge.

What is the difference between upstage and downstage?

Upstage is the part of the stage farthest from the audience and downstage the part nearest to it. The names come from raked stages, whose floors sloped up toward the back.

Is there a drama vocabulary worksheets PDF?

The page has no PDF button. Press Print worksheet and pick Save as PDF as the printer in your browser's print window; the key is saved as the last page.

Does the worksheet come with an answer key?

Yes. The last page repeats the sheet with a line drawn from each term to its meaning. Under More options a check box takes the key off, and See the answers shows it on screen.

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