Skip to main content
The Stage And Its Equipment

Lesson 5: The Modern Stage

OBJECTIVE:

Students will demonstrate their understanding of stage geography and terms by defining and locating them.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

 White Board
 Dry Erase
 Proscenium Stage Handout (see Supplements)

HOOK:

(If needed, review one last time the parts of the fly system and let students know that they can re-take the tests if they would like.) Prepare on the board before class drawings of the five basic types of stage spaces. Discuss with the students what they know about the stages and what are the differences between them.
1. Arena
2. Thrust
3. Found Space
4. Proscenium
5. Black Box

PRESENTATION:

1. Instruction/Checking
a. Hand out the handout
b. Ask students what they can identify on the handout.
c. Draw the pictures from the handout on the board.
i. Label and define the following while having the students label the same on their handouts.

1. Proscenium Arch
2. Proscenium opening
3. Plaster line
4. Wings
5. Apron
6. Crossover
7. Smoke pocket
8. Trap door
9. Trap room
10. Stage
11. Cyclorama
12. Grand Valance
13. Grand Drape
14. False Proscenium
15. Teaser
16. Tormentors
17. Act drop
18. Fire/safety curtain
19. Boarders
20. Legs
21. Travelers
22. Sky drop (Scrim)
23. Box office
24. Lobby
25. House
26. Auditorium
27. Cheeks
28. Vomitorium
29. Control booth
30. Prompt booth
31. Light booth
32. Sound booth
33. Cry room
34. Balcony
35. Backstage
36. Offstage
37. Dressing rooms
38. Green room
39. Stage door
40. Call board
41. In
42. Out
43. Left
44. Right
45. Up
46. Down
47. Center
d. Most of this should be review from prior classes or experience. In small groups of three or four, have the students explain to each other the different terms that we have covered today.
e. After a few minutes check for understanding by playing a trivia type game where you ask a group a question and if they do not provide the correct answer, the other groups get a shot at it.

2. Transition
a. Take the students into the auditorium.

3. Checking
a. In their groups, continue the checking game by stating a term and having all the members of a group find and point to the designated thing. Then have someone explain what it is and what it is used for.
b. The group with the most correct answers will receive 5 extra participation points for the day.
c. Have the students gather on stage.
d. Call out stage directions and have students go to the place called.

CLOSURE:

Discuss just how many terms that we went through today and why the students believe it necessary to have and know what these terms mean.

ASSESSMENT:

10 participation points possible. 8/10 proficiency. -2 for tardiness or repeated behavioral warning. An extra 5 participation points will be awarded the group with the most correct answers in the group activities.
1. Adaptations
a. Students with disabilities should be given the chance to participate. Remember to give them plenty of time to answer specific questions or to locate something by sight.

Lesson 5.Proscenium Stage Handout