Topical vocabulary. Kinds of theatres. Theatre staff

Topical vocabulary

Kinds of theatres:

Shows:

Inside the theatre:

Parts of the auditorium:

Theatre staff:

The audience:

At the theatre:

THE INTERIOR OF A THEATRE

A play lives a long life before it makes its appearance on the stage before the general public. If it is a real piece of art its creation calls for inspiration, talent and artistic ingenuity.                                             

A playwright conceives an idea and after months and months of hard work, disappointments and joys his ideas develop into the script of the play.

Only after lengthy discussions about its merits and flaws¹ does the theatre decide to stage (produce) it. The producer² instructs the theatre staff on the general treatment of the play and outlines the main points of its stage presentation.³ The director chooses his cast4 and begins to rehearse the scenes. The scene-painter⁵ draws the sketches⁶ of the scenery⁷ and special work shops get busy preparing the sets,⁸ while the property department⁹ supplies the furnishings and the dress department makes the necessary costumes.

When everything is ready and the rehearsals go off without a hitch, a dress rehearsal¹⁰ is called. After some time the curtain rises to a full house,¹¹the play faces the theatre-going public on its first night.¹2

What does the interior of a modern theatre look like? Its two main parts are the stage and the auditorium. The hall is separated from the stage by the orchestra. At the sides of the stage are the wings.¹³ A curtain (when lowered or drawn) covers the stage. An intricate system of lights (footlights¹⁴ and toplights) illuminates the stage. The seats on the ground floor are known as "stalls"¹⁵ (those nearer the stage are "orchestra stalls"). The passages between the rows of stalls are the gang-way. The raised back part of the ground floor is "the pit", while the small compartments nearer the stage are the "boxes." Then follow the dress circle, the balconies and, finally, the "gallery", where in some theatres, alongside with seats, standing room¹⁸ is available for the lowest admission fee.

VOCABULARY NOTES

1.  flaw — слабая сторона, недостаток

2.  producer — продюсер, режиссер-постановщик; cp. director — режиссер

3.  stage presentation — сценическое воплощение пьесы и т. п.; stage — сцена, эстрада, театральные подмостки; ср. scene — сцена (как часть акта драматического произведения)

е. g. Tarasova makes her appearance on the stage in the first scene of the first act.

4.  cast — состав действующих лиц

5.   scene-painter — художник-декоратор

6.  sketch — эскиз

7.   scenery  (always sg.)—декорации

8.  sets — декорации к определенной сцене; setting—место действия, декорации, обстановка действия

9. property department — отдел реквизита (предметов быта, используемых в театральном представлении)

10.  dress rehearsal — генеральная репетиция

11.   full house — полный зал

12.   first night — премьера

13.  wings — кулисы; behind the wings = behind the scenes — за кулисами