Items

• showreel

  A short video (of no longer than 3 minutes) that contains examples of a person’s work to showcase and highlight the breadth of their experience in a particular field.
• sight lines

  A series of lines drawn on a plan or section to indicate the extent of the stage visible from the extreme seating positions in the auditorium / also often marked in the wings using masking tape to guide actors and crew.
• Site-specific Theatre

  Performances created for and performed in non- traditional locations tied to the work’s theme.
• Social Realism

  An art movement that aims to depict working- class life and societal issues, advocating for change.
• soliloquy

  A monologue where a character speaks their thoughts aloud, alone on stage.
• sound design

  The creation and manipulation of audio elements to support the narrative and atmosphere.
• soundtrack

  All audio elements in a film, including dialogue, music, and sound effects.
• spike

  To mark the position of an item on stage using tape (or a silver koki pen).
• spotlight

  An intense, focused light is used to highlight one performer or a small area on stage.
• stage directions

  Instructions in a script indicating movements, or positions onstage, or technical cues.
• stage left / stage right

  Directions from the actor’s perspective facing the audience: stage left = actor’s left / stage right = actor’s right.
• stage management

  The coordination of logistics, cues, and crew during rehearsals and performances.
• stage manager

  The person who organises rehearsals, calls cues during performances, and coordinates between artistic and technical teams / the central point of communication.
• stagehand

  An assistant to the stage management team who does whatever work they are asked to, like building sets, cleaning the stage and backstage area, assisting with props or costumes, and operating specific stage equipment such as flybars, etc.
• stagger-through / struggle-through

  The first attempt to run through the show without stopping, after the actors are off script / this rarely runs smoothly, hence the name.
• stand by / standby

  A warning given by stage management to technical staff that a cue is imminent. It is also often used as an alternative term for an understudy.
• Stanislavski system

  A method of acting focusing on psychological realism, emotional memory, and "given circumstances".
• stock character

  Stereotypical figures in plays and literature, such as the fool or villain, recurring across works.
• storyboard

  A sequence of drawings outlining each shot to plan the film visually before shooting.
• strike

  Disassembling a stage set (breaking down flats and rostra and returning décor and props after the run of the show). Also refers to removing items from the stage at the end of an act to change the scene.
• Structuralism

  A methodological approach to analysing norms, behaviour, creative practices, and culture within broader, encompassing structural systems of meaning.
• subtext

  The underlying, unspoken meaning beneath the dialogue or action.
• Surrealism

  An art movement using dream-like imagery to liberate the unconscious, influencing theatre and film in the early 20th century.
• SX

  Shorthand for sound.
• Symbolism

  The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning, where objects and imagery stand for deeper meanings or emotions.