Stage Directions & Terminology

Stage Blocking:
Stage blocking is a term which means movement and positioning of the actors on the stage. They would be using this term during dance practices telling the dances or actors where they should stand so they don’t go off stage or hit into each other. Assistant director or stage director will have to take notes of the movement as they would be in charged. It is important that the actors know these terms as they will be having blocking rehearsal.

Sightlines:
A sightline is a line of sight between people watching the show and the stage or the place the stage area is. This will allow people to see the whole venue of the area as the eye height must be not be lower than 800 mm above the stage.

Stage directions:Stage directions is when the stage director will give the actors directions to take up, this helps the actors performs and helps the audience to see the whole play without missing anything which is a key part you don’t want them to miss anything.

Upstage:Upstage is when it is the furthest away from the stage so it’s back to front, which means the actors would know whether to be back at the stage or front as the actor terms are different to the normal day terms.

Downstage:
Downstage is when the actors need to be at the front of the stage closet to the audience they can, as from the audience it’s the other away round. The actors need to know this so they wouldn’t get confused on the stage but the stage director will help them understand.  

Stage Right & Stage Left:
From the actors point of view right is right and left is left but from the audience put of view it would be the opposite so the actor would have to be able to make sure there right is there left and there left is there right so everything is in reversed so the audience could understand it.