Stage Management is the discipline that holds the production together. As a teacher or production manager, you don't do SM work — but you need to understand the SM's language to support their authority + spot when an SM is over- or under-scoped. Each term has a definition + a "why it matters" line. Print double-sided A4.
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt copy / Prompt script | The SM's master script with all blocking + cues marked up. The "show bible". | If the SM doesn't have one ready before tech, you're going into tech blind. Big red flag. |
| Cue book / Cue sheet | The list of every cue (LX, sound, scenic, fly, automation) in performance order. | Should be complete + agreed before tech-week. If incomplete, tech will overrun. |
| Blocking | The recorded staging of every actor in every scene — entry, exit, position. | SM's job to record + protect. If the director changes blocking late, the SM must update + redistribute. |
| Cans / Comms / Talkback | The intercom headset system the SM uses to call cues to operators. | SM speaks; operators listen. Discipline = clear cues. A chatty cans = missed cues. |
| Prompt corner | The SM's calling position, usually downstage-right or downstage-left. | Physical position from which the SM has line-of-sight to the stage + calls cues. |
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Standby | The SM's warning to an operator that a cue is coming. Spoken ~5-10 seconds before the cue. | Standby is preparation. Don't talk on cans during a standby — it disrupts. |
| GO | The trigger word. When the SM says "GO", the operator fires the cue. | "GO" is reserved. Never used casually. The discipline keeps cues clean. |
| Calling cues | The act of running the show from the prompt corner, calling standbys + GOs. | This is the SM's core skill. Year 12 students can do it well with training. |
| Cue stack | The sequence of cues in performance order. | Built collaboratively SM + LD + Sound Designer. Locked at tech-week. |
| Cue-to-cue | Tech-rehearsal mode: skip dialogue, jump from one cue to the next. | Standard in tech-week. Slow + frustrating for cast; necessary for tech. |
| Cue light | A small light signalling "standby" or "go" to crew not on cans (e.g. fly operator). | Backup to cans. Cheap, reliable. |
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| LX cue | A lighting cue triggered on the console. | Routine. ~80-200 LX cues in a musical. |
| Sound cue | A sound effect or audio playback triggered (usually QLab). | Routine. |
| Fly cue | A scenic element (backdrop, drape, set piece) flown in or out. | Higher-risk cue. Fly operator must confirm receipt of standby. |
| Scenic cue / Deck cue | A scenic move on the deck (set piece pushed on/off, revolve, automation). | Routine. |
| Automation cue | A motorised set element (turntable, lift, automated revolve). | Rare in school productions; if present, requires specific operator training. |
| FOH cue | A cue affecting the front-of-house (e.g. house lights, foyer doors closing). | Coordinated with FOH manager. |
| Deck cue | A cue on the stage deck (a prop set, an actor pre-set in position). | Coordinated with deck crew. |
| Standby cue / Visual cue | A cue that happens off the script — triggered by an action onstage rather than a line. | Risky if visual ambiguity exists. SM specifies the trigger precisely. |
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Snap | Instant cue — no fade, full state in 0 seconds. | Used for blackouts + sudden cues. Read like "BO snap". |
| Fade | A gradual transition over X seconds. | "LX 47 fade 5" = fade lighting cue 47 over 5 seconds. |
| Crossfade | One state fades out as the next fades in, simultaneously. | Standard for scene-to-scene transitions. |
| Bump | A snap-up or snap-down (typically lighting); like a punch. | Used for emphasis. "LX 23 bump up". |
| Restore | Recall a previous state. | After an interruption or blackout. |
| Hold | Pause a cue mid-execution (e.g. half-fade). | Rarely used; usually for emergency. |
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Half-hour call | "Half hour please" — 30 minutes before curtain. Cast must be in venue. | Old theatre convention. Even modern shows use it. |
| Quarter-hour call | "Quarter please" — 15 min before curtain. | Cast in costume by now. |
| Five-minute call | "Five please" — 5 min before curtain. Cast in places or pre-set positions. | Last warning before places. |
| Places | "Places, please" — actors take starting positions. | Final pre-show call. |
| Beginners | Old AU/UK term for "places" — actors at top of show take position. | Some SMs use beginners; some places. Same thing. |
| Top of show | The very beginning of the show, before cue 1. | "Top of show" = back to opening state. |
| Top of act | Beginning of an act (e.g. top of Act 2 after interval). | "Reset to top of Act 2". |
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Paper tech | SM + LD + Sound Designer sit at a table + walk through every cue on paper before going into the venue. | Saves 4-8 hours of in-venue tech time. Schedule this before tech-week. |
| Dry tech | Tech with no cast — operators + crew run cues from the prompt corner. | Run before adding cast in. Catches obvious cue-stack issues. |
| Wet tech | Tech with cast in costume + props, but cue-to-cue (no full performance). | Slow. Cast in costume; long, frustrating. |
| Full run / Stagger-through | Run the show end-to-end with stops for major issues only. | Tests pacing + transitions. |
| Dress rehearsal / Dress | Full run with all elements, treated as a performance. | Final pre-audience check. |
| GP / General Public dress | Final dress with a small invited audience. | Tests audience-energy effect. |
| Tech notes / Show notes | SM-recorded list of issues to address before next show. | Distributed every night post-show. Should be brief + actionable. |
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Wings | The off-stage areas on either side of the playing area. | Where cast wait pre-entrance + where deck crew work. |
| Drape / Traveller | Hanging fabric — drapes are static; travellers can be drawn open/closed. | Most school theatres have a traveller for act-change. |
| Scrim / Gauze | A semi-transparent backdrop. Opaque from front lighting, transparent when lit from behind. | Effect tool. Often used in musicals for reveals. |
| Border | A horizontal fabric strip masking the top of the stage from audience view. | Hides the lighting bars + flying space. |
| Leg | A vertical fabric strip masking the wings from audience view. | Defines the stage's visible width. |
| Soft mask / Hard mask | Soft mask = fabric. Hard mask = built scenery flat. | Hard masks are more permanent + look better; soft masks are quicker to deploy. |
| Cyc / Cyclorama | The white backdrop at the back of the stage. | Lit by cyc lights (see lighting vocab). |
| Term | What it is | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Transition | The change from one scene to the next. | Choreographed move involving multiple cues. |
| Walk-in / Walk-out | Pre-set positions cast walk into before curtain. | Coordinated by SM. |
| Set / Strike (within a show) | Set = put a prop or scenic piece into place. Strike = remove. | Deck crew tasks. |
| Reset | Return everything to a previous state (top of show or top of act). | Used in tech-week. |
| Hold | SM stops the show mid-action (emergency, technical fault, audience issue). | SM has authority to call hold without checking. Module 1A-3 covers this. |
| Show-stop | Full halt. House lights up. SM addresses audience. | Major incident only. Practiced in tech-week. |