The Stage

Welcome to the Theater's Backstage. Visit behind the stage in the scene shop, costume shop, lighting studio, sound studio, and the dressing room. Join the actors in the green room and then make your selection from the auditions.

Costume Shop: Fashion in Shakespeare's Time | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

In Shakespeare's day fashion made a major statement. Wealthy people wore expensive, uncomfortable clothes because they demonstrated a person's prosperity and high social standing. To dress the actors...

Dressing Room: How to Make an Actor Look Older | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

An actor must walk, talk, and look like the character. The use of makeup adds to the authenticity of the performance.

Learning About the Stage and Auditions | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Learning About the Stage: The Green Room where actors wait to go onstage, or rest between scenes. Why is it called a Green Room? Apparently no one really knows, although there are several theories...

Learning About the Stage: Acting Areas Diagram | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Proscenium stages are divided into acting areas. The terms downstage and upstage come from the days when the rear of the stage was tilted, or raked, upward and away from the audience.

Learning About the Stage: Body Positions Diagram | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

How an actor stands onstage in relation to the audience is called the body position. Each position has a name.

Learning About the Stage: The Proscenium Stage | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The most familiar type of theater in the proscenium stage, named for the proscenium arch that surrounds the stage opening like a picture frame.

Lighting Studio | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

Theater lighting is an important aspect of the stage picture. The first thing theater lights do is to illuminate the stage and actors so they can be seen. Lighting can create the mood of a scen and...

Scene Shop: How To Build A Set | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Scenery is a very important element to stage productions. The scenery or set helps create a time and a place. A set designer, carpenters and painters are needed to build sets. Before building a set...

Sound Studio | Artopia

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Grades: 3 4 5 6 7 8

In the theater, sound refers to sound effects and music, as well as the audibility of the actors. Adding music and sound effects, like lighting, can change the mood of a production. Sound can also...