Theater Jargon

noun a formal written law or decision of a legislature, ruler, court, or other authority

verb to take action; do something

• The government passed an act to regulate the use of pesticides in agriculture.
• She's planning to act in the school play next month.
• Stop acting like you know everything.
• His kindness towards others is just an act to hide his true intentions.

noun a female actor or performer in a play, movie, or television show

• The actress delivered a powerful monologue in the final act of the play.
• I heard that actress is going to be in the new movie coming out next month.
• That actress is totally killing it on screen!
• She played the role of a mother so convincingly, she truly became the actress in real life.

verb to indicate or suggest something; to be a sign of something

• The elegant attire she wore bespeaks her refined taste in fashion.
• His fancy car bespeaks his success in life.
• The graffiti on the wall bespeaks the artist's rebellious nature.
• The storm clouds gathering on the horizon bespeak of an impending thunderstorm.

noun a brief or casual involvement or association

• The dalliance between the two diplomats was strictly professional.
• I heard about their little dalliance at the office party last night.
• Their dalliance was the talk of the town for weeks.
• His dalliance with danger ultimately led to his downfall.

noun a downward stroke or movement, as in conducting

adjective indicating the first beat of a measure

• The economist's downbeat forecast for the economy caused concern among investors.
• I'm feeling a bit downbeat about the upcoming exam.
• She always has a downbeat attitude, it's so annoying.
• Despite the setbacks, she refused to let her downbeat mood affect her performance.

noun a coordinated outfit or costume

• The orchestra performed a beautiful ensemble of classical music.
• The band played an awesome ensemble of popular songs.
• The crew put together a sick ensemble for the performance.
• The team worked together in perfect ensemble to achieve their goal.

noun a passageway, especially a narrow walkway or aisle

interjection used as a nautical command to clear the way

• Please clear the gangway for the passengers to disembark.
• Make sure to move out of the gangway so people can get through.
• Hey, don't block the gangway, dude!
• The new policy created a gangway for employees to voice their concerns.

noun a trick or joke intended to deceive or cheat

verb to deceive or cheat

• The politician's hoke speech failed to convince the audience of his sincerity.
• I can't believe he tried to hoke his way out of that situation.
• Stop hoking around and get to work!
• His promises were nothing but hoke and mirrors.

noun a person's male lover or suitor

adjective related to or characteristic of a male lover or suitor

• The young woman was deeply devoted to her inamorato, showering him with gifts and affection.
• I heard that Sarah's inamorato is taking her out for a fancy dinner tonight.
• My best friend's inamorato is always spoiling her with surprises.
• The artist considered painting his inamorato as a symbol of his love and devotion.

noun A person who plays the main female role in a movie, play, or television show.

• The leading lady of the opera delivered a stunning performance last night.
• Did you see the leading lady in that new movie? She was amazing!
• That leading lady is killing it in her role!
• She was the leading lady in his life, always taking center stage.

noun an act or instance of making or becoming open

verb the action of beginning or starting something

adjective allowing access, passage, or a view through an empty space

• The grand opening of the new art gallery was attended by many prominent figures in the art world.
• Are you going to the movie theater's opening tonight?
• I heard the club's opening last night was lit!
• The opening of her heart to him was a turning point in their relationship.

noun a repeated light tapping sound

verb to make a rapid succession of light tapping sounds

• The patter of rain on the roof was a soothing sound as I worked in my study.
• I love the patter of my dog's paws as he runs around the house.
• The patter of gossip in the office was getting out of control.
• The patter of applause filled the room as the speaker finished their inspiring speech.

noun the performance of tricks that are so skillful as to appear supernatural

• The magician amazed the audience with his impressive prestidigitation skills.
• Did you see that cool prestidigitation trick the magician did?
• That prestidigitation move was lit!
• Her ability to navigate through difficult situations with prestidigitation-like skill is admirable.

noun A principal female singer in an opera or concert

• The opera company hired a renowned prima donna to star in their upcoming production.
• I heard that the lead actress is a real prima donna backstage.
• She acts like such a prima donna, always demanding special treatment.
• Don't be such a prima donna about sharing the spotlight, we're a team.

verb to practice or repeat in preparation for a performance or presentation

• The actors gathered in the theater to rehearse their lines for the upcoming play.
• Let's rehearse the dance routine one more time before the show.
• We need to rehearse our presentation so we don't mess up in front of the boss.
• It's important to rehearse your responses before going into a difficult conversation.

noun a quick review or rehearsal

verb to quickly go over or rehearse something

• Before finalizing the contract, we need to run through all the terms and conditions.
• Let's quickly run through the agenda for today's meeting.
• I'll run through the details with you later.
• The memories of our time together always run through my mind.

noun a certificate or receipt, especially one for shares of a company or government bonds

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The doctor wrote a scrip for the patient's medication.
• I need to pick up my scrip from the pharmacy later.
• Hey, can you hook me up with that scrip for my allergies?
• Her words were like a scrip for my troubled mind, offering comfort and reassurance.

noun a trembling or quivering movement

verb to move rapidly back and forth or up and down

• The scientist shakes the test tube gently to mix the solution.
• She shakes her head in disbelief at the news.
• I love it when the DJ shakes things up with his music.
• The earthquake shakes the entire city, leaving everyone in fear.

noun a riverboat used as a theater or restaurant

verb to behave in a showy or ostentatious manner

• The showboat was a popular form of entertainment in the early 20th century.
• That guy is such a showboat, always trying to steal the spotlight.
• Don't be such a showboat, just let someone else have a turn.
• His flashy car is like a showboat, drawing attention wherever he goes.

noun a male deer, especially a mature one with large antlers

• The stag was a majestic creature, standing regally in the clearing.
• We spotted a stag while hiking in the woods.
• That stag is a real looker, isn't he?
• The CEO was like a stag, leading his team with strength and grace.

noun a command given to someone to wake up or start moving

verb to get out of bed or start moving

• The sergeant ordered the soldiers to show a leg at the morning roll call.
• Hey, wake up and show a leg before you miss breakfast!
• Come on, show a leg or we'll be late for the movie.
• She needs to show a leg and start working on her project before the deadline.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'play' is a noun referring to a form of activity or entertainment.

adverb A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In this case, 'at' could also be considered an adverb indicating the location or position of the action of playing.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. In this case, 'at' is a preposition indicating a location or position.

• The children's creativity is at play during recess as they engage in various imaginative games.
• The kids are at play in the park, running around and having fun.
• The team is at play on the field, giving it their all to win the game.
• The different factors are at play in determining the outcome of the experiment.

verb a word used to describe an action or state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• During the presentation, the speaker decided to go off script and speak from the heart.
• I love it when comedians go off script and start improvising on stage.
• The actor totally went off script and started ad-libbing in that scene.
• When things started going wrong, I had to go off script and come up with a new plan.

noun something that accompanies or goes with something else

• The accompanier at the concert was a skilled pianist.
• My friend is a great accompanier on road trips.
• She's my go-to accompanier for nights out.
• Laughter is the perfect accompanier to a good meal.

adjective describing something that can be acted upon or performed on stage

• The script was well-written with many actable scenes for the actors.
• The play has a lot of actable moments that the actors can really sink their teeth into.
• The movie has some super actable parts that are gonna be so fun to watch.
• The situation was so intense, it was like an actable drama unfolding before our eyes.