Shakespeare Ensemble Lexicon
Beginning-of-Term Meeting - One of two mandatory meetings of the ensemble membership, this one at the beginning of term. Major purpose: assignment of term and semester jobs.
Blank Verse - A bunch of iambic pentameter that doesn't rhyme.
Blocking - The process in rehearsal of determining who does what, when and where. Why and How are the subjects of other rehearsals.
Box Office Hours - The hours during which, starting production week, all Ensemble members help to sell tickets to the show. Hours : 4 hours over 2 weeks.
Campus Activities Complex (CAC) - The folks you call to reserve space, and to lock and unlock the performance area. The CAC office is located on the 5th floor of the student center. They can be reached during normal business hours (9-5) or by having operations (x3-1500) page a CAC manager to whatever location is desired. Paging of managers should only be done in the case of having spaces locked or unlocked or for similar reasons.
Cheat Out - Turn your body slightly so that the audience can see you better.
Cold Reading - The reading of a play out loud without any rehearsal. Used to familiarize the Ensemble with a play before voting on it. (and to provide the Ensemble with an excuse for a social event.)
Cue-to-Cue (Q2Q) - The rehearsal during which the stage manager integrates lighting and sound into the production. This is the technical equivalent of a blocking rehearsal; actors should be patient, and stop and go according to the stage manager's needs. Q2Q is usually the first technical rehearsal of production week.
Downstage - In front of the actor, towards the audience.
Drop Posters - Those long, hanging posters in Lobby 7. We have a space reserved for each major show. We get painting supplies and paper from the APO office, located conveniently next door to the Ensemble Office.
End-of-Term Meeting (EOT) - One of two mandatory meetings of the membership, this one at the end of the term. Issues discussed: outstanding issues from this term, plans for next term, officer elections, rush.
Faculty Meeting - Monthly meeting of the theatre arts faculty, attended by the Shakespeare Ensemble president.
Final Dress - The last dress rehearsal before opening night; done in performance conditions.
Iambic Pentameter - Shakepeare's favorite metrical structure, consisting of five iambs per line: baDUM baDUM baDUM baDUM baDUM.
Jobs - Specific duties to the Ensemble, assigned Reg Day of each term.
La Sala de Puerto Rico (La Sala) - the big room on the 2nd floor of the student center, where we perform our spring show.
"Line" - What an actor calls when s/he is "Off Book" (2) but not "Off Book" (1). An actor should call "line" only if s/he is completely unsure of what to say next, and s/he should do so in character (without apologizing or breaking the energy of the scene). The stage manager running the rehearsal feeds the actor his/her line, and the scene continues.
Little Kresge - The theatre in the basement of Kresge Auditorium, where we perform our fall show. Music and Theatre Arts Office - office on the 2nd floor of Building 14, across from the elevator. The place where you pick up Practicum forms.
Off Book - 1. The state of having memorized one's lines. 2. The state of being denied the use of one's script ("book") during a rehearsal.
Production Meeting - Weekly meeting of the producer, stage manager, director and designers of a production. The opportunity for everyone involved in the technical aspects of the show to coordinate with one another. Production Week (a.k.a. "Prod Week", "Tech Week", "Hell Week") - the period between Put-In and the first performance. (...)
Prose - the stuff that ain't verse. Shakespearian characters who speak in prose are usually low status or are speaking informally.
Put-In - the process of moving sets and lights (and props, and costumes, etc.) into the performance space, usually the weekend before opening. Starting with Put-In, the stage manager is in charge of the production. All active members are required to participate.
Rinaldi - Building E33. Home of the professional technical design staff, the set shop and the costume shop.
Pre-Put-In Hours - All ensemble members assist the set and costume designers in building the show. Default hours: Set Shop - 2 hrs/wk Costume Shop - 2 hrs/wk
Spring Break - For Ensemble members, the period between the Sunday of MIT Spring break and the Monday when classes resume. The final performance of the spring show is always the Saturday night of MIT's spring break; don't buy plane tickets that leave before the final performance!
Stage Left - The actor's left; the audience's right.
Stage Right - The actor's right; the audience's left.
Strike - The process of moving everything (sets, lights, costumes, props etc.) out of the performance space and into Rinaldi or storage. Strike begins immediately after the final performance. All active members are required to participate.
"Thou" - Informal second person singular.
Upstage - The direction behind the actor, away from the audience.
Verse - Poetry (in Shakespeare, usually iambic pentameter). Characters who speak in verse are usually high status or are being formal.
"You" - Formal second person singular or plural.