Theatre Idioms/Sayings for Those "In the Know"

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 1:23pm

I started a thread a while ago about people who say they "saw Hamilton" versus "watched Hamilton" and how I think the latter is simply wrong.

 

More and more, I get frustrated/see others being frustrated about those who incorrectly call a cast recording/cast album a "soundtrack."

 

Are there any other idioms/sayings that people are prickly about along these lines? What about theater versus theatre? Just curious

Updated On: 12/2/15 at 01:23 PM

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 1:32pm

I myself get a little peeved when people refer to a musical as a play. Sure, it technically is a play, but you should refer to musicals as a musical, and a play as a play. 

[TerrenceIsTheMann]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 1:32pm

Double post- Ignore. 

Updated On: 12/2/15 at 01:32 PM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 1:37pm

When someone is picked to play a part in a play or musical the proper term to use is "cast" NOT "casted".

 

Also, the part the actor is playing in a play or musical is also referred to as a "role" NOT "roll".

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 1:41pm

"Play practice" always made me red with rage. Also, "do you have tryouts soon?" makes me so mad. Also, for the saw vs. watched thing, I definitely use saw when I see a live show, and watched when I....well, I think you get it.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 1:50pm

I'm not sure why this is, but I also use "Saw" for a movie in the cinema and "Watched" for a movie on TV. "Saw" just feels more like something you went out and experienced. "Watched" feels more passive. 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 2:05pm

The theatre is full of expressions and vocab that are mostly known only by theatre people. Many of them relate to the technical/practical aspect of theatre, or parts of the theatre itself. Just a few examples:

 

Upstage/Downstage 

Parts of the theatre like the house, the wings, fly-space, proscenium, etc. 

"Break a Leg" (I guess that's more commonly known) 

Responding to calls from the SM with "Thank you 5" or "10" or "Half hour" etc. 

"Blocking" a show, or to remember one's "blocking" 

 

As I said, just a tiny sampling of some theatre lingo. 

 

 

 

Updated On: 12/2/15 at 02:05 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 2:11pm

"Saw" just feels more like something you went out and experienced. "Watched" feels more passive. 

 

While I use see and watch just as you describe, I don't think this explanation is really true. If anything, I'd say that watching suggests more active involvement than seeing. If you were entrusted with the care of a child, would you watch her or see her?

 

Anyhow, my friend from Texas talks about watching operas and shows all the time. I suspect this is just another harmless dialectal difference, and most certainly not a case of someone being "simply wrong."

[JBroadway]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 2:21pm

Guys, as the OP already said, there was already a thread about this:

 

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1086943#4719377

 

The OP started this thread to pose a new question. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 2:28pm

The OP started this thread to pose a new question.

 

True, but (s)he also baited us a little bit by re-introducing the watch/see debate in the original post. :)

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 2:36pm

Ha, apologies! Discourse never hurts

[kdogg36]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 3:04pm

To redeem myself a bit, here's another one: I doubt most casual theatergoers can distinguish the meanings of standby, understudy, and swing. (Some discussion is here.)

[tazber]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 3:09pm

One time I heard someone refer the scrim as a skim and I got so enraged I killed them.

 

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 3:09pm

CindersGolightly said: ""Play practice" always made me red with rage. Also, "do you have tryouts soon?" makes me so mad. "

 

May I ask why?  Are the actors not PRACTICING?  Are people not trying out for parts?   Maybe I'm missing your point.   

 

I often call halftime: intermission.....and I almost fell off my couch when I heard an announcer use intermission during Monday night football.

 

 

I will agree, TOTALLY, with the use of the word "casted".  I'm fairly certain that's never correct.  Even when fishing.  

[JBroadway]

Posted: 12/2/15 at 3:17pm

dramamama611 said: "May I ask why?  Are the actors not PRACTICING?  Are people not trying out for parts?   Maybe I'm missing your point."

 

For me, there's a couple of things:

(1) the proper term would be "rehearsal," which is more formal, official, and to me sounds less awkward. Same thing for "auditions" instead of "try-outs." I'm not in the business, but I don't think theatre professionals say "play practice" or "try-outs"

(2) For me personally, and maybe this is true for others, "play practice" has very amateurish associations. I remember doing plays in middle school and hearing kids asking "when's play practice today?" "what are we doing in play practice?" I continued to hear it occasionally in high school, predominately from people who were just doing theatre for the first time. 

Updated On: 12/2/15 at 03:17 PM

[notalwaysontime]

Posted: 12/5/15 at 3:42am

TerrenceIsTheMann said: "I myself get a little peeved when people refer to a musical as a play. Sure, it technically is a play, but you should refer to musicals as a musical, and a play as a play."

 

This one bugs me too.

 

Another one that bugs me is when someone refers to an alternate or a temprary replacement (especially one that's on a longer run) as an understudy/stand by, it's not the same thing.