THEATER TERMS #6                                                    

 NTC’s Dictionary of Theatre and Drama Terms, Jonnie Patricia Mobley, National Textbook Company, 1992

1. The “Heavy” – the villain in a play

2. Scaramouche – a commedia dell’arte character – a clown character.  He loves women and wine and always dresses in black

3. Scapino – a commedia dell’arte character – a clown servant.  When things got out of hand, he would scamper off.  He was a liar and a ladies’ man and wore green and white stripes

4. “Greek it” – To use fake lettering in scenic design.  The lettering looks Greek but is nonsense.

5. Green room – A room backstage where actors wait for their entrances.  The original room may have been painted green, thus the name

6. Principals – the leading characters in a play

7. Ingénue  – The young, innocent female lead in a play, usually the love interest

8. Juvenile – the male counterpart to the ingénue and her romantic interest

9. Confidant/confidante – A close friend of the principal character to whom he/she confides private thoughts, fears, longing.