WHO AM I? WHAT AM I?
Performances at The Joyce Theater involve more than the dancers on the stage. There are very important
jobs behind the scenes that help make a performance successful. Let’s see how well you know the definitions of the careers and theater terms listed in the box. Choose a word from the box to complete the
sentences listed below.
technical director
stage manager
stage crew
set designer
usher
artistic director
lighting designer
marquee
audio technician
scrim
costume designer
critic
marketing director
executive director
choreographer
lobby
dressing rooms
box office
costume designer
backdrop
blackout
gel
me
composer
proscenium
wings
prop
1. This roof-like structure projects over a theater’s entrance and announces its name and information on
current performances. It is called the _____________________.
2. 5,6,7,8…I’m the person who composes dance for performance. I’m the _______________.
3. You can purchase or pick up your tickets from this window in the lobby. This is the ______.
4. When all the stage lights are turned off at once this is called a _______________________.
5. This curtain of loosely woven material stretched across the stage during some performances looks
opaque when lit from the front and transparent when lit from behind. The ________.
6. I am the person who works closely with a choreographer to design the set and props for a dance. I am
the __________________________________.
7. This is the person responsible for the overall administration of each department of the theater. She
manages The Joyce staff and reports to a Board of Trustees. She is the ____________________.
*Extra credit* Her name is __________ _______________.
8. A waiting area inside the theater entrance where tickets are bought and audiences linger to meet with
friends before the show begins is called the __________________________.
9. Follow us. We are the people who direct you to your seat and distribute programs. We are called
______________________.
10.I am the person in charge of publicizing the performances. I am the __________________.
11.This person works closely with the choreographer to design and create the clothes in which the dancers
perform. This is the _______________________________________.
12.I create the music for performance. Just call me the _________________________.
13.I write reviews about the dance performance. You can read my words in newspapers, magazines, journals and blogs. I am known as a ___________________________.
14.Did you hear that? Good, because I am in charge of sound during a performance. I am the
____________________________.
15.You don’t see me but I’m in charge of coordinating and supervising all backstage activities during performances to make certain they run smoothly. I am the ________________.
16.The curtain or fabric hung near the back wall of the stage to provide a background is known as the
______________________________.
17.When this paper-thin sheet of colored plastic is placed in front of the stage lights, it helps set the mood
and is called a ______________________.
18.Did you enjoy the performance? The one with artistic control over a dance company is known as the
__________________________ and is often the founder of the company.
19.The performers change into and out of costumes and make-up in the _______________.
20.The areas on the right and left sides of the stage that are hidden from the audience’s view are known as
__________________. Performers make their entrances and exits from there.
21.Items that appear and/or are used on stage during shows but which are not sets are called __________.
These articles can include books, chairs, food, newspapers etc.
22.The person in charge of overseeing the technical aspects of the production, including the stage crew,
carpentry, lighting, electrical work and sound is known as the ____________________________.
23. A wide arch above the front of the stage forms a decorative frame for the curtains. It is a common type of theater setting that allows the audience to see only part of the stage. It is called a
______________________________.
24.A person who works closely with a choreographer to design how the stage will be lit for a given dance
is called the __________________________________.
25.The group of people who work backstage during a performance and are responsible for operating the
lights, raising and lowering the curtains, setting up and striking the sets. These hard workers are known
as the ________________________________.
26.The luckiest student in the world who has a teacher who wants her/his students to experience live
dance at the best theater for dance in New York City is __________.
Which behind the scenes career interests you? Can you think of any that are not listed?
Answers: 1) marquee 2) choreographer 3) box office 4) blackout 5) scrim 6) set designer 7)executive director + Linda Shelton 8) lobby 9) ushers 10)
marketing director 11) costume designer 12) composer 13) critic 14) audio technician 15) stage manager 16) backdrop 17) gel 18) artistic director 19)
dressing rooms 20) wings 21) prop 22) technical director 23) proscenium 24) lighting designer 25) stage crew 26) me!