| Gaffa Tape |
(Sometimes in the US called duct tape) A fabric-based
sticky tape (black or silver in colour) which is used to fasten
down cables temporarily and for 1001 other uses in theatre. Its
big advantage is that, although it adheres firmly to most surfaces,
it can be removed without causing any damage to the surface, unlike,
for example, sellotape. Utterly invaluable! |
| Gain |
A kind of rough sensititivy control for an incoming
sound channel on a mixer. |
| Gate |
The focal plane of a profile spot (qv) into which gobos
(qv) and iris diaphragms can be placed.
|
| Gauze |
A loosely-woven cloth (qv) on which a scene can be painted.
When lit from the front, it is opaque and only the painted scene
is seen; when lit from behind, however, it becomes transparent.
Commonly used in pantomime. There are different kinds of gauzes,
but the one used for the effect mentioned is shark's tooth gauze.
The American term is Scrim. |
| G-clamp |
Used for fastening lanterns to a bar. A G-shaped piece of metal
with a screw throught the bar of the G which clamps to the lighting
bar. |
| Gel |
A filter placed over the front of a lantern to change the colour
of the light. |
| Genie |
Proprietry name for a motorised tallescope (qv). |
| Get Out |
(Not what the director says when he fires you. Well, not only
that!) A touring theatre term: "getting out" the scenery,
props etc. from the theatre onto the transport. The opposite (remarkably
enough!) is the "get in". Used as both noun and
verb. The phrase Get Out nowadays also includes actually
dismantling the set which, at one time, was known as striking the
set. |
| Gobo |
A piece of metal or glass, which fits into the gate of a profile
spot (qv) and projects a pattern onto the set. Gobos can
be very complex. They are first fitted into a gobo holder. Holders
vary in size (each type of lantern requires a different size), although
the gobos themselves are of a standard size. Most basic gobos are
made of metal but very complex patterns can be created on glass
gobos.
Modern intelligent lights (qv) such as the Macs (qv)
have a number of built-in gobos. |
| Go Up |
In theatre slang, a show does not start, it "goes up";
i.e. the curtain goes up. |
| Grams |
A term little used nowadays, it originated (I think!) in radio.
It means sound equipment and/or the sound department (from - obviously!
- gramophone). |
| Grand Master |
The master fader on a lighting control desk which controls all
the other faders. No matter what position the other faders are in,
if the Grand Master is set to zero, they do not function. If another
fader is set to 50% and the GM is at 100%, then the lanterns controlled
by that fader will be at 50%; if the GM is set at 50%, then the
other fader's lanterns will be at 25%. |
| Graphic Equaliser |
Or EQ. A unit which cuts or boosts sounds in a particular
frequency range. The equivalent on domestic equipment is a tone
control. Most graphic equalisers have sliders to control 32 distinct
frequency bands and there will be two sets of sliders, one for each
stereo channel. As a verb, to EQ means to set the equalisation to
produce the best and clearest sound for a particular venue. |
| Greenroom |
A room backstage, occasionally licensed, in which the company
can sit and relax before, during or after a show. There'll always
be a kettle there, if nothing else! Not as common as they used to
be. |
| Grid |
The main structure above the stage which supports the flying bars:
usually made from steel or, usually in older theatres, wood. |
| Groundrow |
A battern (qv) placed on the floor of the stage, usually
to light a cyclorama (qv). Also occasionally used to mean
freestanding scenery, of a low height, running along the back of
the stage in front of the back wall or cyclorama. |
| Half (The) |
Half an hour before the first actors are due on stage (i.e. 35
minutes before the show begins). All actors must be in their dressing
rooms by the Half. Traditionally the audience is allowed into the
auditorium at that point. Traditionally too, the House Manager blows
a whistle in the auditorium to announce the Half. |
| Header |
A type of flat that tops off the scenery (usually flown). |
| Hemp |
Or hemp lines. A methiod of flying (qv) using rope
(hemp) and sheer strength |
| Hertz |
A unit of measurement of frequency (qv) |
| Horn |
A type of loudspeaker (qv), used for mid to high frequency
sounds. Musicans also use the term to refer to their instruments
(usually brass instruments but occasionally woodwind too). |
| House |
See FoH. |
| House Manager |
In charge of everything which happens front of house (FoH (qv)):
box office, ushers/usherettes, the bars, cash, etc.. |
| House Tabs |
The curtains across the front of the stage. |
| Howlround |
See feedback |
| Induction Loop |
See Loop |
| Ingenue |
Old fashioned term for the female juvenile lead. |
| Insert |
A way of inserting sound into a mix whilst by-passing some of
the controls. |
| Instrument |
An American term for lantern (qv), what in domestic terms
we mean by the word "light". |
| Intelligent Lights |
Lanterns which can move, change focus and colour, insert gobos
(qv), by remote control from the lighting desk. Very useful,
but they use a large number of DMX (qv) channels. |
| Iron |
The safety curtain (qv). |
