Theater & Drama – Chinese Vocabulary

xì jù

Drama

tuì chǎng

Exit

kāi chǎng xiǎo xì

Opening skit

cháng qī lián yǎn de xì

Long-running play

cì yào jué sè

Minor role

pèi jué

Supporting role

fǎn miàn jué sè

Antagonist

nǚ pèi jué

Female supporting role

nǚ zhǔ jué

Female lead

nán pèi jué

Male supporting role

nán zhǔ jué

Male lead

jù míng jué sè

Title role

zhǔ jué

Main character

zhèng miàn jué sè

Protagonist

xiǎng líng qǐ mù

Curtain rises with a bell

xiǎng líng luò mù

Curtain falls with a bell

biàn huàn de cháng jǐng

Changing scenes

kāi chǎng bái

Opening speech

yīn yuè jù

Musical

mù jiān xiū xī

Intermission

shōu chǎng bǎi

Finale

páng bái

Narration

dēng cháng

Entry/Appearance on stage

xiào jù

Comedy

duō mù jù

Multi-act play

dú mù jù

One-act play

lì shǐ jù

Historical drama

yǎ jù

Mime

mù qǐ

Curtain rises

xǐ jù

Comedy

luò mù

Curtain down

mù luò

Act ends

dú bái

Monologue

yǎn chū

Performance

yù yǎn

Preview

cǎi pái

Rehearsal

pái liàn

Rehearsal

zhèng jù

Serious drama

xiè mù lǐ

Ovation

xiè mù

Curtain call

chū pái

First rehearsal

jù běn lǎng sòng huì

Script reading session

chū yǎn

Premiere

zhuān chǎng yǎn chū

Special performance

xún huí yǎn chū

Touring performance

bēi jù

Tragedy

bēi xǐ jù

Tragicomedy

jù chǎng

Theatre

gǔ zhǎng

Applause

wǔ tái yǎn chū běn

Stage script

xì piào

Play ticket

yīn yuè huì jì piào

Concert season ticket

hòu pái piāo

Back row extra

qián pái piāo

Front row extra

zhāo dài piào

Complimentary ticket

fèi piào

Invalid ticket

jù yuàn de tú piàn zhǎn lǎn chú chuāng

Theater picture exhibition display

xì zhuāng

Costume

chuí mù bù jǐng

Twilight scenery

bǎo liú jié mù

Reserved program

wǔ tái shuō míng

Stage directions

wǔ tái qián bù

Front of the stage

tái kǒu

Stage opening

jù zuò jiā

Playwright

wǔ tái

Stage

léng chǎng

Stage lull

xuán zhuǎn wǔ tái

Revolving stage

hè cǎi

Cheer

zhōng yāng jù chǎng

Central theater

shí yàn jù chǎng

Experimental theater

lù tiān jù chǎng

Open-air theater

yuán xíng jù chǎng

Arena theater

bù jǐng

Scenery/Set

jù chǎng xiū xī tīng

Theater lounge

tiān mù

Canopy

huà zhuāng shì

Dressing room

bàn yuán xíng tiān mù

Semicircular canopy

yī mào jiān

Walk-in closet

piào fáng

Box office

wǔ tái qián fāng

Front of the stage

wǔ tái hòu fāng

Back of the stage

wǔ tái nǚ yǎn yuán

Stage actress

wǔ tái gōng zuò rén yuán

Stage crew

wú měi shè jì shī

Stage designer

xì jù píng lùn jiā

Drama critic

yǐn zuò yuán

Usher

bāo xiāng shì zhě

Box attendant

fú zhuāng shī

Costume designer

wǔ tái jiān dū

Stage manager

xì mí

Theater fan

xì piào fàn zi

Ticket scalper

bù jǐng yuán

Set dresser

yì míng

Stage name

fēng shēng mó nǐ qì

Wind sound simulator

mù

Curtain

wǔ tái diào mù

Stage curtain

qiè chǎng

Stage fright

ān quán mén

Emergency exit

xí jiān tōng dào

Aisle between seats

lóu tīng bāo xiāng

Balcony box

bāo xiāng

Private Room

yuè chí

Orchestra pit

hè dào cǎi

Applaud loudly

guān zhòng zhōng tú tuì chǎng

Audience leaving midway

wǔ tái xiào guǒ

Stage effects

hòu tái

Backstage

hòu jǐng

Backdrop

wǔ tái cè yì

Stage wings

lóu tīng tī jí zuò

Balcony tiered seats

guān zhòng xí

Audience seating

qǐ lì gǔ zhǎng

Stand up and applaud

wǔ tái diào dù

Stage direction

wǔ tái yǎn yuán

Stage actor

qún zhòng yǎn yuán

Extras (actors)

yǎ jù yǎn yuán

Mime actor

xǐ jù yǎn yuán

Comedy actor

bēi jù yǎn yuán

Tragedy actor

jù guāng dēng

Spotlight

jiǎo dēng

Footlights

guà tóu pái

Hanging marquee

pāi shǒu hè dào cǎi

Clap hands and cheer

wǔ tái dǎo yǎn

Stage director

wǔ tái dào jù

Stage props

piào gēn

Ticket stub

hòu tái mén

Backstage door

jié mù dān

Program

bāo xiāng zuò

Box seats

jù zhào

Production photos

wǔ tái bèi jǐng

Stage background

wǔ tái biǎo yǎn

Stage performance

yǎn yuán xìng míng dēng guāng pái

Actor name light board

jù zhōng rén wù biǎo

List of characters in the play

piào yǒu

Amateur theater enthusiast

lóu zuò

Balcony

dǐng céng lóu zuò

Upper balcony

hǎi bào

Poster

wǔ tái dēng guāng

Stage lighting

zhōng guó dì fāng xì qū

Chinese regional opera

chuān jù

Sichuan Opera

wù jù

Wuju

yuè jù

Yue Opera

yuè jù

Cantonese opera

liǎn pǔ

Facial Makeup

shuǎi shuǐ xiù

Water-sleeve dance

qīng yī

Qingyi (a role type in Chinese opera)

shēng jué

Male role

wǔ shēng

Martial male role

lǎo shēng

Old male role

xiǎo shēng

Young male role

chǒu jué

Clown role

dàn jué

Female role

wǔ dàn

Martial female role

lǎo dàn

Old female role

xiāng jù

Xiang Opera

kāi chǎng luó gǔ shēng

Opening gongs and drums

xī jù

Xi Opera

shào jù

Shao Opera

xiàng shēng

Crosstalk

jìn jù

Jin Opera

chǔ jù

Chu opera

guì jù

Gui opera

huáng méi xì

Huangmei opera

huā gǔ xì

Flower drum opera

liàng xiàng

Appearance on Stage

chàng qiāng

Singing style

lǚ jù

Lü opera

jīng jù

Peking opera

qián jù

Qian opera

guó jù

National opera

cáng jù

Tibetan opera

qín qiāng

Qin Tune

yáng jù

Yang opera

tóng jù

Tong opera

huī jù

Huizhou opera

huái jù

Huai opera

huā dàn

Huadan (a young female role in Chinese opera)

hù jù

Hu opera

chàng

Singing

zuò

do/make

hàn jù

Han opera

huá jī xì

Comic play

yù jù

Yu Opera

niàn

read; think of

dǎ

hit

shuǐ xiù

Water Sleeves

kūn jù

Kunqu Opera

gàn jù

Gan Opera

píng jù

Ping Opera