150+ Performing Arts Related Spanish Terms & Vocabulary You Should Know
This blog was originally published on the Kaivalya Plays blog here.
Being a technical crew member in any performing arts endeavour is a challenging and often, a confusing job if you're just starting out. However, if you're also touring your performance in a country that doesn't speak your native language, it's even more chaotic!
In July 2019, we travelled to Spain with our play Marta La Piadosa to participate in AlmagroOFF, the world's largest classical theatre festival.
(Here's a review of how the performance turned out!)
We were a big creative team of 13 people which included many language-students-turned-actors. Then there was me – the group's production manager who doubled up as a light and sound operator for the performance. This meant that I was the one tasked with the technical coordination of the lights/sound design with the staff at the venue we were performing at, all of whom, surprise surprise, only spoke Spanish!
A View From The Tech Box
I remember looking up Spanish words for spotlight, downstage, fade, focus and other stage-related terms before the flight but had blanked out completely on the day. Since I knew the basics of the language, I was able to communicate with the staff with the help of my directors and we were able to execute the lights and sound plan and go on to put on a fabulous show, in spite of the logistical (and linguistic!) challenges that came up.
If you're reading till this point in this blog, chances are you're probably someone who has had a similar experience already (I feel for you!) or you're someone who may be travelling to a Spanish-speaking country soon with a performing arts project (pandemic permitting, of course). That's why we've decided to compile a list of thirty handy theatre terms in the Spanish language – covering different areas like text, performance, research and analysis, stagecraft, scenography, production, venue and the 'lingo' you may hear off stage and on stage.
Let's dive in!
📖 Text (el texto)
Act(s) - el acto / los actos
Antagonist / Protagonist - el or la antagonista / el or la protagonista
Aside - aparte
Character - el personaje
Role - el rol or el papel
Chorus / Ensemble - el conjunto
Classic - clásico
Climax - el clímax
Conflict - el conflicto
Contemporary - contemporáneo
Drama, Comedy, Farce, Mystery, Fantasy - la tragedia, la comedia, la farsa, el misterio, la fantasía
Environment - el ambiente / el entorno
Genre - el género
Lines / Dialogues - las líneas
Monologue - el monólogo
Mood - el ambiente
Narrator - el narrador
Plot - el argumento
Prologue / Epilogue - el prólogo / el epílogo
Scene - la escena
Script - el guión
Setting - el marco
Stage Direction - la acotación
The End - el fin
The Start - el principio
💃 Performance (la realización)
Action - la acción
Audience - el público / los espectadores
Audition - la audición
Blackout - el oscurecimiento
Blocking - el movimiento
Casting - la audición
Cold Reading - la interpretación basica
Cue / Beat - el pie or la entrada
Curtain - el telón
Dress Rehearsal - el ensayo de vestuario
Ensemble - el conjunto
Full Run-Through - el ensayo general
Gabbling - parloteo
Gesture - el gesto
Improvisation - improvisación
Mask - la máscara
Rehearsal - el ensayo
Rhythm - el ritmo
Staging - la escenificación
Voice - la voz
✍️ Research and Analysis (interpretación y análisis)
Adaptation - la adaptación or la interpretación
Character Analysis / Study - análisis de personaje
Cultural Context - contexto cultural
Edition - la edición
Historical Context - contexto histórico
Motivation - la motivación
Pathos - patetismo
Repertoire / Collection - el repertorio
Social Context - contexto social
Status - el estatus
Subtext - el trasfondo
Synopsis - el resumen or el sumario
Translation - la traducción or la versión
🤼 Team (el equipo)
Actor - la actriz or el actor
Assistant - la/el asisente
Cast / Creative Team - el elenco or el reparto
Choreographer - la coreógrafa or el coreógrafo
Crew / Technical Team - Equipo técnico
Critic / Reviewer - la crítica or el crítico
Director - la directora or el director
Dramaturg - el dramaturgo
Light Designer - diseñador/a de luz
Musician - la musica or el musico
Playwright - la autora or el autor / la escritora or el escritor
Producer - la productora or el productor / la realizadora or el realizador
Prompter - la apuntadora or el apuntador
Set Designer - diseñador/a de escena
Sound Designer - diseñador/a de sonido
Stage Manager - la regidora or el regidor
Understudy - la / el suplente
Usher - el acomodador
👗 Stagecraft (escenario)
Backdrop - el fondo
Costume - el vestuario
Make-Up - el maquillaje
Masking Tape - cinta adhesiva
Multimedia - multimedia
Puppets - las marionetas
Screen - la pantalla
Stage Properties / Props - la utilería / el decorado / las propiedades
💡 Scenography (escenografia)
Lights / Light Board - panel de luces
Sounds / Sound Board - panel de sonidos
Focus / Widen - enfoca la luz / ensancha la luz
Increase / Decrease - aumentar la luz / disminuir la luz
Loud / Quieter - sonido alto / sonido bajo
More / Less - mas / menos
Better / Worse - mejor / peor
Centre Stage - el centro
Stage Lights - la iluminación
Footlights - las candilejas
Front of House Lights - primera fila de luces
Spotlight - el foco or "El espot"
Profile - luz de perfil
Soundscape - paisaje sonoro
Sound Effect - efecto de sonido
Fade In - encender lento
Fade Out - oscurecer or desvanecer
House lights - luces de sala
Mixer / Panel - mezclador
📋 Production (producción)
Applause - el aplauso
Brochure / Pamphlet - el folleto
Credits - los créditos
Documentation - la documentación
Duration - la duración or el duro
Entry with Invitation Only - Entrada solo con invitación
Free Entry - entrada gratuita
Free Entry with Prior Registration - entrada gratuita con registro previo
Full House - lleno
Intermission - el entreacto or el intermedio
Language - el idioma or el lenguaje or la lengua
Limited Entry - entrada limitada
Performance / Show - la representación or la actuación
Premiere - el estreno
Press Night - la noche de prensa
Sold Out (Tickets) - (entradas) agotadas
Technical Box - Caja técnica
Ticket (Stub) - la entrada or el bilette
🏛️ Venue (teatro / sala)
Aisle - el pasillo
Arena - la arena
Balcony - el balcón
Behind the Curtain - el foro
Blackbox - Black Box Teatro
Box Office - la taquilla or la boletería (in Latin America) or la ventanilla (lit. small window)
Curtains - los paneles or el telón
Cafeteria - la cafetería or el café
Dressing Room / Green Room - el vestuario
Entrance / Exist - la entrada / el mutis
Gallery - la galería
Mezzanine Seats - el entrepiso or el entresuelo
Off-Stage - fuera del escenario
On-Stage - en el escenario
Platform / Stage - la plataforma or el escenario
Proscenium - proscenio
Seat - la butaca
Stage Left - la derecha del escenario
Stage Right - la izquierda del escenario
The Front Row - la primera fila
Upstage / Downstage - fondo / el primer plano
Wings - el bastidor / los bastidores
🗣️ Lingo (lenguaje)
Blooper - la metida de pata / la metedura de pata
Break A Leg - mucha mierda
Bring the House Down - morirse de risa a todos
Good Luck - mucha mierda
In The Wings - entre bastidores
Let's Do It Again – Una vez más
Make An Entry - haz una entrada
Make An Exit - haz una salida
Standing Ovation - ovación de pié
Take A Bow - saludar al público / recibir aplauso
Note:
Most phrases above are presented without conjugation; the verb part of the phrase will change depending on first/second/third person and singular/plural usage
In case you're not familiar with the Spanish language, una/un are indefinite articles (e.g. a/an) while el/la/los/la are definite article (e.g. the)
Since the Spanish language has many different dialects and slangs, its possible specific terms may vary country to country but treat this list as a base resource
Phew! Deseo que tengas todo lo que necesitas para expresar tus ideas y diseños de teatro a cualquier persona que encuentras en el teatro 🙂
Till then, I hope you're a little more prepared with your Spanish vocabulary when you walk into the theatre and are caught indefenso!
P.S. Want to keep learning? Check out this blog post with even more performing arts related vocabulary in Spanish.
Planning to make theatre inspired by Latin American culture or interested in taking your performance to a Spanish-speaking country? We'd love to know and collaborate with you!
We at Kaivalya Plays are the only performing arts group with dedicated cultural programming in the Spanish language. Our sister company El Clavileño is India's only theatre troupe that performs exclusively in Spanish.
Since 2012, we have brought works by many Latin American authors to the Indian stage and have frequently collaborated with institutions like Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi and the Embassies of Argentina, Spain, and Ecuador in India. We have adapted and staged texts by Julio Cortazar (Goodbye Robinson), Jorge Luis Borges (El Aleph, Blue Tigers, The Sand Book, Funes the Memorious), Pablo Palacio (A Man Kicked To Death) and Griselda Gambaro (Say Yes). Our recent production Luz Negra was our 11th cultural project with Latin American roots and our 5th project completely in Spanish.
Get in touch with us at contact@kaivalyaplays.org for a collaboration.
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