【明報專訊】Hi! I am Chattie. I am a cloud. I have been travelling around the world and have seen a lot of people and places. This time, I have come to a theatre. It is a place for dramas, operas, concerts, musicals and many other performances. I usually come here and watch shows. Today, I have brought you here to look at its layout.

Look at the actors. They are having a rehearsal onstage. The fat actress, who is the queen, is standing in the centre. The centre is often the focus of the stage. She must be one of the main characters. There is a very tall and thin actor downstage right. Is he going to fight with a fierce dragon and save the queen? Whoa! The dragon is so cute! It is upstage left. Although it is gigantic, it has sparkling eyes! I really want to know whether it is a monster or a pet!

Just now, I've mentioned some terms about the parts of the stage. Let me explain more. 'Downstage' refers to the front part of the stage. 'Upstage' refers to the back part of it. You may ask me why we call them 'down' and 'up' rather than 'front' and 'back'. Many years ago, the stage was not flat. The back part of the stage was higher than the front part of it so that the audience could have a clear view of the whole stage. That's why say 'downstage' and 'upstage'. And be careful when you talk about 'left' and 'right' in theatre terms. They are based on the position of the actor who is facing the audience. 'Stage left' is the actor's left side, and 'stage right' is his or her right side. Don't mix them up.

Let's sneak backstage. It is so busy here! Here, actors are putting on their costumes. Backstage crews are preparing props, sets and putting make-up on the actors. Backstage crews have different duties and they do their jobs to make sure the show will run as smoothly as possible. Remember to clap your hands to show your appreciation if you think the show is good.

I'll show you another secret place - the control room. While the show is on, the light and sound are controlled in this small room. It is usually dark and the people inside talk very softly because they don't want the audience to look into it and forget the stage.

The show will soon begin. Wait a minute. What kind of show is it? There is a queen, a soldier and a dragon... I guess it is an adventurous story. Will it be a happy show or a sad one? Never mind, I will watch it anyway because I don't have to buy a ticket. See you. Let's talk about different kinds of drama shows next time.

Jeffrey Chan

●An artist, theatre director and English teacher.

●He is interested in breaking frames in his living, direction and teaching.

●A co-founder of Sparky Creative.

Travis Ying

●An artist, theatre stage designer, illustrator and registered teacher.

●He is interested in spotting arts in daily life and he cannot stop sketching at meetings.

●The creator of Chatties and Friends, a co-founder of Sparky Creative.

■Vocabulary Words

focus 焦點

audience 觀眾

auditorium 觀眾席

backstage 後台

backstage crews 後台人員 control room 控制室

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