Blocking ( stage ) - wikipedia Blocking ( stage ) For the former Wellington theatre, see Downstage Theatre. In theatre, blocking is the precise staging of actors in order to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera. Historically, the expectations of staging / blocking have changed substantially over time in Western theater. Prior to the movements towards `` realism '' that occurred in the 19th century, most staging used a `` tableau '' approach, in which a stage picture was established whenever characters entered or left the stage, ensuring that leading performers were always shown to their best advantage. In more recent times -- while nothing has changed about showing leading performers to best advantage -- there have been changing cultural expectations that have made blocking / staging more complicated. There are also artistic reasons why blocking can be crucial. Through careful use of positioning on the stage, a director or performer can establish or change the significance of a scene. Different artistic principles can inform blocking, including minimalism and naturalism. Contents 1 Etymology 2 Blocking in theater and film 3 Stage directions 3.1 Non-English - speaking cultures 4 References Etymology Both `` blocking '' and `` block '' were applied to stage and theater from as early as 1961. The term derives from the practice of 19th - century theatre directors such as Sir W.S. Gilbert who worked out the staging of a scene on a miniature stage using blocks to represent each of the actors. ( Gilbert 's practice is depicted in Mike Leigh 's 1999 film Topsy - Turvy. ) Blocking in theater and film In contemporary theater, the director usually determines blocking during rehearsal, telling actors where they should move for the proper dramatic effect, ensure sight lines for the audience and work with the lighting design of the scene. Each scene in a play is usually `` blocked '' as a unit, after which the director will move on to the next scene. The positioning of actors on stage in one scene will usually affect the possibilities for subsequent positioning unless the stage is cleared between scenes. During the blocking rehearsal, the assistant director, stage manager or director take notes about where actors are positioned and their movements on stage. It is especially important for the stage manager to note the actors ' positions, as a director is not usually present for each performance, and it becomes the stage manager 's job to ensure that actors follow the assigned blocking from night to night. In film, the term is sometimes used to speak of the arrangement of actors in the frame. In this context, there is also a need to consider the movement of the camera as part of the blocking process ( see Cinematography ). Stage directions House left / right are from the audience 's perspective Look up stage right, stage left, upstage, or downstage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The stage itself has been given named areas to facilitate blocking. The rear of the stage area, farthest from the audience, is upstage. The front, nearest the audience, is downstage. The terms derive from the once common use of raked stages that slope downward toward the audience. In English - speaking cultures generally, stage left and stage right refer to the actor 's left and right when facing the audience. Sometimes the terms prompt and bastard / opposite prompt are used as synonyms. ( See also Prompt corner ) House left and house right refer to the audience perspective. In productions for film or video, analogous terms are screen left / right and camera left / right. To cross is to move. An actor placed up - stage right in blocking may be instructed by a director to cross down - stage left when speaking a line. Non-english - speaking cultures In French, stage right is côté cour ( court side ) and stage left is côté jardin ( garden side ). In German, Italian and Arabic, left and right always refer to the audience perspective. References Jump up ^ Novak, Elaine Adams ; Novak, Deborah ( 1996 ). Staging Musical Theatre. Cincinnati, Ohio : Betterway Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55870 - 407 - 7. OCLC 34651521. Jump up ^ Harper, Douglas. `` block ''. Online Etymology Dictionary. Harper, Douglas. `` blocking ''. Online Etymology Dictionary. Jump up ^ How, Harry ( October 1891 ). `` ILLUSTRATED INTERVIEWS, No. IV. MR. W.S. GILBERT ''. The Strand Magazine ( 2 ) : 330 -- 341. Retrieved 14 August 2017. The green and white striped blocks may be ' tenors ' ; the black and yellow ' sopranos ' ; the red and green ' contraltos ' ; and so on. Jump up ^ Topsy - Turvy ( Motion picture ). 1999. Event occurs at 1 : 41 : 52. Jump up ^ Spolin, Viola ( 1985 ). Theater Games for Rehearsal : A Director 's Handbook. Evanston, Ill : Northwestern University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8101 - 4002 - 8. OCLC 222012533. Jump up ^ Cameron, Ron ( 1999 ). Acting Skills for Life. Toronto : Dundurn Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88924 - 289 - 0. OCLC 43282895. Theatre Outline of theatre History Greek Roman Medieval Commedia dell'arte English Renaissance Spanish Golden Age French Classicism Neoclassical Restoration Augustan Weimar Romanticism Melodrama Naturalism Realism Modernism Postmodern 19th century 20th century timeline Types Drama Musical theatre Comedy Tragedy Improvisation Regions Persia India China Thailand Japan Africa Stagecraft Cue Curtain Call Rehearsal Stage Theatrical constraints Theatrical superstitions Technical rehearsal Technical week Performance Lighting design Sound design Set construction Theatrical property Costume construction Personnel Performers Actor Dancer Singer Management Stage management Technical director production management house management company management Technical Carpenter ( theatre ) Electrician ( theatre ) Fly crew Make - up artist Property master Pyrotechnician Running crew Spotlight operator Stagehand Theatrical Technician Technical crew Wardrobe supervisor Design Costume Designer Lighting designer Scenic designer Sound Designer Sound engineer Video design Running crew Call boy Production manager Stage manager Stagehand Technical director Theatrical technician Carpenter Fly crew Electrician Light board operator Lighting technician Spotlight operator A2 Sound operator Property master Dresser Wardrobe supervisor Musicians Musical ensemble Orchestra Pit orchestra Commons Wiktionary WikiProject GND : 4008737 - 2 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blocking_(stage)&oldid=813416794 '' Categories : Stage terminology Acting Choreography Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Español Français Italiano 日本 語 Polski Português Română Simple English Tagalog Edit links This page was last edited on 3 December 2017, at 16 : 17. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where is stage left through viewer's perspective
Answer: stage left and stage right refer to the actor's left and right when facing the audience