Do you know anything about stage directions?

Question

Why are they included and how would they be utilized in an acual production?

Answer 1

There are nine positions on the stage. Think of it as a square divided into nine even squares (like tic-tac-toe):

Upstage center (or just upstage) - Farthest from the audience and in the center of the stage.

Upstage right - Farthest from the audience, on the ACTOR'S right (not the audience's)

Upstage left - Farthest from the audience, on the ACTOR'S left

Center stage - In the very center of the stage (if you're still imagining that box, its the very middle one.)

Center stage right (or just stage right) - In the center of the stage, on the actor's right.

Center stage left (or just stage left) - In the center of the stage, on the actor's left.

Downstage center (or just downstage) - Closest to the audience, in the center.

Downstage right - Closest to the audience, on the actor's right.

Downstage left - Closest to the audience, on the actor's left.

Now...a little more about the stage directions:

WHERE THEY ORIGINATE:

The reason we say 'downstage' and 'upstage' is because in the past stages were 'raked' meaning the back of the stage was up higher than the front. Therefore, if you were walking from the back of the stage to the front, you would be walking 'downstage.' Nowadays, the audience is raked instead.

WHY ARE THEY USED:

Stage directions are used mainly in productions so that the director(s) can tell the actors where and how to move. It's kind of like a universal language; if I said to most actors:

"Okay, now I want you to enter stage right, cross to center stage, do two jumping jacks, move to upstage left, clap your hands twice, then exit stage left."

They would know exactly what I was talking about.

OTHER TIMES THEY ARE USED:

If someone says, "use your upstage arm" they're telling you that you need to use your arm closest to upstage because you're probably covering your face with your arm. Using your upstage arm is a general guideline for most acting.

They are also sometimes used for props.

Ex: "Sit in the downstage chair" meaning the chair that is furthest downstage.