Just write right is left, right?

Week 15 - 345 days to opening night

I've been threatening it for a while and here it is: stage directions for the uninitiated. Long story short - the stage is sectioned off into 9 (sometimes 15) areas which allows the director to tell an actor where to move roughly (a bit like chess, only with more Queens). All moves are from the audiences POV - so to the actor right is left and left is right - confused?

Upstage is moving away from the audience, towards the back of the stage. 

Downstage is moving towards the audience, towards the front of the stage.  

Stage Right is moving towards the Left (as the audience will see the actor moving right - they are viewing you from the opposite direction)  

Stage Left is moving towards the Right.  

Cross is crossing the stage to a predetermined position. 

An example in a prompt book might look like: "X (cross) DSL to DSC (down stage centre), X US (upstage), and out (exit) SR (stage right). 

There. Piece of cake. Next week I'll be explaining blackholes, and how to bend the space time continuum for financial gain.

Neil