Parts of the Stage
12-1-13
If you're going to join a theatrical production one of the first things you must learn are the parts of the stage, so you can understand your Director's blocking. Blocking for the stage is done from the performer's perspective. So when he tells you to go stage left, he means the actor's left. Upstage and Downstage are terms that came from jolly old England. Stages used to be built on a rake so that all audiences could see (even the groundlings). Upstage meant you were at the top of the stage and needed to go up the rake. Downstage meant you could walk down the rake and move closer to the audience. Hence, an actor on the upstage would have been physically higher than an actor on the downstage.
Here is a very good diagram of the stage for all budding actors. It includes the international shorthands that are useful when writing down your blocking quickly. (Example: CS---> USR)
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