Do You Know Your Stage Positions?

 

Actors (& Stage Managers) use a shorthand to show movement on stage.  Any stage movement from one area of the stage to another is called a ‘cross’.

 Action  – walk downstage right and stand behind the sofa

            It takes too much time to write that in your script so you write in abbreviations

Use ‘X’ for crossing 

So, in your script where the director wants you to walk downstage right and stand behind the sofa  write  -  XDR to US of sofa

(this is assuming you are CS)  US of the sofa means you are somewhere behind it.

Some common shorthand to use:                                                                                                   

X = cross                                             b/h = behind                          i/f = in front of

to   (use arrow)                                   fr = from                                ent = enter

ex = exit                                              w/ = with                                . . . . = pause

p/u = pick up                               p(with arrow for direction)   = push     L = look