UpstageThe part of the stage farthest from the audience.
DownstageThe stage area nearest the audience.
Stage leftThe actor's left when facing the audience. The right side as the audience sees it.
Stage rightThe actor's right when facing the audience. The left side as the audience sees it.
Center stageThe area in the middle of the stage.
Proscenium archThe frame round the stage opening that the audience watches through.
ApronThe stage floor forward of the proscenium arch.
WingsOffstage areas at the sides, hidden from the audience.
HouseThe auditorium's seating area.
Front of the stage: 5 2
Orchestra pitA sunken area in front of the stage where musicians play.
Main drape (grand drape)The front curtain just behind the proscenium arch.
Wings and back: 4 3
LegsTall narrow curtains at the sides that hide the wings.
Cyclorama (cyc)A large curved backcloth at the back, often lit as sky.
TrapA hatch in the stage floor for quick appearances and exits.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) Pacific University, An Introduction to Technical Theatre, module 5, Our Stages and Their Equipment, https://commons.pacificu.edu/downloads/61qg8-geh81/006-Module5_0cccc935-04af-438f-bedb-a1775f5f03fa.pdf : directions from the actor facing the audience; downstage, mid-stage and upstage, each left, right and center; the apron in front of the proscenium arch, which may become an orchestra pit; the wings; legs and tormentors; the main or grand drape just behind the proscenium; cyclorama; traps; house right and house left for the auditorium; the fly loft. (2) Wikipedia: Stage (theatre), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre) (upstage, downstage, stage left and right, wings hidden by legs, the proscenium arch, the apron, the orchestra pit); Theater drapes and stage curtains, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_drapes_and_stage_curtains (front curtain or grand drape; legs; cyclorama); Cyclorama (theater), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclorama_(theater) ; Trapdoor, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapdoor (traps for fast appearances on stage); Auditorium, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditorium (the house). (3) Wiktionary, center stage, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/center_stage . Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
This blank stage diagram is a proscenium theater from above, with a line to each of fourteen parts and no name written. The audience sits at the bottom, so stage left is on the right-hand side of the sheet.
Read the full guide
Theater fill in the blank: label parts of a stage
Word bank, in the order of the numbered copy: upstage, downstage, stage left, stage right, center stage, proscenium arch, apron, wings, house, orchestra pit, main drape, legs, cyclorama, trap. The first five are the stage areas.
Theater stage labels: which line is which
Each line ends in a dot on its part. Two lines enter the top middle square: the upright one stops there, on upstage; the slanted one runs on to center stage. The upright line through the curved apron stops on the thin strip at the opening, the main drape. On the left, the top line stops in the wings and the next on a leg.
For a stage direction diagram worksheet alone, choose The stage areas under Start from: five lines only.
Wings and legs are drawn on both sides, and the proscenium arch in two pieces. One name covers each.
The line into the top right square ends on the small hatch there: the trap, in the upstage left corner.
Questions and answers
Why is it called upstage and downstage?
Older theaters sloped the stage floor down toward the audience, which is called a raked stage, so that everyone could see. The back of the stage really was higher than the front. The names stayed after stage floors became level.
What are the nine areas of a stage?
Upstage, mid-stage and downstage, each split into right, center and left as the actor sees them: the grid of nine squares on this sheet. A large theater may split the rows further, with a left of center and a right of center.
Can this be a stage directions diagram worksheet?
Yes. Five of the nine squares have a label line of their own. The four corner squares do not, so a class can write them in by hand: upstage right, upstage left, downstage right and downstage left.
What is a proscenium stage?
A stage the audience watches from one side, through a large opening called the proscenium arch. It is also called a picture frame stage. A thrust stage has the audience on three sides, and theater in the round on all four.
Is there an answer key for the stage diagram worksheet?
Yes. The key is the same stage with a name at the end of every line. The numbered copy has its own key, with the fourteen names on numbered lines under the drawing.