□ Stage Directions Practice
Learn and drill blocking terminology — upstage, downstage, wings, and crosses.
RIGHT
(Wings)
LEFT
(Wings)
Quick Reference: Stage Directions
All stage directions (stage right, stage left, upstage, downstage) are given from the actor's point of view while facing the audience — not the audience's point of view. That means "stage right" is on the audience's left.
= Stage Right
(appears on audience's left)
= Stage Left
(appears on audience's right)
Upstage = away from the audience (toward the back wall). Historically, stages were raked (tilted) so the back was physically higher — hence "up."
Downstage = toward the audience (toward the front edge).
The 9 Stage Areas
| Full Name | Common Abbrev. | Also Called |
|---|---|---|
| Up Right | UR | Upstage Right (USR) |
| Up Center | UC | Upstage Center (USC) |
| Up Left | UL | Upstage Left (USL) |
| Right | R | Center Right |
| Center | C | Center Stage |
| Left | L | Center Left |
| Down Right | DR | Downstage Right (DSR) |
| Down Center | DC | Downstage Center (DSC) |
| Down Left | DL | Downstage Left (DSL) |
Other Key Terms
Wings — the offstage areas to the left and right of the stage, hidden from the audience, where actors wait to enter.
Apron — the very front edge of the stage, downstage of the main playing area, closest to the audience.
Cross (X) — a scripted move from one area to another, e.g. "X DR" means "cross to down right."
Counter-cross (XC) — a smaller adjustment move made by another actor to rebalance the stage picture after someone else crosses (e.g., if Actor A crosses right, Actor B might counter-cross left slightly to stay balanced).