Stage Left or Stage Right?

Grade level

Grades 2–4

Time

About 15 minutes

Topic

The stage and stage directions

Answer key

Yes, page 2 of the PDF

Kids practice

Naming the nine stage areas, Telling stage left from stage right, Following stage directions, Reading a stage plan

What kids do

Printed on the sheet:

1. Stage left and stage right are always the actor’s left and right when the actor faces the audience. The audience’s left is stage right.
2. Circle where each actor is or where they go.
3. 1. You face the audience and walk toward your right hand.
4. 2. You face the audience and walk toward your left hand.
5. 3. From their seats, the audience sees you exit on their left.
6. 4. From their seats, the audience sees you stand on their right.
7. 5. You face the audience. The door on the set is by your left hand.
8. 6. You face the audience and enter from the wings on your right.

Teacher tip

Have kids stand and face the front of the room, like the audience, then turn around to face the class, like an actor. Do items 3 and 4 both ways.

How to use it

• Keep the Stage Directions Chart out while kids do the other sheets.
• Stand at the front of the room facing the class to show stage left and stage right with your own body.
• Read the box at the top of the sheet together, then try the first item out loud as a class.

Watch for

Thinking upstage means higher up. It means the back of the stage.

Talk about it

• Where would you stand so everyone in the audience could see you?
• What would you try differently next time?

Take it further

Have kids write blocking for a scene from a reader’s theater script.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.