the ins & outs of stage

The House Curtain is the main curtain that in Proscenium Arch theatres, is located directly behind the Proscenium. In modern style theatres and amphitheatres, sometimes the House curtain is drawn across the stage. At the start and end of a production, the House curtain can be raised and lowered.

A Curtain Call is when, at the end of a production, the House Curtain is raised and lowered several times to allow the actors to take several bows.

The Fire Curtain is located directly behind the House Curtain and is used in case of a fire on stage to shut the flames out from the audience.

Curtain Line is the imaginary line across the stage, immediately behind the Proscenium arch which marks the position of the House Curtain, when closed. When a performance is ending, the actors must ensure that they are not in front of this curtain line, or when the House curtain comes down or closes, they will encounter it or be left outside of it.