So you wanna go to Japanese plays?
But you don't know any Japanese? I've put together a list behind this cut of terms I consider super-important-must-know in being a Japanese play-goer 8D Wow your Japanese fan friends at your next On, shock and astound those around you at the next Live!
Or just, you know, don't embarrass yourself ♥
公演 - kouen; performance, show. See 昼・夜+ ("afternoon/evening")
開演 - kaien; curtain raising, the start of the show.
開場 - kaijou; opening of the hall, to allow the audience to take their seats.
会場 - kaijou; hall, theater, meeting place, assembly area.
劇場 - gekijou; theater, playhouse.
千秋楽 - senshuuraku; the final day of a play's run, or the actual final show.
楽日 - rakubi; the final day of a play's run.
前楽 - maeraku; the performance just before senshuuraku.
大楽 - ooraku; the final performance on senshuuraku.
マチネ - machine; matinee show, afternoon show. Another word for 昼公演
ソワレ - soware; soire show, evening show. Another word for 夜公演
マチソワ - machisowa; term encompassing both afternoon and evening shows, used if one has gone to both of two shows in a single day.
先行発売 - senkou hatsubai; advance ticket sales, usually open to a select group of people, with a limited number of reserved tickets available for purchase.
一般発売 - ippan hatsubai; general ticket sales.
前売り - mae uri; advance ticket sales
当日・当日券 - toujitsu, toujitsuken; "day-of" tickets, tickets sold at the door right before a performance. Usually these are the same price as a ticket sold in advance, though sometimes they are more expensive.
出演 - shutsuen; actor, stage appearance, performer
演出 - enshutsu; director, producer
チケット - chiketto; ticket
指定席 - shitei seki; reserved seat. Your ticket has an exact seat printed on it that you alone occupy.
自由席 - jiyuu seki; unreserved seat. You may sit wherever you like.
オールスタンディング - ooru sutandeingu; no seating, concert-style setting.
客席 - kyakuseki; audience, guest-seating
ロビー - robii; lobby, the front area outside the theater proper where day-of tickets and goods are sold.
プレゼント - purezento; presents for the actors/actresses
握手会 - akushukai; handshake event
日替わりゲスト - higawari gesuto; daily guest, different guest for every performance
座席番号 - zaseki bangou; seat number
整理番号 - seiri bangou; reference number, not necessarily on a ticket, but used for standing in line usually.
抽選 - chuusen; lottery
予約 - yoyaku; reservation
受付 - uketsuke; reception (desk)
パンフレット - panfuretto; pamphlet
写真セット - shashin setto; photoset
#枚 - #-mai; # of photos (-mai is the counter for thin, flat objects).
#本 - #-ppon/hon/bon; # of DVDs (-hon is the counter for long thin objects like bottles and pens usually, but also covers DVDs in this case)
#冊 - #-satsu; # of books (pamphlets, photobooks, etc)
写真集 - shashinshuu; photobook
入待ち - irimachi; greeting the actors outside of the backstage entrance (outside the theater) as they come in before a performance.
出待ち - demachi; greeting the actors outside of the backstage entrance (outside the theater) as they come out after a performance.
Or just, you know, don't embarrass yourself ♥
公演 - kouen; performance, show. See 昼・夜+ ("afternoon/evening")
開演 - kaien; curtain raising, the start of the show.
開場 - kaijou; opening of the hall, to allow the audience to take their seats.
会場 - kaijou; hall, theater, meeting place, assembly area.
劇場 - gekijou; theater, playhouse.
千秋楽 - senshuuraku; the final day of a play's run, or the actual final show.
楽日 - rakubi; the final day of a play's run.
前楽 - maeraku; the performance just before senshuuraku.
大楽 - ooraku; the final performance on senshuuraku.
マチネ - machine; matinee show, afternoon show. Another word for 昼公演
ソワレ - soware; soire show, evening show. Another word for 夜公演
マチソワ - machisowa; term encompassing both afternoon and evening shows, used if one has gone to both of two shows in a single day.
先行発売 - senkou hatsubai; advance ticket sales, usually open to a select group of people, with a limited number of reserved tickets available for purchase.
一般発売 - ippan hatsubai; general ticket sales.
前売り - mae uri; advance ticket sales
当日・当日券 - toujitsu, toujitsuken; "day-of" tickets, tickets sold at the door right before a performance. Usually these are the same price as a ticket sold in advance, though sometimes they are more expensive.
出演 - shutsuen; actor, stage appearance, performer
演出 - enshutsu; director, producer
チケット - chiketto; ticket
指定席 - shitei seki; reserved seat. Your ticket has an exact seat printed on it that you alone occupy.
自由席 - jiyuu seki; unreserved seat. You may sit wherever you like.
オールスタンディング - ooru sutandeingu; no seating, concert-style setting.
客席 - kyakuseki; audience, guest-seating
ロビー - robii; lobby, the front area outside the theater proper where day-of tickets and goods are sold.
プレゼント - purezento; presents for the actors/actresses
握手会 - akushukai; handshake event
日替わりゲスト - higawari gesuto; daily guest, different guest for every performance
座席番号 - zaseki bangou; seat number
整理番号 - seiri bangou; reference number, not necessarily on a ticket, but used for standing in line usually.
抽選 - chuusen; lottery
予約 - yoyaku; reservation
受付 - uketsuke; reception (desk)
パンフレット - panfuretto; pamphlet
写真セット - shashin setto; photoset
#枚 - #-mai; # of photos (-mai is the counter for thin, flat objects).
#本 - #-ppon/hon/bon; # of DVDs (-hon is the counter for long thin objects like bottles and pens usually, but also covers DVDs in this case)
#冊 - #-satsu; # of books (pamphlets, photobooks, etc)
写真集 - shashinshuu; photobook
入待ち - irimachi; greeting the actors outside of the backstage entrance (outside the theater) as they come in before a performance.
出待ち - demachi; greeting the actors outside of the backstage entrance (outside the theater) as they come out after a performance.