While translating a text I came across the expression: "cross down". The whole line (It's a play) is: "Beautiful. Cross down." And expresses kind of approval. Do you know the phrase? does it come from sporsts? Like "one point" or something alike? I cannot find it on the net.
3
-
5Please link to the play and indicate where this line occurs. Meaning is often shown by more than a single line.– Andrew Leach ♦Jan 20, 2019 at 13:32
-
Is the person being spoken to holding a cross that they need to put down? Or do they have a list of words that includes "down" and they need to cross it out?– Chappo Hasn't Forgotten MonicaJan 20, 2019 at 14:55
-
Cannot find such in any registries.– lbfJan 20, 2019 at 15:48
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
This appears to be from Venus in Fur, by David Ives. The character speaking, Vanda, is directing her fellow-actor Thomas. Beautiful is a comment on his delivery of the preceding line; cross down in theatrical jargon is a direction to move ("cross") downstage = toward the audience.
Similarly, up would mean upstage = away from the audience, and right and left would mean stage right/stage left = to the right or left side of the stage from the actor's perspective.
answered Jan 20, 2019 at 13:40
-
Yes, thank you very much. I am consulting other theatrical expressions with an actor. Nevertheless, this one was unknown to them. Jan 20, 2019 at 13:44
-
1@Christina That's very odd if your consultant is a stage actor; the expression has been standard in the Anglo-American theatre for generations. Jan 20, 2019 at 13:47
-
He is an English speaking actor, not a native one. Giving the references for the language I am translating to. For example in English it is "stage left", but during rehearsals we use "director's left" and similar cases. Jan 20, 2019 at 13:52
-
Wouldn't the ‘cross’ indicate that the actor should move sideways (left or right) as well as downstage — i.e. moving diagonally? But yes, this does seem like theatrical jargon that most non-actors probably wouldn't know.– giddsJan 20, 2019 at 18:43
-
1@gidds No. Any movement is a "cross". "Cross down" describes the direction: "move downstage of your current position". A more complex direction would ordinarily name the destination (eg "Cross up right/down right center") but with a distance describes the direction: "Cross three steps down right". Note that in most modern stagings directions of this sort will be modified by reference to props: "Move down of or below the sofa". Jan 20, 2019 at 20:02