How do you use blocking notation to track actors' movements and cues?

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Blocking notation is a system of symbols and abbreviations that stage managers use to record the movements and cues of actors on stage. It helps them to communicate with the director, the cast, and the technical crew, and to ensure that the show runs smoothly and consistently. In this article, you will learn how to use blocking notation to track actors' movements and cues in four steps: preparing your script, marking the stage, writing the notation, and updating the changes.

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1 Prepare your script

The first step is to prepare your script for blocking notation. You will need a clean copy of the script that has enough space in the margins and between the lines for your notes. You will also need a pencil, an eraser, a ruler, and a highlighter. You can use the highlighter to mark the names of the characters that you are responsible for, and the pencil to write the notation. The eraser and the ruler will help you to correct and organize your notes as the blocking changes.

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Kenn Sabberton

Director for The Shakespeare Centre of Los Angeles
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You can also put the script into a ring binder, enabling you to add sheets of blank paper into the script, which would give you much needed space for notes and cues etc.

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2 Mark the stage

The second step is to mark the stage on your script. You will need to draw a diagram of the stage layout, including the exits, entrances, furniture, props, and set pieces. You can use a simple grid or a more detailed sketch, depending on your preference and the complexity of the stage. You will also need to label the stage directions, such as upstage, downstage, stage left, and stage right. You can use abbreviations, such as US, DS, SL, and SR, or numbers, such as 1-9, to indicate the stage areas. You will refer to this diagram when writing the notation.

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3 Write the notation

The third step is to write the notation on your script. You will need to use symbols and abbreviations that are clear and consistent, and that match the style and format of your director and theatre. You can use a standard set of symbols, such as X for cross, / for enter, \ for exit, C for center, L for left, R for right, and + for join, or you can create your own symbols, as long as they are easy to understand and follow. You will write the notation next to the character's name or dialogue, indicating their movement and cue. For example, X SL to SR means cross from stage left to stage right, / L means enter from left, \ R means exit to right, C+ means join center, and so on. You will also write the notation for any technical cues, such as lights, sound, or effects, using letters, numbers, or symbols. For example, L1 means light cue 1, S2 means sound cue 2, E3 means effect cue 3, and so on.

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4 Update the changes

The fourth step is to update the changes on your script. You will need to erase or cross out any notation that is no longer valid, and write the new notation in a different color or with a different symbol. You will also need to update your stage diagram if there are any changes in the stage layout or set pieces. You will need to keep track of the changes and inform the director, the cast, and the technical crew of any revisions. You will also need to make copies of your script and distribute them to the relevant people, such as the assistant stage manager, the prompter, or the understudies.

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Matt Murphy

Lighting Designer/Master Electrician at Theatre Institute at Sage
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the only thing you use a pen for in theatre is to sign your paycheck. It's also helpful to have 3 or 4 copies of the stage diagram going down the back of each script page so that, when you turn the page in your loose leaf binder, you have diagrams on your left and script on your right, ready for notation.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Brittany Huffman

Training Coordinator at GuidePoint Security
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I always end up with two different books - one for blocking during rehearsals and one for cues during performances. That one neither gets too crowded with notations. Though, I do add the cues into the blocking book once I get them so I can start to acclimate to them as I'm following along in the book.

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Anne Gentry

Represented by Acclaim Talent and Phirgun Mair
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This makes a lot of sense for rapid blocking in which a Director can cut rehearsal time by distributing scripts pre-blocked. As I trained at Northwestern U, and later performed, a Director simply told cast where to stand and we paid attention. It is, after all, a job. ;) But I can easily see a Director notating what he said for future reference. Meanwhile when I danced, I took a class in Laban Notation -- very complex with it's own vocabulary of symbols and indications of space in time for music. That takes movement to a whole new level! see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laban_notation_symbols

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How do you use blocking notation to track actors' movements and cues?

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1 Prepare your script

2 Mark the stage

3 Write the notation

4 Update the changes

5 Here’s what else to consider

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