Theater Terms - A List of Acting Lingo (With A Question)

[DonRocks]

"Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms - Directing" on theatrecrafts.com

I'm looking for one specific term (which may, or may not, be in this list - the list is too long, and I didn't find it).

The term I'm looking for is when - usually in the early part of a play or film - dialogue is used primarily to educate the audience about something. 

As an example, two brothers are talking to each other, and one says to the other, " ... and then Julie, our sister, decides to go off to college ..."

In real life, nobody would say, "our sister," but now the audience knows that Julie is their sister. I just made that rather crude example up off the top of my head, so after you accept my apology, would someone please tell me the term for that? It happens *all the time*, and I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

I just watched an Adam-12 episode ("Day Watch" - Season 4, Episode 10) where Reed says to Malloy, "We're lucky we ran into that guy from San Francisco - there aren't that many good Samaritans left." Obviously, Malloy would be well aware of this, and Reed is addressing the viewers, essentially telling them that the police appreciate good Samaritans - it's the same device, and it's so common that there must be a term for it.

[porcupine]

Exposition. From Wikipedia: "Narrative exposition is the insertion of important background information within a story"

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, porcupine said:

Exposition. From Wikipedia: "Narrative exposition is the insertion of important background information within a story"

Hmm, I saw Exposition in that list, but I discarded it because I was looking for a more specific term - one that's essentially Narrative Exposition, but *only* using dialog that wouldn't normally be spoken, and is therefore very unrealistic. I've never heard of a specific term just for this, and was wondering how one couldn't possibly exist.

BTW, "Exposition" is also one of three main parts of the musical Sonata Form (Exposition, Development, Recapitulation) - it's the same thing in music: introducing the listeners to the main theme of the Sonata. (I assume you probably know this, but that others don't.)

[The Hersch]

Expository aside?

[DonRocks]

9 minutes ago, The Hersch said:

Expository aside?

It makes sense, but did you just make this up?

[The Hersch]

29 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

It makes sense, but did you just make this up?

I believe I did.

[DonRocks]

15 minutes ago, The Hersch said:

I believe I did.

Isn't it odd that there isn't a term for this? I mean, it happens *all* *the* *time*.

I've got it! A useful term, much needed, that never before existed, used to describe something very common that needs describing, and is simple and easy to remember; but that *nobody* knows about, *nobody* has adapted, and *nobody* seems willing to use:

14UP!