How is a scene in a play ended?

Answer 1

There are several different ways to end a performance. Almost all productions end in a cast "curtain call" (all the actors come out and bow to the audience), but what to do after that is up to your director. He or she may have to remain backstage, or come out (via a back door, not the stage steps) and mingle with the audience or line up and allow the members of the audience to walk by in a line to meet you. You may want to ask your director whether to remain in character or not. For some show (especially children's shows) it is much more effective (and less traumatizing to the children) to remain in character. Just a tip, you may want to plan something special for your last performance, such as a practical joke on your director (if he or she is layed back) or a gift to present to him/her after the curtain call.

Answer 2

Curtain Call. They come out, one by one or in small groups, to accept the applause of the audience. Usually performers appear in ascending order of importance in the cast, ending with the star(s).

Answer 3

It depends on whether you are talking about a "French scene" or an "English scene". A "French scene" ends when someone enters or exits. An "English scene" ends when the action stops and everyone leaves the stage. The plays of Molière, for example, are usually divided into French scenes, while those of Shakespeare are divided into English scenes. The first scene of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, for example, comprises no less than fifteen French scenes. People are constantly coming and going, but the action is continuous and the stage is never empty.

In some modern drama, a "scene" is all the action happening in a particular place and a particular time. During the course of the scene, the stage may be empty for a short time. The end of the scene is signified by a fade to black, or in 19th century-style productions, by drawing a curtain. There will then be a change of set or a lapse of time: the program notes will say, "The same, three days later" or something.