drop curtain

noun

Theater.

1. a curtain that is lowered into position from the flies.

drop curtain

noun

1. Also called: drop cloth.  drop. theatre a curtain that is suspended from the flies and can be raised and lowered onto the stage

Word History and Origins

Origin of drop curtain¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

The Elks completely remodeled the building and added a complete new set of drop curtains and new set pieces for the stage.

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The house chandeliers rose, the lights dimmed, the orchestra tuned, the black drop curtain went up, and “Madama Butterfly” got underway.

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At the back of the building, the roof line is elevated by one story to accommodate the theater’s former rigging and an olio drop curtain depicting a Victorian scene for the stage.

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Compared with the costumes, the scenic elements are relatively pared-down: Layered drop curtains denote fanciful Neoclassical interiors, airy rotundas, a formal garden and an autumnal mountain vista.

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The drop curtain, painted with the silhouette of a jagged skyline that could be Manhattan or Downtown Brooklyn, rose to reveal a pair of three-story scaffolds recalling New York’s fire escapes.

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