drop curtain

American  

noun

Theater.

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

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drop curtain British  

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

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Etymology

Origin of drop curtain

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.

From Washington Times

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

From New York Times

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.

From Washington Times

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.

From New York Times

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.

From New York Times