safety curtain

American  

noun

1. a sheet of asbestos or other fireproof material that can be lowered just inside the proscenium arch in case of fire, sealing off the backstage area from the auditorium.

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safety curtain British  

noun

1. a curtain made of fireproof material that can be lowered to separate the auditorium and stage in a theatre to prevent the spread of a fire

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Etymology

Origin of safety curtain

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Despite its troubled history, the original safety curtain, which can still be seen outside of the opera season, seems to remain popular with some Austrians.

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2022

An $8,000,000, 2,000-seat opera house is rich in red velvet, lush statuary, a Phantom-of-the-Opera chandelier, a 105 by 105 ft. stage with an electrically driven, concrete safety curtain.

From Time Magazine Archive

The safety curtain was lowered immediately, but not before the audience was seized with panic and the damage done.

From Time Magazine Archive

Between Acts II and III ten minutes and the safety curtain.

From The Brother of Daphne by Yates, Dornford