coulisse

Coulisse is a theatre term borrowed from French, referring to the hidden parts of a stage known in English as the wings. The coulisses lie to the left and right of the acting area, behind the proscenium, and are not visible to the audience. They provide space for actors to wait before entering and for technicians to move scenery and operate mechanisms without being seen. The wings also house storage for props and sets, as well as entrances and exits for performers.

Configuration and equipment vary by venue. The spaces are typically dark and quiet, with lighting and sound control close at hand. In many theatres, the fly system and other rigging run through the area above the stage and may be concealed behind the wings. The term can also describe the movable pieces of scenery that travel in and out of view along tracks or pulleys—scenery that is shifted à coulisse during a cue.

Usage and terminology can differ by language and tradition. In English-language theatre, the term wings is most common for these backstage side areas. The French term coulisses remains in use in French-speaking contexts and may appear in stage directions or translations, sometimes referring to both the physical space and the mechanism by which scenery is concealed or revealed.