tread the boards
Work in theater
Tread the boards means to act on stage—to work as a theater performer.
The boards are the wooden planks of a stage floor.
The phrase carries a note of affection for theatrical tradition: She tread the boards for forty years before retiring.
Sometimes used more broadly for any public performance.
theatrical
Temporarily holding position
- performanceCarrying out a task
- stageRaised performance platform
- dramaTheatrical art or turmoil
- thespianTheatrical performer
playhouse · curtain call · ovation · spotlight · rehearsal · audition · understudy · monologue
acting
Temporarily holding position
- performanceCarrying out a task
- stageRaised performance platform
- dramaTheatrical art or turmoil
thespian · playhouse · curtain call · ovation · spotlight · rehearsal · audition · understudy · monologue · soliloquy