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Intermission - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Act, Afterpiece, Bit, Breach, Break, Breath, Caesura, Catharsis, Chaser, Cleansing, Curtain, Deliverance, Discharge |
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An intermission is a break between two performances or sessions, as in events such as a theatrical play, opera or musical concert. It is also sometimes used as a break for motion pictures with long running times. A theatrical play or opera may have several intermissions, depending on its length. Movies have usually one intermission, sometimes two if they are very long.
Originally intended with breaks for the actors or speakers in mind, intermissions have become an opportunity for the audience to socialize, consume refreshments, or use the restrooms.
Intermissions usually last between 15 to 30 minutes, and there are different methods to signal to the audience to return to their seats. The traditional method at an opera or symphonic concert is to flash the house lights several times, or to have a person with a handheld glockenspiel walk about the crowd, playing a four note chime.
An intermission is also often billed as an entr'acte, a word that came from the French for something in between two acts.
See also
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