I'm looking for the best term (or phrase) to describe the act of bowing to the crowd while onstage at the end of a play or performance.
I came by the terms "encore" and "curtain call", but I'm not sure if those truly fit in this context and if there's not a better way to describe this act.
Learn English – Term for Bowing at the End of a Play
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Best Answer
An encore is the wrong word: that’s like having an extra musical number after the show is officially done.
Performers sometimes take their bows during the accolades accorded them at the end of their performance. Especially when this involves bringing them out in front of drawn curtain, then it is a curtain call. The applause is known as an ovation, and if the audience rises in unison to further signal their enthusiasm, then it is a standing ovation.
Note however that there can be many arrangements, particularly in large ensembles with a few star performers. There may be front-of-curtain bows for the leads, but a raised curtain for a chorus.
Occasionally flowers are given out to star performers during their bows; this is not a gender-specific tradition, for both male and female performers can receive them. These are only given after a performance, never before it.
These can be simple blooms or splendid bouquets. However, they are usually given out only to a few, such as to the conductor and sometimes to the principal soloists. Different types of performance have different traditions in this regard, as explained in this New York Times article on the rules and hazards of presenting flowers.
Extremely rarely, other gifts are given out, but it is almost always flowers if any gifts are made.