4/7/2017 TheatreTypes

THEATRESPACES
Theatre:aspacewhereaperformancetakesplace,ineffectalargemachineintheformofabuildingthatis
specializedforpresentingperformances.

Stagetypes:

Prosceniumstage:
Aprosceniumtheatreiswhatweusuallythinkofasa"theatre".
ItsprimaryfeatureistheProscenium,a"pictureframe"placedaroundthefrontoftheplayingareaofanend
stage.

TheframeistheProsceniumthewingsarespacesoneitherside,extendingoffstage.Scenerycansurround
theactingareaonallsidesexceptsidetowardsaudience,whowatchtheplaythroughpictureframeopening.
"Backstage"isanyspacearoundtheactingareawhichisoutofsightoftheaudience.

Thrusttheatre:
AStagesurroundedbyaudienceonthreesides.TheFourthsideservesasthebackground.
Inatypicalmodernarrangement:thestageisoftenasquareorrectangularplayingarea,usuallyraised,
surroundedbyrakedseating.OthershapesarepossibleShakespeare'sGlobeTheatrewasafivesidedthrust
stage.

EndStage:
AThruststageextendedwalltowall,likeathruststagewithaudienceonjustoneside,i.e.thefront.

"Backstage"isbehindthebackgroundwall.Thereisnorealwingspacetothesides,althoughtheremaybe
entranceslocatedthere.Anexampleofamodernendstageisamusichall,wherethebackgroundwalls
surroundtheplayingspaceonthreesides.Likeathruststage,sceneryservesprimarilyasbackground,rather
thansurroundingtheactingspace.

ArenaTheatre:
Acentralstagesurroundedbyaudienceonallsides.Thestageareaisoftenraisedtoimprovesightlines.

Flexibletheatre:
Sometimescalleda"BlackBox"theatre,thesestagesareoftenbigemptyboxespaintedblackinside.Stage
andseatingnotfixed.Instead,eachcanbealteredtosuittheneedsoftheplayorthewhimofthedirector.

ProfileTheatres:
Oftenusedin"foundspace"theatres,i.e.theatresmadebyconvertedfromotherspaces.
TheAudienceisoftenplacedonriserstoeithersideoftheplayingspace,withlittleornoaudienceoneither
endofthe"stage".Actorsarestagedinprofiletotheaudience.Itisoftenthemostworkableoptionforlong,
narrowspaceslike"storefronts".
Scenically,aprofiletheatreismostlikeanarenastagesomestagingasbackgroundispossibleatends,
whichareessentiallysides.Anontheatricalformoftheprofilestageisabasketballarena,ifnooneisseated
behindthehoops.

SportsArenas:
SportsarenasoftenserveasvenuesforMusicConcerts.Informtheyresembleverylargearenastage(more
accuratelythearenastageresemblesasportsarena),butwitharetangularfloorplan.Whenusedforconcert,
atemporarystageareaoftenissetupasanendstageatoneendofthefloor,andtherestofthefloorandthe
standsbecometheaudience.Arenashavetheirownterminologyseebelow.

PartsofaProsceniumTheatre:
TheProsceniumisthedefiningelementofprosceniumtheatre.Itisbasicallyabigpictureframedividing
actingspacefromtheaudience.Alldirectionsonthestageisdefinedaccordingtothisdivisionofthespace
http://www.ia470.com/primer/theatres.htm 1/5
4/7/2017 TheatreTypes

bytheproscenium.

Stagedirectionsaregivenfromtheviewpointofanactorstandingcenterstagewhilefacingtheaudience,
StageLeftistheactorsleft,StageRighttotheactor'sright.Downstageistowardstheaudience,Upstageis
towardsthebackwallofthestage.ThePlasterLine(PL)isalinerunningfromthebackofonesideofthe
prosceniumarchtotheotherproscenium.TheCenterLine(CL)runsupstage/downstagehalfwaybetween
prosceniumsandperpendiculartothePlasterLine.ThepointwheretheCenterLineandthePlasterLine
intersectissometimesreferredtoasthe"zerozero"point.Thelocationofeverythingonstageismeasured
fromthisintersection.

EverythingdownstageofthePlasterlineiscalledFrontofHouse,orFOH.Occasionallyitisalsocalled
"Anteproscenium"whichmeans"beforetheproscenium".Anythingtheaudiencecanseeonthestageison
stage.Anythingonthestagebutoutoftheaudienceviewisoffstageorbackstage.Wingsarethesidesof
thestage,andtheFlyLoftorSceneHouseisthespaceabovethestage.TheflooriscalledtheDeck.

ThepartofthestagelocateddownstageoftheProsceniumiscalledtheApron,orsometimestheThrust.
TheAudienceseatingistheAuditoriumortheHouse.

Stagedirections:L,C,R,US,DSetc.,PlasterandCenterLines:

Proscenium,FOH,Wings,Apron,Trapsandtraproom:

http://www.ia470.com/primer/theatres.htm 2/5
4/7/2017 TheatreTypes

Scenehouse,Flyloft,Lockrail,Flyrail,Loadingrail,Grid
House,Boxboom,Beams,Cove,Booth

Ancillaryareas:
*sceneandpropshops,
*storage,
*lightstorageandmaintenance,
*costumeshopandstorage,
*dressingrooms,greenroom,
*lobby&boxoffice,publicity,administration.

http://www.ia470.com/primer/theatres.htm 3/5
4/7/2017 TheatreTypes

PartsofanArena:
AnArenaisdesignedforsportingeventsfirst.Settingupaconcertmeansfittingitintoaspacemeantfora
differentkindofevent.Compromiseandaccomodationisfrequentlyrequired.

ThestageisusuallysetupasanEndStage,oroccasionallyinthecenterasan"Arena"Stage.

TheStageisusuallysetupattheLoadingDockendofthebuildingforeaseofsetup.Oppositethestageis
FrontofHouseorFOH,sometimescalled"SoundWorld",astheMixingconsolesarelocatedhere.
Standardstagedirectionsareusuallyused(StageRight,StageLeft,Downstage,Upstage,etc.).TheMonitor
mixeroftengoSLin"MonitorWorld",andlightingdimmersgoSRin"DimmerBeach".Themainfloorat
theReischCenterisdesignedasahockeyrink,andissurroundedbyaprotectivewallcalledaDasher,even
duringconcerts.SeatingislocatedonthemainfloorbetweentheStageandFOH,andalsointhebleachers.
Audienceentrancesfromtheconcourses(lobbyareas)intotheseatingbowlarecalledVOMs,shortfor
"Vomitories",theoldRomannameforsuchentrances.

DirectionsinnontraditionaltheatresThrust,Arena,andProfile
Stages:
Definingdirectionsmoreproblematiconthesestages,astheaudienceisn'tlocatedinanysingledirection.
Assigningdirectioncanbecomeratherarbitrary.

Thrusttheatres:
Themiddlesectionofthethreesidedaudienceisoftendefinedas"downstage".
Caremustbetakentorememberthesidesarealso"downstage"fromtheviewpointoftheaudienceseated
there.

Arenastages:
Assigningstagedirectionsinanarenasettingcanbealmostarbitrary,asalldirectionsare"downstage"for
somepartoftheaudience.Prosceniumstylestagedirectionsdon'tworkwell.
Commonschemesusedinsteadinclude:
*Compassdirections(north,south,east,west)fromcenterstage.
*"Clock"(12:00,3:00,6:00,9:00)withdirectionof"12:00"assigned.
*Assignnamestogivenpartsofthestagespace(e.g.Ar.A,Ar.B,Ar.C,etc.)areasmaybedifferentin
subsequentproductionswithdifferentsettings.
http://www.ia470.com/primer/theatres.htm 4/5
4/7/2017 TheatreTypes

Anyofthesesystemscanwork,providedeveryoneworkingonaproductionisfamiliarwiththeagreedupon
scheme.

BacktoTableofContents
Copyright2002,2013MickAlderson

http://www.ia470.com/primer/theatres.htm 5/5