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The Many "Stages" of Theater
Greek
Theater - Typical
Greek theaters were based on theaters that date
back to the year 500 B.C. The theaters were usually
built on hillsides. The seating area, which was
known as the theatron-
or auditorium, appeared on three
sides of a circular stage, then called the
orchestra. It was
steeply inclined and angled toward the stage. The
backstage area was known as the skene; it contained
many rooms (possibly dressing rooms), and many
arches and doorways from which the actors entered
and exited. It is assumed that the purpose of the
skene was to hide actors from the audience when not
on stage and to store props and equipment that were
not in use.
Roman
Theater - Roman
theaters were modifications of Greek theaters.
Roman architects compressed the three major
components of Greek stage architecture (theatron,
orchestra, and skene) into one. Doing this caused
changes to the appearance and placing of the
theater. The theaters were generally placed on
level ground instead of on hillsides. The backstage
area was transformed into one elaborate space,
called the scaenae
frons, instead of
several rooms.The auditorium (in Roman times called
Cavea) evolved into
a semi-circle and was sometimes separated from the
orchestra by a short wall. In some Roman theaters,
simple versions of roofs began to appear, and
awnings or velums (which can be compared to today's
balconies) covered the entire seating area. In
addition to theatrical productions, these
spectacular theaters were also the sites of
circuses, fights of the gladiators, and lion
feedings. The fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 364,
led to the abandonment of these theaters.
Medieval
Theater - During the
Middle Ages, many plays were performed in churches,
but when the plays became too complex to perform
inside the church, they were moved outside. These
plays were performed on platforms near the church
while the audience stood around it . Sometimes
these platforms were attached to the tops of
wagons, called pageant
wagons, which
traveled to different areas to perform the plays.
The sets were alike in the fact that they were
composed of a row of small buildings, or
mansions. Each building
represented a different setting and was placed
according to biblical stories (heaven and hell were
placed at opposite ends of the stage). In front of
the mansions was an area
called the platea. This area had
no specific setting and was where most of the
play's action took place. Special effects, such as
trap doors, rigging that made things move about the
stage and fire-breathing dragons evolved with the
use of stage machinery called secrets.
Renaissance
Theater - With the
birth of Renaissance era, theater became an
important part of the cultural reawakening in
Europe. Theaters, which had previously been banned
for over a thousand years, began to appear
throughout Europe. Many of the stage structures
were based on those of the Greek and Roman times,
but with one major change; they were finally moved
indoors. Slight variations to the cavea
and the scaenae
frons caused changes to both the
appearance of the set and to the quality of the
play. Many Renaissance theaters used what is known
as a raked stage, or
a stage that is higher in the back than it is in
the front. They used this to enhance the visual
effects of the scenery. The actors would then
perform on a flat surface in front of the raked
stage. Very intricate scenery began to appear with
the use of drops that changed
depending on the setting of the scene.
Elizabethan
Theater - Around the
same time as the Renaissance, theater in England
was being performed on stages that were basically
the same shape, but differed in design. The most
famous theater of this time was the Globe
Theater, located in
Stratford upon Avon in England. This was William
Shakespeare's home stage. A typical Elizabethan
stage was four to six feet off of the ground. It
was surrounded by a yard or pit. The pit was used
as the viewing area for the lower-class audience,
who were sometimes called groundlings. Little
scenery was used in Elizabethan production.
Restoration
Theater - The
architecture of Restoration theaters typically
followed the same pattern as one another. They were
rectangular with the stage at one end and the
auditorium extending from just below the
apron (the part of
the stage that extends further out towards the
audience) to the back of the theater. The seats
were classified into three sections. The area right
below the stage was known as the pit. It was very
difficult to see all aspects of the play from here.
The pit was for the audience members who couldn't
pay for or weren't allowed a nicer seat. The
gallery was the area behind the pit and it extended
to the back of the theater. The middle-class
citizens generally occupied this area.
Multi-colored and creatively designed boxes on the
sides of the auditorium were known as the best
seats, and were reserved for dignitaries or others
who could afford such expensive seats. In the
Restoration theater, scenery became more of a part
of the stage. Instead of using a more uniform
stage, each scene was created to fit the
action.
Modern
Theater - Modern
theater turned from very generalized stages to very
realistic and naturalistic theater. With the
changing face of productions, theaters had to
change architecturally. Stages became environments
instead of settings. Theaters were built with the
ability to function with the play.
For additional resources on the
architecture of theater click
here.
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