1. Types of Stages

2. Why do we have different types of staging?
Impact on audience
Impact on performances
Impact on design
Impact on overall atmostphere

3. Proscenium Arch

4. Proscenium Arch Also called the “End On” stage Most common
Has large offstage areas
Audience position
The metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, it is usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch, it does not have to be a literal arch but it serves as a “frame” that the audience looks through to view a play
The proscenium arch is an arch framing the opening between the stage and auditorium in some theaters
Most common in Britain but is also very popular in America (this is the type of stage we have at TCBOE for our performances)
The large off stage areas allow for complex sets, large casts & numerous scene changes
The audience is positioned on one side of the stage as if looking through a window

5. History of the Proscenium Arch
Did not exist in Greek & Roman Theatre
Roman Theatre’s were more like modern proscenium theatres
Modern Halls
Teatro Olimipco
Teatro Farnese
Orchestra Pit
Didn’t exist at least in the modern sense, the acting space was always fully in view of the audience
This was due to the fact that the entire audience had a restricted range of views on the stage
Modern Halls designed for orchestral music often adopt similar arrangements due to the acoustics
Teatro Olimpico in Vicsenza (1585) is the oldest surviving indoor theatre of the modern era & is sometimes referred to incorrectly as the first example of the proscenium arch.
Teatro Farnese in Parma (1618) is the earliest TRUE proscenium arch to survive in a permanent theatre
What the Romans would have called the proscaenium is where modern theatre’s have their orchestra pits, these are normally painted black so they do not draw attention away from the action on the stage

6. Why use a Proscenium Arch
Fourth wall
Show requirements
Type of show
Actor’s perspective
Proscenium Arch staging lends itself to the concept of the fourth wall
Some shows lend themselves best to the proscenium setting, these are typically more classic plays. Shows that do not lend themselves to an intimate setting benefit from using the proscenium setting due to the separation of actor & audience
The use of a proscenium is viewed as favorable for an actor because it makes it easy for the actor to block out the audience

7. Functions of the Proscenium Arch
Creates a window
Simplifies hiding objects from the audience
Breaking the proscenium
Around the scenery and performers & creates a good view for everyone in the audience
Anything that the audience is not meant to see before it comes into play on stage is simply hidden in the wing space on either side of the stage or the flyspace above the stage
Breaking the proscenium and breaking the fourth wall mean when a performer addresses the audience directly as part of the production

8. Proscenium Theatre’s today
Fallen out of favor
Thrust Stage
Extravagant
In some theatre circles the proscenium stage has fallen out of favor because the perpetuate the fourth wall concept
Many modern theatre’s have attempted to do away with the fourth wall “safety net” by the design of using a thrust stage that projects out of the proscenium arch and “reaches” into the audience, this type of stage however can still be referred to as a proscenium theatre because it still has the proscenium arch
Seen as an extra

9. Parts of the Proscenium Stage

10. Traverse Stage

11. Traverse Stage Most unusual type of stage Various scenes
Audience can see each other
Alley stage
Corridor stage
Catwalk stage
Various scenes can be set up simultaniously to allow movement instantly from one scene to another
This allows for the audience to see each other’s reactions since they are facing each other

12. Disadvantages of the Traverse Stage
Not very commonly used
Lighting design
Set design
Actor’s obligations
Due to the set up this type of stage is most commonly used for fashion shows, this is because the audience takes up so much space
Lighting design must be from all angles if it is used for a theatre production, so that they actor does not appear flat or one dimensional
Set designers have to be careful to not block the sightlines of each side of the audience, this means creating a smaller set or a set that can be seen through and moved throughout the production
This type of stage is difficult for an actor to perform in because the actor has to continually move and make sure their back is not to one side of the audience for too long and that they are not constantly where each part of the audience can see one side of their face

13. Advantages of the Traverse Stage
Intimate Staging
Minimalistic design
Works best in plays that take place in multiple locations
Due to the set up there may only be 30 seats for the audience in the theatre, this creates an intimate production between the actor and audiene
For the same reason that it is difficult to design a set in a traverse stage, it also gives a designer the chance to make a small minimalistic set that is more implied that seen
This is due to the fact that multiple scenes can be set up at one time allowing effortless transition

14. Traverse Stage Parts

15. Thrust Stage

16. Thrust Stage Has several other nicknames
Audience is close to the stage
No real off stage area
No curtains/legs separating the audience from the stage
Arena stage, three quarter thrust, platform stage, or open stage

17. History of the Thrust Stage
First appeared in Greek Theatre
Pageant wagon
Elizabethan Theatre
Resurrected in 1953
Pageant wagon’s were used to accommodate the mystery and miracle plays in the 16th century
The world famous Globe Theatre in London uses an open thrust stage
In 1953 the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada started using a thrust state and its popularity took off from there

18. Disadvantages of a Thrust Stage
Set Design
Lighting Design
Actor’s difficulties
Pressure on the audience
As with the traverse stage set designers have to be very careful about designing in a thrust setting, they can make elaborate sets but designers must make sure that sightlines are not blocked from three sides of the stage instead of the traditional one side.
Lighting designers again must make sure that their design is fully three dimensional and ensure that the actors are lit properly
Actors are out in the open and have nowhere to hide in this setting, this creates a vulnerable and really intimate relationship between the audience and actor
The audience might feel uncomfortable at times in a performance because an actor might be delivering an impassioned monologue or scene less than two feet away making the audience feel that they are actually in the scene with the actors

19. Advantages of a Thrust Stage
Intimate setting
Less Scenery
3-D Effect
Audiences can see the show multiple times
An intimate setting can be viewed as a benefit for some shows & can drive home the overall theme of the show because of the audience’s close proximity to the actors
Having Less scenery makes the audience rely on their own imagination to create a time and place of the action, this can make the set design more cost effective
Creates a nice 3D effect that can not be achieved in a proscenium stage setting, this is because actors are able to face each other directly and have a conversation
Due to no two seats offering the same view in a thrust stage audiences can see the show multiple times and not have the same experience twice.

20. Theatre in the Round

21. Theatre in the Round Circus use Small Venues
Not actually a round shape
Audience interaction
Heavily used by circuses
Seen in smaller venues
Typically creates a square playing space not a round one as the name might suggest
Allows actors to interact even more with the audience than Traverse & Thrust stages, creates a sense of entrapment

22. History of Theatre in the Round
Use at Columbia University
Use at Brigham Young University
Fair Oaks Playbox
In 1914 Azubah Latham & Milton Smith used these for the universities productions
In 1922 T. Earl Pardoe used theatre in the round at Brigham Young University
In 1924 Gilmore Brown founded the Fair Oaks Playbox in Pasadena, California which featured the use of flexible staging

23. Configuration of Theatre in the Round Stages
Center Stage
Common shapes
Entrances and Exits
Off stage/Back stage area
The stage is always at the center of the space
Most common is a rectangle or a square, but there are also circular, diamond, triangular
Actors can use the aisles as their entrances and exits
Because this is a flexible space the “back stage” area must be created through hanging curtains or relying the backstage area being in a separate room
Some audience seating areas have space where actors can change/store props under the risers and use these as entrance and exit points

24. Disadvantages of Theatre in the Round
Actor adjustment
Design problems
Actors must get used to having their back to some point of the audience at all times, this can be difficult for proscenium trained actors to overcome – as they are taught to never keep their back to the audience
Sets must be low to the ground as to not block sightlines

25. Advantages of Theatre in the Round
Eliminates the fourth wall
Engages the audience
Design choices
Challenges the actor
Eliminating the fourth wall as a liberating & intimate setting
The audience is always on their toes & must be ready for anything
One really cool design choice I have seen in a theatre in the round was for the Tony Winning show “Fun Home” where the stage actually revolves during scenes – specifically to show the passing of time and changes of settings in song
This type of setting makes the actor completely vulnerable to the audience & can be a wonderful challenge to overcome

26. Parts of Theatre in the Round Stage

27. Black Box Theatre

28. Black Box Theatre Experimental Theatre Simple blank space
Flexible space
Relatively new innovation in theatre
A simple unadorned performance space a large square/rectangular empty room
Walls, floor & ceiling are black
We had one here at TCCHS it is now the chorus room

29. History of the Black Box Theatre
Surfaced during the 1960s & 1970s
Appeal to nonprofit artists
”Pure Theatre”
During this time low-cost experimental theater was being actively practiced as never before, the use of empty/abandoned warehouses was popular due to the ease and flexibility of making the space. Due to the ease and cost effectiveness of transforming spaces the appeal for nonprofit and low-income artists is high
Many critics believe that blackbox theatre’s are the only spaces where pure theatre can be explored due to the focus on acting and little to no focus on technical elements

30. Advantages of the Black Box
Little to no set design
Cost effective
Easy to change
Because these spaces focus more on acting than technical elements the set & costume design can be very minimal
Due to the limited technical design the only fees associated with a blackbox are for actors, rights/royalties, marketing & any fees associated with renting the space
Since the space is flexible with no built in seating designers can use Traverse, ”proscenium”, three quarter thrust, and theatre in the round seating arrangements depending on what the show calls for

31. Uses of the Black Box College Theatres
Most colleges have both a Proscenium “Main Stage” theatre and a smaller experimental Black Box theatre – having both spaces means that two productions can be running at one time