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P a g e|1 UNDERSTANDING OF THREATRICAL ARTS–THEATRE FACULTY–ABHINAY BANKERTHEATRE ARCHITECTURE TYPES OF STAGE 1. THEATRE IN THE ROUND or ARENA STAGE Theatre-in-the-round,also calledarena stage, central stage, orisland stage, form of theatrical staging in which the acting area, which may be raised or at floor level, is completely surrounded by the audience. It has been theorized that the informality thus established leads to increased rapport between the audience and the actors. Theatre in the Round Theatre-in-the-round has its roots in rituals such as those performed by the ancient Greeks, which evolved into classical Greek theatre. It was used again in medieval times, especially in England, where it gave way to the open stage of
P a g e|2 UNDERSTANDING OF THREATRICAL ARTS–THEATRE FACULTY–ABHINAY BANKERElizabethan times. During the late 17th century the proscenium stage, which limited audiences to the area directly in front of the stage, came to dominate theatre. Theatre-in-the-roundorarena theatreis any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area. Theatre in the Round became increasingly popular in the late 1960s in the UK and Europe, with initially the format proving popular in smaller venues and studio spaces.The first “Theatre in the Round”•theatre in the UK was formed by Stephen Joseph in 1955, now called the Stephen Joseph Theatre. However, a permanent location was not found until 1988 by artistic director and playwright Alan Ayckbourn. The first large Theatre in the Round was built in a disused corn exchange in Manchester in 1976 and was named “The Royal Exchange Theatre”. The Royal Exchange is now one of the country’s most well known theatre outside of London. The first Theatre in the Round in America was the built at The University of Washington in 1940. Theatre in the Round offers the audience a closer intimacy with the stage than proscenium theatre, and it also puts the audience in direct view of each other. A 360 degree sight line means that large scenery is out of the question unless it is suspended above the actors’ heads and out of the audiences’ view. Theatre in the Round tends to be a format chosen for intimate productions, although some large scale operas and theatre productions have also used the format. PARTS OF AN ARENA: An Arena is designed for sporting events first. Setting up a concert means fitting it into a space meant for a different kind of event. Compromise and accomodation is frequently required. The stage is usually set up as an End Stage, or occasionally in the center as an "Arena" Stage.
P a g e|3 UNDERSTANDING OF THREATRICAL ARTS–THEATRE FACULTY–ABHINAY BANKERThe Stage is usually set up at the Loading Dock end of the building for ease of setup. Opposite the stage isFront of HouseorFOH,sometimes called "Sound World", as the Mixing consoles are located here. Standard stage directions are usually used (Stage Right, Stage Left, Downstage, Upstage, etc.). The Monitor mixer often go SL in "Monitor World", and lighting dimmers go SR in "Dimmer Beach
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