If It Ain't on Stage - Stage Theaters

In a world dominated by movie theaters and a multitude of home entertainment options ranging from television to videogames, it is almost difficult to believe that traditional stage theaters are still in use outside of Broadway.  Nevertheless, while stage plays may not dominate the way they once did, there are many who prefer the dynamic nature of live performances over the fixed nature of movies and television.  Many actors also prefer performing in front of a live audience because of the immediate feedback of audience appreciation and, in some cases, interaction.  The Western tradition of dramatic plays is full of history, as are  the actual stage theaters where these plays were and are performed. 

Ancient Greek and Roman Theaters

Ancient Greek theaters began the traditions of Western stage theater architecture and design.  The theaters of Ancient Greece had three main parts.  The theatron was where the audience watched the play.  The theatron was usually carved out of a hillside and had a semicircular shape.  The section known as the orchestra was located at the foot of the hill and was where the chorus in Greek plays sang and danced.  Finally, the skene was a backdrop or wall located behind the chorus, which was also used for actors changing costume and for death scenes in the play – it wasn’t considered appropriate to show a character’s death in front of the audience.  Roman theaters were directly inspired by the design of ancient Greek theaters, the main difference being that the Romans built support structures and walls rather than trying to find an appropriate hillside for their theaters. 

Elizabethan Theaters

In Shakespeare’s time theaters had a circular shape, with several floors of viewing galleries on all sides except the front, where the stage itself was located.  The galleries and stage surrounded an open air courtyard directly in front of the stage, where the vast majority of the audience would stand and watch the plays.  The idea of the green room, where actors would stay when not needed in the actual play, was introduced in Elizabethan times. 

Modern Theaters

In this day and age there are many types of theaters, both traditional and nontraditional.  Traditional theaters include proscenium theaters, where an arch in front of the stage frames the action and amphitheaters which are direct descendants of the ancient stage theaters of the Greeks. Non-traditional theater types include modular theaters which allow the walls and stage area to be adjusted for each play presented; thrust theaters in which part of the stage enters into the audience space; and black box theaters which are usually simple rooms painted black with adjustable audience and actor space.