The interior of the Auditorium Building in Chicago built in 1887. The Auditorium Building of Roosevelt University in Chicago Illinois is one of the best-known designs of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The arch around the stage is a proscenium.

A Proscenium theater is a theater space whose primary feature is a large archway (the proscenium arch) at or near the front of the stage, through which the audience views the play. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one An arch is a structure that spans a space while supporting weight (e In Theatre, the stage (sometimes referred to as the deck in Stagecraft) is a designated space for the Performance of theatrical productions A play, or stageplay, is a form of Literature written by a Playwright, almost always consisting of Dialogue between Fictional characters The audience directly faces the stage, which is typically raised several feet above front row audience level. The main stage is the space behind the proscenium arch, often marked by a curtain which can be lowered or drawn closed. A curtain (in the US also known as a drape or drapery) is a piece of Cloth intended to block or obscure Light, or Drafts, or The space in front of the curtain is called the "apron. The apron is any part of the stage that extends past the proscenium arch and into the audience or seating area " The areas obscured by the proscenium arch and any curtains serving the same purpose (often called legs or tormentors) are called the wings. Any space not viewable to the audiences is collectively referred to as offstage. Proscenium stages range in size from small enclosures to several stories tall. A floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology In general practice, a theater space is referred to as a "proscenium" any time the audience directly faces the stage, with no audience on any other side, even if there is not a formal proscenium arch over the stage. Because of the somewhat incongruous nature of a theater called a proscenium theater without a proscenium arch, these theatres are often referred to as "end-on" theater spaces.

Origin

A Greek proscenium portraying a three-doored temple facade, posited in the early 20th century as a possible origin for the design of the templon. A templon (from Greek τέμπλον meaning "temple" plural templa) is a feature of Byzantine architecture that first appeared in Christian

The term has a complex origin and originally meant something very different. It derives from the Greek proskenion, meaning 'in front of the scene'. The scene was a building with doors that served as the backdrop in Ancient Greek theater. The proskenion was a raised stage in front of the scene which appeared in the Hellenistic era and in Roman theater; it served simply to make the actors higher to aid visibility, and to separate them from the chorus. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. The Roman theatre is a theatre building built by the Romans for watching theatrical performances. The Greek chorus ( choros) is believed to have grown out of the Greek Dithyrambs and Tragikon drama in tragic plays of the ancient Ancient theaters thus lacked the modern proscenium arch. It was also absent from Renaissance theaters.

The proscenium arch developed in seventeenth century theaters, alongside the development of illusionist scenery. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar This design has been the most common for theater spaces in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries in Western theater. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

Function

Proscenium of the Teatro Olimpico by Andrea Palladio, Vicenza, Italy

The proscenium arch creates a 'window' around the scenery and actors. The Teatro Olimpico ("Olympic Theatre" is a Theatre in Vicenza, northern Italy, designed by the Renaissance architect Andrea Andrea Palladio ( November 30, 1508 – August 19, 1580) was an Italian Architect, widely considered the most influential Vicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region at the northern base of the Monte Berico The advantages are that it gives everyone in the audience a good view because the actors need only focus on one direction rather than continually moving around the stage to give a good view from all sides. A proscenium theater layout also simplifies the hiding and obscuring of objects from the audience's view (sets, actors not currently performing, and theater technology). Anything that is not meant to be seen is simply placed outside the 'window' created by the proscenium arch.

The side of the stage that faces the audience is referred to as the "fourth wall". The fourth wall is the imaginary wall at the front of the stage in a Proscenium Theater, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play The phrase "breaking the proscenium" refers to when the actor addresses the audience directly as part of the dramatic production (is also known as breaking the fourth wall). The fourth wall is the imaginary wall at the front of the stage in a Proscenium Theater, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play The phrase can also refer to when a member of the cast or crew walks onto the stage or into the house when there is an audience inside, also breaking the fourth wall.

Proscenium theatres have fallen out of favor in some theater circles because they perpetuate the fourth wall concept. The fourth wall is the imaginary wall at the front of the stage in a Proscenium Theater, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play The staging in proscenium theatres often implies that the characters performing on stage are doing so in a four-walled environment, with the "wall" facing the audience being invisible. Many modern theatres attempt to do away with the fourth wall concept and so are instead designed with a thrust stage that projects out of the proscenium arch and "reaches" into the audience (technically, this can still be referred to as a proscenium theater because it still contains a proscenium arch, however the term thrust stage is more specific and more widely used).

Other forms of theater staging

• Alley Theater: The stage is surrounded on two sides by the audience. Alley theatre is a form of theatrical staging in which the stage is surrounded predominantly on two sides by audience
• Thrust: The stage is surrounded on three sides (or 270˚) by audience. Can be modification of proscenium staging. Sometimes known as "Three Quarter Round".
• Theater in the round: The stage is surrounded by audience on all sides. Theatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any Theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area
• Environmental theater: The stage and audience either blend together, or are in numerous or oddly shaped sections. Environmental theater sometimes called site-specific theater, is a style of theatrical performance which strives for greater authenticity and audience engagement by staging Includes any form of staging that is not easily classifiable under the above categories.
• Studio Theatre Layout: Not technically a form of staging, rather a theater that can be reconfigured to accommodate many forms of staging.

See also

• Safety curtain
• Templon

External links

• Scenography - The Theatre Design Website Diagram and images of Proscenium stage