Stage (theatre)
Designated space for performance, varying in form and audience relation.
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In theatre and performing arts, the stage (sometimes referred to as the deck in stagecraft) is a designated space for the performance of productions. It serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the audience. As an architectural feature, the stage may consist of a platform or series of platforms, often raised, and may be temporary or permanent. Several types of stages exist, varying by usage and the relation of the audience to them, including the proscenium stage, thrust stage, theatre in the round, and created or found stages.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Theatre and performing arts
- Known for
- Designated performance space; types include proscenium
- thrust
- theatre in the round
- and created/found stages
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The most common form found in the West is the proscenium stage, also called a picture frame stage. Its primary feature is a large opening known as the proscenium arch, through which the audience views the performance. The audience directly faces the stage, which is typically raised several feet above front row level, and views only one side of the scene, known as the invisible fourth wall. The proscenium arch developed in Renaissance Italy, not from the Greek proskenion, which was a platform in front of the skênê.
The first true proscenium arch theatre is generally considered the Teatro Farnese. Earlier indoor theatres, such as the Teatro Olimpico (1585), were built within an existing academy rather than a palace and featured a fixed perspective scene rather than a true proscenium arch. Stage floors were raked upward slightly from front to back to contribute to the perspective illusion and make actors more visible. Raked stages remained common well into the 20th century, and level floors became standard later, with many proscenium stages at or slightly above audience eye level.
Reader's Guide
The stage is a fundamental architectural and functional element in theatre, shaping how performances are presented and experienced. The proscenium stage, dominant in the West since the Italian Renaissance, offers advantages such as the ability to use backdrops, curtains, and lighting without rigging being visible, and allows graceful entrances and exits. Its popularity stems from these multiple advantages. Thrust stages extend into the audience on three sides, providing greater intimacy while retaining a backstage area.
Theatre in the round places the audience on all four sides, creating a feeling of intimacy and involvement but requiring special considerations for scenery, lighting, and entrances. Created and found stages may be constructed specifically for a performance or adapted from existing spaces. The development of fly systems, including hemp houses and counterweight fly systems, allowed for the storage and movement of scenery above the stage. The stage's design influences blocking, props, and scenery to ensure no perspective is blocked, and affects how actors engage with the audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main types of theatrical stages?
The primary configurations include the proscenium stage, thrust stage, theatre in the round, and created or found stages, each distinguished by how the audience is positioned relative to the performance area.
Why do stagehands call the stage 'the deck'?
In stagecraft terminology, 'deck' is an alternate name for the stage platform, a reference to its flat, structural nature as a raised surface built for performance.
What makes a stage different from just any open floor space?
A stage is a deliberately designated performance area, often raised on a platform or series of platforms, that establishes a clear spatial and visual boundary between the performers and the audience.
Also in the Codexery
More in Theatre And Performance
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Stage (theatre) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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