Stage (theatre)

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.

Did You Know?

• The stage is sometimes referred to as the deck in stagecraft.
• The proscenium stage may also be referred to as a picture frame stage.
• The proscenium arch developed in Renaissance Italy, not from the Greek proskenion.
• Theatres using manually operated rope systems for scenery are known as hemp houses.