Stage (theatre)

The stage is one of the primary considerations in the construction of a theatre or the writing of a play. It is the performance space for the actors, and is the focus of the audience throughout the production. This article outlines the most common formats and the modifications which can be made to them.

Types of stage

The following main layouts exist, each with advantages and disadvantages.

Proscenium stages

See main article - Proscenium

A Proscenium Arch stage is enclosed by four walls, with a large archway in the one facing the audience. This usually forces the audience to watch the performance through the imaginary fourth wall. Such stages are often uninvolving, and can be improved with the addition of an apron (see below).

The principal advantages of the proscenium stage are:

Many properties and much scenery can be used.
Backdrops, curtains and lighting can be used to greater effect without risk of rigging being visible to the audience.
Entrances and exits can be made more graceful; surprise attacks become possible.
The actors only have to concentrate on facing the audience in one direction.

In-The-Round stages

See main article - Theatre in the round

This method of stage design consists of a stage situated in the centre of a theatre, with the audience facing it from all sides. The audience is placed quite close to the action which provokes a feeling of intimacy and involvement.

In-The-Round stages can pose many difficulties to the production, including:

Scenery is difficult to use effectively because it can obscure actors and the rest of the stage from parts of the audience.
Backdrops and curtains cannot be used, thus the director must find other ways to set the scene.
Lighting design is more difficult than for a Proscenium stage, since the actor must be lit from all sides without blinding nearby audience members.
Entrances and exits must be made either through the audience, making surprise entrances very difficult, or via closed-off walkways, which must be inconspicuous. As a result, stage entrances are normally in the corners of the theatre.
The actors need to ensure that they do not have their backs turned to any part of the audience for long periods of time, in order to be seen and heard clearly.

Thrust stage

See main article - Thrust stage

Additions & Modifications

Proscenium and In-The-Round stage types are only the basic templates for stage layout. There are also extras which can be added in order to improve the stage.

Aprons are pieces of stage added to the front of a proscenium stage which protrude past the proscenium arch, pushing out into the audience in order to make them feel more involved. They provoke a feeling of being more part of the action, rather than just looking at it through a transparent fourth wall (see above.) See also thrust stage.

Boxes are a feature of more modern stage designs where temporary walls are built inside any proscenium stage, at a slight angle to the original walls, in order to allow audience members located to the left or right of the proscenium (the further out, the larger the angle) to see the entirety of the stage. They enable the creation of rat runs around the back of the stage, which allow cast members to walk between entrances and exits without being seen by the audience.