Theatre Spaces

Theatre Spaces Only necessity of a Theatre is to have

a live audience and actor(s)

It does not have to be a building

Traditionally, there are five different types of theatre spaces

Types of Theatre Spaces Proscenium Stage

Thrust Stage

Arena Stage

Black Box

Found space

Proscenium Stage Also called “picture

frame stage” The audience

watches the action of the play through the proscenium arch

The audience sits in front of the stage like in a movie theater

Thrust Stage The audience sits

on three sides of the stage

This allows the audience members to be in a closer proximity to the actors

Arena Stage The audience sits

all around the stage (like a basketball game)

This is also called “Theatre in the Round”

Black Box Flexible theatre

space that can be formed into any type of theatre space

It is traditionally a room painted black, with flexible audience seating

Found Space A space not originally

built as a theatre It can be anything

from a park, to a street corner, to a cathedral

Often used in environmental theatre (pre-existing production is placed in a similar space the play is set)

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5

Arena

Thrust

ProsceniumFound Space

Black Box

Upstage RightUSR

UpstageCenter

USC

Upstage LeftUSL

Stage Right

SRCenter Stage

CS

Stage LeftSL

Downstage RightDSR

Downstage CenterDSC

Downstage LeftDSL

Apron

Right Wing

Left Wing

Body PositionsFrom the Actor’s Perspective

Full Back

¾ Right¾ Left

Profile Left

Profile Right

¼ Left ¼ Right

Full Front

Blocking Positioning of

actors onstage using stage directions and body positions