Ronald Reagan High School

Theatre Arts I
9th – 12th Grade
Beginning Theatre Students

Types of Stages 1
  The oldest type of stage

 Used by ancient man

 Originally used by
the ancient Greeks

 Audience sits on all

drawing by David Betts
sides of the stage

Local Example: WFU Ring Theatre

http://ljvm.com/mainarenaseating.html

Types of Stages 2
  Second type of stage

 Developed in ancient
Greece

 Popular in the
Renaissance

 Audience sits on three

drawing by David Betts
sides of the stage

Local Example: SECCA

http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/about-us/virtual-tour

Types of Stages 3
  Third type of stage

 Developed during
Italian Renaissance

 First example from

Parma, Italy,1618

 Audience sits on only

drawing by David Betts
one side of the stage

Local Example: Arts Council Theatre

http://rjrauditorium.yolasite.com/renting-the-auditorium.php

Types of Stages 4
  Fourth type of stage

 Recently developed for

theatre (1960’s & 70’s)
Audience

Audience
STAGE
 A “catwalk” setup

 Seating on two sides

 Common in Europe –
drawing by Gretchen Hall less so in the USA

Local Example: None Currently

http://theatre.ucsd.edu/places/theatres/potiker.html

Types of Stages 5
These are more contemporary theatre spaces

Types of Stages 6
  Fifth type of stage

 Recently developed
(1960’s USA)

 Flexible Stage

 Audience can move

drawing by David Betts during performance

Local Example: Reynolda House

http://www.westsidecivictheatre.com/

Types of Stages 7
  Sixth type of stage

 Most recent
(1970’s - today)

 Usually a large, flat

room painted black

 Minimal and mobile

seating
http://www.tristateactorstheater.org/seatingchart.html

Local Example: Reagan Black Box Theatre

http://www.rpginc.com/commercial/design_assistance/pdfs/Black_Box_Theatre.pdf

Types of Stages 8
Which is the most popular?
The Proscenium Stage

Types of Stages 9
Take about 5 minutes to create your list.
Share your list with the class or place it in
your Theatre binder.

Types of Stages 10
 Look at your classmates lists –
How similar are they to yours?
What do they have that you don’t?

Types of Stages 11
 Compare Your List with Mine:
LOCATION Arena Thrust Proscenium Environmental Black Box Transverse

WFU 1 1 1 0 1 0
UNCSA 0 1 2 0 2 0
Schools 0 0 15 1 11 0
Salem 0 0 3 1 1 0
WSSU 0 1 1 0 0 0
FTCC 0 0 2 0 0 0
Community 1 1 2 2 1 0

TOTAL 2 4 26 4 16 0

THEATRES IN FORSYTH COUNTY

Which ones did you (and your partner) list?
In which types of theatres have you actually attended a performance?

Types of Stages 12
Answer each of the 5 questions on your
paper, then check your answers against the
answers provided. Turn this in for a grade.

Types of Stages 13
Click your mouse to see answers.

1. Arena
2. Thrust
3. Proscenium
4. Transverse

Types of Stages
Types of Stages 14
Click your mouse to see answers.

Proscenium

Types of Stages
Types of Stages 15
Click your mouse to see answers.

1. Environmental
2. Black Box

Types of Stages
Types of Stages 16
Click your mouse to see answers.

In a school or college

Types of Stages
Types of Stages 17
Click your mouse to see answers.

1. Proscenium
2. Black Box

Types of Stages
Types of Stages 18