4 from ritual to theater and back: the efficacy ... - AAAARG.ORG

Figure 5.5 The proscenium theater
Note
The modern theater building is not in itself a central structure at the heart of a clearly
boundaried polis. That structure – if it exists at all – is the stadium or Superdome.
Theaters are built in “theater districts,” one neighborhood in a rather ill-defined
“urban area.” The proscenium theater itself is divided into five areas: 1) sidewalk
under marquee, 2) lobby, 3) house, 4) stage, and 5) backstage. Fixed seating points
the audience toward the stage. The stage floor is open and often slightly raked,
tilting the action toward the house. Stage machinery is hidden in the wings and flies,
making quick scene changes possible. The lobby, which extends into the street
under the theater marquee, is a gathering place for the audience before the
performance and during intermissions.