THEA TRES
BUILDINGS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
In the last years, the
world has seen a
proliferation of
performance centres that
propose, according to a
mysterious consensus,
versions of a more or less
identical combination
completed by a black box.
Contemporary forms
disguise conservative
typologies:
theatre configurations based
on 19th century practice
(and symbolism: balconies as
evidence
of
social
stratification. Even though
the essential elements of the
theater stage, proscenium,
auditorium are more than
3,000 years old, there is no
excuse for this stagnation,
which
is
oblivious
to
experiment
and
ignores
relevant
20th
century
innovation.
THEA TRES
BUILDINGS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Index:
-HISTORY
-ARCHITECTURE SUMMARY
-TYPES OF THEATRES
-COMPONENTS
-TECHNICAL DATA
-CASE STUDIES
THEA TRES
BUILDINGS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
architecture
HISTORY
SUMMARY
THEA TRES
BUILDINGS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
HISTORY
-Greek theatres
-Roman-amphitheaters
-Medieval
-Elizabethan England
-16th century-Italian reinassance
-18th century- barroque
-19th century -barroque
-grand Operas
THE ATRES
-Wagner in Bayreuth
-Contemporary theatres
The word theatre means a "place for seeing.The two most common
types of theatre plays are comedy and tragedy, symbolised by the
theatre masks. The first recorded theatrical event was a
performance of the sacred plays of the myth of Osiris and Isis in
2500 BC in Egypt. This story of the god Osiris was performed
annually at festivals throughout the civilization, marking the
beginning of a long relationship between theatre and religion.
The ancient Greeks began formalising theatre as an art, developing
strict definitions of tragedy and comedy as well as other forms,
including satyr player Like the religious plays of ancient Egypt,
Greek plays made use of mythological characters. The Greeks also
developed the concepts of dramatic criticism, acting as a career,
and theatre architecture.[In the modern world these works have
been adapted and interpreted in thousands of different ways in
order to serve the needs of the time
Examples are offered by Antigone, used in 1944 by Anouilh to make
a statement about the Nazi occupation of France, and by Brecht in
1948, likening Creon to Hitler and Thebes to defeated Germany.
Western theatre continued to develop under the Roman Empire, in
medieval England, and continued to thrive, taking on many
alternate forms in Spain, Italy, France, and Russia in the 16th,
17th and 18th centuries. The general trend over the centuries was
away from the poetic drama of the Greeks and the Renaissance and
toward a more realistic style, especially following the Industrial
Revolution. A uniquely North American theatre developed with the
colonization of the new world.
The history of Eastern theatre is traced back to 1000 BC with the
Sanskrit drama of ancient Indian theatre. Chinese theatre also
dates back to around the same time. Japanese forms of Kabuki, Noh,
and Kyogen date back to the 17th century AD.Other Eastern forms
were developed throughout China, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
The most popular forms of theatre in the medieval Islamic world
were puppet theatre (which included hand puppets, shadow plays
and marionette productions) and live passion plays known as
ta'ziya, where actors re-enact episodes from Muslim history. In
particular, Shia Islamic plays revolved around the shaheed
(martyrdom) of Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali. Live
secular plays were known as akhraja, recorded in medieval adab
literature, though they were less common than puppetry and ta'ziya
theatre.
ATRES
THE
THE
Greek
theatron
('seeing place'). The
theaters were large, open-air
structures constructed on the
slopes of hills. They consisted
of three principal elements: the
orchestra, the scene, and the
audience.
The centerpiece of the theater
was the orchestra, or "dancing
place", a large circular or
rectangular area. The orchestra
was
the
site
the
choral
performances,
the
religious
rites, and, possibly, the acting.
An altar was located in the
middle of the orchestra
Rising from the circle of the
orchestra was the audience.
The audience sat on tiers of
benches built up on the side
of a hill. Greek theaters
could only be built on hills
that were correctly shaped.
A typical theater was able to
seat around 15,000 viewers.
Greek theaters were not
enclosed; the audience could
see each other and the
surrounding countryside as
well as the actors and
chorus.
THE
Skene, orchestra and
theatron
roman
THEATRE
The Roman theatre shared
the same principles
of the
Greek
theathedrons,
but
were developed without the
natural environment, so the
new architecture now used
facades and could be places
in any place of any city of
the empire.
The parts:scaenae, orchestra
and cavea.
ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE
ROMAN CIRCUS
It got an oval plan as a result
of duplicating theatres joined
by the stage. Its name shows it
since it comes from a Greek word
that means "two theatres" (amphi
-two- and theatros).
A building in which races -both
for chariots and horses- were
celebrated.
These buildings were never used
for performing literary plays
nor political speeches. They
were rather for spectacles like
gladiators.
It can be said that games
celebrated in Circus were the
most popular and successful
for general public among all the
shows that Roman governors
offered to their people. up to
225.000
places
where
in
Maximum Circus at Rome.
the arena , and the cavea .
Parts: Cavea, Arena and Spina.
medieval
During the pos roman era,
theaters
acquired
a
completely different shape.
Used
only
for
religious
purposes related to the new
faith,
the
show
was
performed in different parts
speaking about the life of
Jesus Christ.
Later this idea was corrupted
and theaters became more
profane.
Elizabethan
theaters were constructed of
wooden framing, infilled with
wattle and daub and roofed
with thatch. They consisted
of several floors of covered
galleries
surrounding
a
courtyard which was open to
the elements. A large portion
of the audience would stand
in the yard, directly in front
of the stage. This layout is
said to derive from the
practice of holding plays in
the yard of an inn.
THE
16th-century
-Italian
reinassance
Renaissance theaters where
also constructed in other
European cities.
Designed partially by the
great Andrea Palladio, it was
the
refurbishment
of
a
building, thus it was not
finished by Palladio, it is
considered one of the first
renaissance
buildings
for
performing arts.
theaters were constructed of
wooden
framing,
temporal
structures like this were
layed in courts of palaces or
other important buildings.
8-Teatro Farnese, Parma 1618
Teatro Farnese is one of the
first fixed theaters that
where
asked
in
the
renaissance, the stage was
now considered with uniaxial
moving backgrounds, in order
to
produce
the
more
complicated pieces available,
and being this background
painted with the use of
perspective. The perspective
could only be seen straight
from the main seat used by
important characters,
THE
18th-centurybarroque
11-Grand Opera House Bourdeaux
Another
important
contribution
was
the
entrance hall, where people
could interact, meet with
each other, the importance
was that theaters where now
seen as social contributors.
Basic distribution did not
change much during this time,
using still the oval or
semicircular
shape
with
balconies. The most important
characteristics
of
these
buildings was their rich in
decoration
spaces,
improvement of acoustics and
views and bigger stages, that
sometimes even had more
people working to operate
the new machinery developedthan the audience hosted.
THE ATRES
19th-centurybarroque
Citizens of the generation
after the Napoleonic Wars,
the
liberal
professions
(lawyers),
the
first
professionals of the new
schools, the first university
of
the
new
universities,
officials from all levels of
the new states, and renters,
all They met every week in the
theaters.
The theater was one of the
few public amusements. The
only
allowing
selected
crowds,
under
cover.
Attending the theater was a
social need and have a good
theater,
civic
aspiration.
the theater was expanded
from within, for convenience,
be more carefully decorated
the room for added elegance.
The
theater
became
the
preferred forum of public
life, lived in public .
SCHAUSPIELHAUS. Berln
SCHINKEL, 1819-1821
New
technologies
was
introduced in stenography,
acoustics,
lightning,
and
specially against fires, the
time lapse for a fire to take
place was of 50 years, new
materials like concrete and
iron meant stop using wood.
Exit stairs and corridors
where created to facilitate
the
exit
of
people.
THE ATRES
Nouvel Opera. Paris- garnier
Grand opera
house
the Opera House was the most
magnificent
and
interesting
theater. The presence of the
orchestra and chorus needed
more widely, and was expecting a
more spectacular-and spendingon stage. The room
seats
because they had to be expanded
to accommodate everyone in the
world, and had to get more
revenue.
The
relationship
spaces, hallways and the foyer
should multiply and bounds; The
decor should be particularly
splendid.
The pride of the city. During
the nineteenth century, a
growing number of people
took interest in the image of
the city (and multiply the
collections
of
views
of
cities).
The
municipalities
raise money enough to great
performances, and appeared
on urban design, is the city
as a design object.
THE
Wagner en
Bayreuth
The theater was build for
Ludwig II, though he never
saw it, the main features of
the gesamtwerk where: These
innovations
include
darkening
the
auditorium
during
performances,
and
placing the orchestra in a pit
out of view of the audience.
Wagner
used
the
term
"gesamtkunstwerk" to refer to
a performance that combines
all the arts, including the
performing arts, literature,
and the visual arts
Today it is difficult to feel
the irresistible attraction
exercised Richard Wagner,
and experience the sweeping
movement that arose around
him. After upsetting ideas
about theater design, a true
offspring of the mountains,
raised in a secondary cityand charming-, Bayreuth, a
center of pilgrimage, which
achieved a work of art and
ultimately
that
would
combine the whole range of
artistic
expression:
the
Festspielhaus,
all
this
was
expressed
as
promised and pursued with a
fury and a enthusiasm. And
it ended in a terrifying
mediocre design. And so this
story is a pretty story yet.
THE ATRES
Total theatre, 1927 walter
gropius
First modern
Theatres of
the 20th
centurysearch of
flexibility
Theatre at lehniner platz,
mendelshon, 1929
Manheim theatre, 1954Gerhard Weber
THE ATRES
Types of theatres
-Proscenium
-thrust (drama)
-arena
-Black box
-Concert hall
-Musical theatres
-recital rooms
-Dance theatres
THE ATRES
-entertainment venues
A Proscenium
theatres
primary feature
is a large frame
or arch which
is located at or
near the front
of the stage.
In general practice,
a theatre space is
referred to as a
"proscenium" any time
the audience directly
faces the stage, with
no audience on any
other side, even if
there is not a formal
proscenium arch
over the stage.
In a proscenium theatre,
the audience directly
faces the stage, which is
typically raised several
feet above front row
audience level, and views
the performance through
the proscenium "arch". The
main stage is the space
behind the proscenium
arch, often marked by a
curtain which can be
lowered or drawn closed.
A proscenium theatre
layout also simplifies the
hiding and obscuring of
objects from the
audience's view (sets,
performers not currently
performing, and theatre
technology). Anything
that is not meant to be
seen is simply placed
outside the "window"
created by the proscenium
arch, either in the wings
or in the flyspace above
the stage.
THEATER TYPES
PROSCENIUM
THEATER
THE ATRES
A thrust stage is
one that extends
into the audience
on three sides
and is connected
to the backstage
area by its up
stage end.
In general practice,
a theatre space is
referred to as a
"proscenium" any time
the audience directly
faces the stage, with
no audience on any
other side, even if
there is not a formal
proscenium arch
over the stage.
A thrust has the benefit of
greater intimacy between
performers and the
audience than a
proscenium, while retaining
the utility of a backstage
area.
An arena, exposed on all
sides to the audience, is
without a backstage and
relies entirely on
entrances in the
auditorium or from under
the stage.
As with an arena, the
audience in a thrust stage
theatre may view the stage
from three or more sides.
Because the audience can
view the performance from
a variety of perspectives, it
is usual for the blocking,
props and scenery to
receive thorough
consideration to ensure
that no perspective is
blocked from view.
THEATER TYPES
THRUST
STAGE
THE ATRES
Theatre-in-theround or arena
theatre is any
theatre space in
which the
audience
surrounds the
stage area.
The stage itself in this
arrangement is typically
round, diamond, or
triangular, with actors
entering and exiting through
the audience from different
directions or from below the
stage. Theatre-in-the-round
was common in ancient
theatre, particularly that of
Greece and Rome but was not
widely explored again until
the latter half of the 20th
century.
Theatre in the Round
offers the audience a
closer intimacy with
the stage than
proscenium theatre,
and it also puts the
audience in direct view
of each other. A 360
degree sight line
means that large
scenery is out of the
question unless it is
suspended above the
actors heads and out
of the audiences
view. Theatre in the
Round tends to be a
format chosen for
intimate productions,
although some large
scale operas and
theatre productions
have also used the
format.
THEATER TYPES
Theater
In the
round
THE ATRES
The black box
theatre is a
relatively recent
innovation,
consisting of a
simple, somewhat
unadorned
performance
space, usually a
large square
room with black
walls and a flat
floor.
Such spaces are easily built
and maintained, and are usually
home to plays or other
performances with very basic
technical arrangements, such
as limited sets, simple lighting
effects, and an intimate focus
on the story, writing, and
performances rather than
technical elements. The seating
is typically composed of loose
chairs on platforms, which can
be easily moved or removed to
allow the entire space to be
adapted to the artistic
elements of a production.
Black box theatres
became popular and
widespread
particularly in the
1960s and 1970s,
during which low-cost
experimental theatre
was being actively
practiced as never
before. Since almost
any warehouse or open
space in any building
can be transformed
into a black box. The
concept of a building
designed for flexible
staging techniques can
be attributed to Swiss
designer Adolphe
Appia, circa 1921, and
instigated a half
century of innovations
in the relationship
between audience and
performers.
THEATER TYPES
Black Box
Theater
THE ATRES
THEATER TYPES
Concert
hall
THE ATRES
