Different Types of Theaters

Video Transcript

STEVE CAVERNO: Hi. My name is Steve Caverno on behalf of Expert Village, and today I'll be talking to you about playwriting basics. In this segment, we'll be discussing the types of different theaters your work may be performed in, and how play might lend itself to these different types of theaters. First, we'll start with the typical, the most common type of theater, the Proscenium stage. Proscenium stage features the actors on one side of the set, and then the audience on the other looking through the imaginary fourth wall. This is the wall that separates the world of the theater from the actors. And this is good for big sets that don't need to be moved or they can be moved and lavish sets and plays that deal with a realism or with a realistic atmosphere. Then we have the Thrust stage which is a modification of the Proscenium stage. You're still going to have actors behind the Proscenium, behind the fourth wall, but you'll also have actors coming out into the audience, and this also lends itself to actors coming through this aisle, coming through each of these aisles. So, you have to have very action-orientated scenes. Romeo and Juliet can be staged very effectively here where you have the Capulets and Montagues rushing up from the aisles through the audiences, creating a lot of energy, so if you have a lot of energetic stuff going on. Also, if you have someone that breaks out of the scene and comes down to address the audience, this could be a good medium for that. And lastly, we have the Arena stage which could also be theater and around with the audience all the way around the actors. In this way, this would work well for a play where perhaps a musical review where you would have different actors each addressing the audience at the same time. You might have a chorus, singing in this side of the section, and then another group that, of course, sing to this side. Or you might have a Greek play where you had a Greek chorus addressing each member of the audience. And this works well when you have a lot of that. Also, a unit set where you have to bring boxes on or different generic items where you can bring that on stage and bring it right off. And a set that doesn't necessarily need as much detail. This is also another energetic space but it's a space where you won't have any time where the actors are on one side and the audience on the other.

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