The Space

The physical space of the performance.

Are the stage and house enclosed?

What are the dimensions of the acting area?

What is the shape of the performance area?

What is the shape of the house?

What are the Dimensions of the Acting Area?

The dimensions of the acting area help determine what play the director or producer chooses; dimensions as well as does the shape of the theatre space directly affect what the audience experiences in the theatre.

The space above is a black-box theatre, with the audience on three sides of the performance space (thrust). The dimensions are about 30 feet wide by 60 feet deep. Being so close to the performance space, the audience experiences an intense sense of intimacy. And because the audience are in each other's line of sight, the audience becomes part of the production. This photo is of Death of a Salesman, designed by Lisa Payne. Notice that the acting areas are quite small, so actors' movement also needs to be intimate. When the space is like this, the audience's detachment is diminished.

Seen from the balcony, this set for The Mikado, designed by Debra Bruch (who realistically admits to being a mediocre designer), was on a proscenium type of stage about 70 feet wide by 45 feet deep. These stage dimensions are huge and posed quite a lot of problems. The drop in back was only 45 feet wide, as that was as wide as the available paint frame. The deep apron in front as well as the stage dimensions effectively separated the audience from the performance and theatre artists/engineers found it difficult to focus the audience's attention. The possibility of audience detachment was maximized. This proscenium type of stage form is best for musicals calling for a full orchestra, although the dimensions of this particular stage were too big even for a Gilbert and Sullivan show.