Stage (theatre)

The stage (also scene ) is the place where a performance - for example a concert or theater performance - occurred. A figure of speech refers to the stage as " boards that mean the world."

Current forms

In places of assembly with stage area of the stage behind the proscenium opening (portal ) is lying room with stage area. To count the proscenium stage (before the portal ), the main stage as well as the rear and side stages, including the respective associated upper and lower stages.

The simplest kind of stage is a pedestal. Outdoor stages host performances only in the warm season. There were summer theater stage with closed and open auditorium ( as one half of the Berliner Victoria Theatre ). In contrast to the traveling theaters these stages are stationary. Larger enterprises have also called theater rehearsal stages that use actors and singers for their samples inside the house. The smallest stage, apart from the puppet theater, the theater room.

Today often stadiums, sports halls or remodeled factory building be used as a large stages. The modern event technology can build temporary platforms for a variety of needs, such as festival stages for open -air events.

For what is happening behind the stage, the expression Backstage is in use.

History

Antiquity

The first venue of the European theater was handed down by Horace Sage after Thespis. The permanent theater buildings of ancient Greece were open-air theater. The central playing area for the choir has been designated by the word Orchestra ( ὀρχήστρα ). The rear closure was a building called Skene ( σκηνή ), often with a decorative house or temple front. The audience sat on the arena (semi-) circular in rising rows of seats in front.

The Roman amphitheater was completely round or oval, but rather served to gladiator fights and chariot races than to artistic performances.

Middle Ages

The late Middle Ages knew little permanent theaters. Spiritual Games was first listed in the church and later in front of it. As the cities took over the sponsorship of the medieval theater, market places and other public places were recorded.

Renaissance

Since the Renaissance gradually developed the court theater of the banquet halls of residences. With the prince to the architect for the theater began to take an interest. The humanistic Terenzbühne tried in the 14th century to revive ancient traditions. It developed the angle frame stage, which was designed in perspective.

Travelling Players played on car platforms or erected booths at busy public places. One of the largest of these was the theater opened in 1599 Globe Theatre in London. The proscenium called Apron Stage and the structures were used in the form of a multiple stage. This stage form is now called Shakespeare stage.

Baroque

The theater in the Baroque period used in perspective staggered, usually painted scenes that gave this so-called stage backdrop seemingly infinite depth. In addition, Festoon included as an upper limit and a prospectus stage in the background, everything also painted the scenery. At the front boundary of the stage, the ramp is called ramp lights were placed to the performers to illuminate brighter than the audience. A complicated stage machinery ensured numerous effects such as trap doors in the stage floor or lifting machines. The orchestra took in operatic performances recorded before the stage space, on the site of the ancient orchestra, which is now known as parquet. The usual at the Opera House orchestra pit, which removes the musicians the eyes of the audience, sat through until the 19th century.

19th century

On the baroque setting the stage proscenium stage, to take the infinite depth give the impression of a closed space followed. Also this stage is usually divided form still in the streets, as the backdrop stage, but the scenes were increasingly plastically designed, not merely painted. In this context, it was an invisible " fourth wall " of the auditorium towards postulated ( see naturalism ). Thus, the transformations have been significantly more complex, requiring a large number of theater personnel. The invention of the revolving stage made ​​it possible to change decorations without modification. The theater lighting was brighter and more differentiated, gas lighting and electric light replaced the kerosene lamps. - The box set is still the principle of most major theaters.

The floor in front of the stage was to the 19th century still without fixed seating, also served to dance balls and was transformed into a circus buildings to ring. The auditorium was divided on several floors in ranks, galleries or balconies. Many theaters have two to four ranks. There is also the boxes, which were mainly for social representation and often offered as a better look at the rest of the auditorium to the stage. The ruler of a residence theater was the central box in the First Rank, which guaranteed the best view of the stage and at the same time the best visibility through the rest of the audience.

Richard Wagner realized in Bayreuth Festspielhaus turn one arena -shaped auditorium without social gradations in the audience. After the Second World War, in turn, increased the tendency to consistently rising, shell-shaped auditoriums with fewer tiers and balconies.

20th century

In the early 20th century, these illusionistic stage form of many directors and stage designers was considered obsolete, it began attempts to involve the audience in the scenic design, resulting in new stage forms such as the Arena Stage and spatial concepts ( space stage ) resulted.

The performance art waived conventional platforms, and numerous theatrical events, such as street theater, find since the end of the 20th century in the public outside of the stage instead.

Special stages

As largest stage in the world is considered the stage of the Friedrichstadt- Palast in Berlin. With a retractable and replaceable triple- ring and 2854 m² of recordable total area, it is the largest theater stage in the world and also has the widest proscenium arch in Europe with 24 meters.

Legal distinctions

Previously, the various stage sizes were divided into small, medium and full stage. These distinctions account for today. You are here mentioned because such stages Legally still enjoy grandfathered until today.

• A small stage is a maximum of 100 m². In addition, the ceiling must not be higher than one meter above the stage opening behind the portal. A small stage has no side or rear stages. An additional proscenium is permitted. It requires no additional fire containment.

• A center stage shall not exceed the floor area of ​​150 m². However, they may additionally max. Have 100 square feet of the rear or side stages. The height of the ceiling, or the height to the lower edge of the rigging loft can have a maximum of twice the height of the proscenium opening (portal height).

• Everything is larger than a small or medium stage or does not meet their needs, is a full stage or large stage.

Currently the only distinction between large stages and performance areas.

A large stage has no proscenium over 200 m² of floor space. Or it has a lower stage. Or there is an upper stage whose height above the stage opening ( Proszeniumsöffnung ) more than 2.5 m.

Everything else is considered stage area. Where performance areas in assembly rooms have legal requirements less stringent than large stages.