1. Chapter 1 Theatres & Stages
Our strongest ally in the theatre is : The imagination of the audience
As technicians, our job is to: Trigger that imagination
Basic Elements of a Theatre Building
Acting Area: provides a place of visibility and audibility
Auditorium: provides visibility, audibility, comfort and safety for the audience
Scenic Background: to depict the area or space in which the performance is taking place.

2. Lock rail: a steel shape at lower elevation supporting rope locks.
PARTS – Backstage
Gridiron: network of steel shapes above the playing space to provide a working platform for rigging and lighting installation and maintenance.
Flies or loft area: space above the stage used for storing drops, curtains and or other items out of the audiences vision.
Loading platform: a gallery at the top of a carriage run for loading counter weights
Lock rail: a steel shape at lower elevation supporting rope locks.
Operating side: the side of the stage on which operating equipment is located

3. Proscenium Theatre This is the type of theatre we have at Eisenhower.
Advantages: Most plays are written for this style
Disadvantages: Some audience is far away

4. Arena, Theater in the Round, Circle Staging
Advantages: audience proximity
Disadvantages: lighting angles, need short set props

5. Black Box Theatre Advantages: experimental and flexible
Disadvantages: lighting angles, need short set props (just like arenas)
This is what the Cameron Universities small theatre is.

6. Half-round or Thrust Theatre
Advantages: provides some scenic space
Disadvantages: same as “arena”

7. Open Stage Advantages: Flexible
Disadvantages: distance to the last row

8. Advantages: added small playing spaces
Proscenium with side stages
Advantages: added small playing spaces
Disadvantages: distance to last row

9. Apron Stage Advantages: Audience proximity
Disadvantages: downstage scenery and lighting hard

10. Pit : space in front of the stage for orchestra or instruments.
PARTS VISIBLE TO THE AUDIENCE
Pit : space in front of the stage for orchestra or instruments.
Apron: stage floor between pit and main curtain.
Proscenium: the picture frame through which the audience looks.
Sky Wall (cyclorama): surface visible to the audience at the rear of the stage.

13. Historical Theatre Forms
Terms shared by Greek & Roman Theatres
Theatron: seating for the audience
Orchestra: playing or acting place for the performers
Parados: alleyways for entrance to the orchestra
Skene: to house props and costumes and provide entrance doors
Paraskene: towers added to the sides of the skene
Proscenium: the front of the paraskene

14. Machine used in Greek and Roman theatre
Periakoi: triangular scenic devices.
Eccyclema: wheeled cart
Deus-ex-Machina: machine to lower gods into the scene.

15. Center line: an imaginary line in the center of the proscenium
TECHNICAL ITEMS AND TERMS
Center line: an imaginary line in the center of the proscenium
Curtain Line: an imaginary line at the rear face or the proscenium
Floor pockets: covered receptacles in the stage floor
Beam / Ceiling (Cloud): lighting positions in the auditorium ceiling

19. Eisenhower Theatre
Our proscenium dimensions are _________Wide X _________ High
Our Stage dimensions are _______Wide X_________ Deep X _________High
Our apron dimensions are ________ Wide X ________ Deep
We have _________ seats for the audience