Center stage gives actors an opportunity to create memorable dramatic and comedic moments that will resonate with the audience. When used skillfully, the center of the stage provides optimal conditions for captivating theatrical storytelling. There are several types of stages that vary as to the usage and the relation of the audience to them.[1] The most common form found in the West is the proscenium stage. In this type, the audience is located on one side of the stage with the remaining sides hidden and used by the performers and technicians.
- Since the Italian Renaissance, the most common stage used in the West has been the proscenium stage which may also be referred to as a picture frame stage.
- Upstage and downstage derive their names from the older tradition of raked theater stages that sloped downward towards the audience.
- The competition among royals to produce elegant and elaborate entertainments fueled and financed the expansion of European court theatres.
As with an arena, the audience in a thrust stage theatre may view the stage from three or more sides. If a performance employs the fourth wall, that imaginary wall must be maintained on multiple sides. A high backed chair, for instance, when placed stage right, could create a blind spot in the stage left action.
Putting It All Together: Right-Center, Left-Center and More
Since the Italian Renaissance, the most common stage used in the West has been the proscenium stage which may also be referred to as a picture frame stage. The primary feature is a large opening known as the proscenium arch through which the audience views the performance. The audience directly faces the stage—which is typically stage left or right meaning raised several feet above front row audience level—and views only one side of the scene. This one side is commonly known as the invisible fourth wall of the scene. The proscenium arch evolved from the proskenium in Ancient Greek theaters. This was the space in front of the skênê or backdrop where the actors actually played.
Defining Common Stage Directions
So, stage right and stage left are the actor’s right and left, not the audience’s. The proscenium, in conjunction with stage curtains called legs, conceals the sides of the stage, which are known as the wings. The wings may be used by theatre personnel during performances and as storage spaces for scenery and props. Several rows of short curtains across the top of the stage, called teasers, hide the backdrops, which in turn are hidden above the stage in the fly system loft until ready for use.
Stage (theatre)
The orchestra pit may sometimes be covered and used as an additional playing space in order to bring the actors closer to the audience. Space above some proscenium stages may include a flyloft where curtains, scenery, and battens supporting a variety of lighting instruments may hang. Stage directions give you vital information for the action and relationships between people, things and places inside a text. They also give you an insight into the playwright and how they approach their work.
Their mirror images are “house right” and “house left,” which describe the same directions, but from the opposite side—as if you are looking at the stage. In order to keep track of how performers and set pieces move around the space, the stage is divided up into sections oriented based on the performers perspective to the audience. Movement is choreographed by blocking which is organized movement on stage created by the director to synchronize the actor’s movement onstage in order to use these positions. First of all, it helps to understand that stage directions are given from the perspective of an actor facing the audience.
The center stage area often contains the most dramatic moments of a play or musical. Characters positioned in the center of the stage become the focal point and capture the audience’s undivided attention. Playwrights and directors intentionally utilize the center stage area for climatic monologues, intimate exchanges, and pivotal scenes. Placing key actors and actions centrally helps emphasize and build dramatic intensity. Stage directions can also include instructions about lighting, scenery, and sound effects, but their main purpose is to guide actors through their movements onstage. “Stage right” and “stage left” indicate the point of view of the performer standing in front of an audience.