Compare and contrast a proscenium stage, an arena stage, and a thrust stage. What are the benefits and challenges of each?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A proscenium stage, or picture frame stage, creates a clear boundary between the world of the audience and the world of the actors. The audience is farther from the stage action in this arrangement than in other traditional theatre spaces, but the separation increases the illusion and focuses the audience toward the stage world. The wings and fly space provide the possibility of rapid set changes through both horizontal and vertical movement of scenery. An arena stage brings more spectators closer to the stage action. Audience members can see each other and are aware of being part of the event, which can inspire a feeling of community. Arena staging places demands on directors, actors, designers, and the audience. Large pieces of scenery cannot be used because they would block sight lines from some part of the audience. Set designers must develop clever small set pieces that serve the needs of the play and suggest location without any backdrop or flat. Directors' staging must keep the physical action moving so that no actor has a back to a particular side of the audience for too long. Actors must invent justifications movement and turns to play to all sides of the house. The thrust stage has seating on three sides. The thrust stage provides some of the intimacy and theatricality of the arena and some of the practical solutions offered by the proscenium stage, because the fourth side provides a backdrop for the action and an area for concealment and scene and costume changes.