Auditorium

From ArticleWorld

When using the term auditorium we are talking about an area of a theatre or any building where performances take place, in which the audience is located so that it could watch and hear the performance. The first people to use the term were Greeks. They had a similar structure as today's auditoriums, being semi circular and allowing everybody to see what was happening on stage.

Auditorium Structure

Nowadays an auditorium has a structure that has the same basis in all theatres. One may find an area where the actors, singers and dancers perform, which is called a stage. Between the stage and the auditorium you can notice a space. It is called the proscenium arch and is very common amongst theatre builders to use it. As you might imagine there are other types of separation. For instance there are still some stages that are built in the middle of the theatre. This translates in the auditorium being located all around the stage. Seating areas are special. Based on their location one may see or hear the play differently. This is why, in the auditorium, we can find different type of pricing per chair. Seating areas are thus created:

• Boxes – these are the locations that are the best for viewing the show. Located to the side, middle and higher than the stage level, it will make it possible to watch the play better. A theatre has many such boxes, separated from one another, and you may only find five or less chairs in each of them.
• Balconies or Galleries – in the rear of the auditorium one may find these balconies and galleries. They can be defined as raised seating platforms that will have more than one level, sometimes even up to 6 depending on how big the theatre is.
• Stalls (Arena) – this area is located at the same level with the stage and sometimes at lower levels. Many people regard this as the normal seat.