He Italian-style theatre It is – along with the black box – one of the most used types of theater. This theater setup consists of an estage that is separated from the room by the proscenium arch or mouthpiece The room is arranged in front of the stage, with the stalls arranged in the shape of a horseshoe or it can also be rectangular. Some of them have several amphitheaters or levels and boxes.
This form originates from the guidelines established by the Farnese Theatre, in Parma, Italy. This enclosure was built in 1618 and the basic layout that originated has been maintained to this day. Previously, the most common arrangement was the comedy corrals or the Elizabethan theater (which we will talk about in other texts).
As a visual reference for this type of theater, we can think of venues such as the Esperanza Iris City Theater, he Palace of Fine Artshe Theater of the Insurgentshe Julio Castillo Forest Theater or the Teatro Milan, among many others. All of them were built “in the Italian style”, with more or less variants but with a similar basic layout.
We can, schematically, divide the elements of an Italian-style theater into the following:
He prosceniumconsists of the part of the stage closest to the audience.
embouchure bowwith which the stage is separated from the stalls.
Scenery.
Shouldersare the sides of the stage.
Chacena It is the back or background of the stage.
Trap room or pitthese serve to make people or objects appear or disappear on stage.
Contrast pitbelow the stage is this kind of basement, which serves as a warehouse.
Comb or grill It is the structure that is located high above the stage on which pulleys and technical and mechanical elements necessary to perform a work are placed.
Puente It is the elevated gallery that, suspended above the stage, serves to install lights and other required equipment.
Balconies, mooring bridges y tuners, shots and bars are manipulated there. The heights o loom It is the area on the stage where elements of the scenery, curtains and other elements are set up. He curtain, is no longer necessarily used in all setups or in all venues, but this iconic element serves to cover or show the stage when it opens and closes. The backstage They are black fabrics that, placed horizontally at the top of the stage, serve to hide the spotlights. He bambalinón It is a horizontal cloth that constitutes the upper part of the stage embouchure.
The legs or paws of the stage are vertical fabrics that are found on the sides of the stage and serve to hide the actors and other elements of scenery and props. He Background curtain It is a fabric that covers the chacena or back wall of the stage.
orchestra pit It is where the orchestra or group that performs the live music of the works is located. Normally this is located right in front of the proscenium and is a sunken space.
prompter shell It is a cover in the proscenium area, hidden from public view, in which the prompter, if necessary, helps the performers with their lines. The dressing rooms These are the exclusive rooms for performers and artists. There you can prepare before the performance or at the end of the performance, remove your costumes and makeup. In a theater there are also technical and control cabinsilluminators and sound technicians carry out their work there.
Tramoya (mechanical system to make changes in scenery), counterweights, ropes y behind the scenes.
Maneuver bridges, shooting galleries o cat steps They are the platforms on which stagehands do their work.
Pit, stalls, amphitheaters y stages They are the space intended for the public to enjoy the function.
Now you know a little more about the theater venues where you can enjoy musicals, comedies and dramas, as well as some concerts. Over the next few weeks we will talk to you about other types of theater and the parts that make them up.
By Óscar Ramírez Maldonado, Photo: Theater Billboard.
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2023-11-12 23:45:04
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