Technical Theatre

In Ancient Greece there are many ruins of the earliest theaters, usually outdoor amphitheaters, in places like Greece, Italy and Turkey. The designers of those theaters understood that communication was very important between the stage and audience since it was very big and fell prey to outside forces interfering with the production. Citizens attended the theaters to hear societal issues and of course for entertainment, and therefore sound was very important. They needed to build large amphitheaters in order for everyone to see and hear. They didn’t have the modern technology we have today that allows this to happen so easily.

Those early architects and builders considered

•           How sound traveled both for the human voice and the accompanying music,

•           What natural daylight would fall on the stage,

•           What the actors would wear (masks and elevated shoes) and

•           What stage machinery might enable the special effects needed to allow for the visits of gods to mortals.

There wasn’t much needed for the actual “set” design. The sun was the lighting, the actor’s and music had to be heard, and that was about it.

            The theaters were a long, rectangular building because many of them were converted from indoor tennis courts into theaters. Inside, there was a proscenium arch, with a back wall with bleacher-like seating. The stage was 5'-6' high, and had a small upper platform, at about 13' above the stage, probably for special effects. There were boxes forming a picture around the stage, and a pit as well. In 1640, Giacomo Torelli designed scenery and installed scene-changing equipment. He created the Petit Bourbon, a theater which utilized a pole-and-chariot system, as well as a proscenium arch stage. By 1673, there were five governmentally funded theatres in France: l'Opéra, Commédia dell'Arte , the Hôtel de Bourgogne, the Théâtre du Marais, and Molière's troupe.