UMK-Art & Culture: Kinds of Theatres/Venues

Introduction

If you've just stumbled onto this blog, please forgive the appearance; it's still under construction. If I've used one of your photos (found on Google) in a lecture and you don't approve, please write a comment and I'll remove it.

The purpose of this blog is to explain the basics of art and culture to English language learners in secondary school in Slovakia. This is not for profit. If you look to your right, you'll see a long list of topics that I plan to cover. This is a large project that will most likely take years to complete, covering some topics I know little about (like dance), so I will be borrowing heavily from other experts, with their permission, giving credit wherever possible. Please be patient, and, of course, all advice is greatly appreciated.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Kinds of Theatres/Venues

Amphitheatre in Epidauros, Greece, built in 350 BC

An Amphitheatre: This is an open-air theatre, or arena, used for plays, concerts, and sports. It was first designed by the ancient Greeks.

A Black Box/Experimental Theatre: a simple, modern theatre with no real stage or podium.

Community/Regional/Amateur theatre: a local theater with productions made by and for a community, or town. There was a Little Theatre Movement in

America

in the 20^th century, promoting these productions.

Dinner Theatre: These are restaurants that provide a live theatre performance, often musical, while you eat. If you like singing, and don’t like small talk while you eat, you might like it.

A Repertory Theatre/Company: This is a company that has a repertoire, or list, of plays ready to perform any time. They rehearse and perform every week. They might change their repertoire over time, depending on what’s popular.

The Mischief Makers of Nottingham, England

Street Theatre: This is any outdoor production, where the audience doesn’t pay. It can be in a park, a car park, a shopping center, or a street corner. Since there are usually no speakers, performers focus more on dance, slapstick humour, and mime.

Summer Stock Theatre: These are theatres that only run shows in the summer.

A Theatrette: a small simple theatre in a larger theatre complex, or school, like one movie screen in a multiplex. They often have a movie screen, and can double as a lecture hall.

A Touring Company: is a traveling theatre company that tours different cities and countries.

FAMOUS THEATRES

In the

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, in Stratford-upon-Avon, seats 1040.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in Southwark, London, “seats” 3000 – many have to stand.

The Royal Albert Hall in London seats 5544. I think they only play concerts?

The Royal National Theatre in London seats 1160.

The Royal Opera House in London seats 2256.

The Edinburgh Festival Theatre seats 1915.

In the USA:

Lincoln Center in NYC consists of 29 different indoor and outdoor theatres, and two main buildings – the Metropolitan Opera House (seats 3900), and Avery Fisher Hall (seats 2738, and home to the New York Philharmonic).