There are many types of theaters as there are many types of performance, some theaters are build specifically for a certain types of production. They may range from open-air amphitheaters to ornate, cathedral-like structures to simple, undecorated rooms or black box theaters. Some theaters may have a fixed acting areas which is commonly known as the stage unlike the black box which does not have the stage and this makes the director and designer to construct an area which is suitable for the production. Drama has undergone significant changes in its historical development. This is partly attributable to the fact that stage types have also changed and have thus required different forms of acting. From ancient days till now we have:
- Middle Ages- Medieval pageant in the market place
- Renaissance England- Apron stage
- Restoration Period - Restoration Stage
- Modern Times - Proscenium stage
Medieval pageant in the market place
- Medieval plays were primarily performed during religious festivities (mystery plays, morality plays). They were staged on wagons (pageants), which stopped somewhere in the market place and were entirely surrounded by the audience.
Apron stage
- The Elizabethan stage was typically found in public theaters, i.e., plays were no longer performed outside. However, it was still an open-air theater as the lack of artificial lighting made daylight necessary for performances. An exception was the Blackfriar's theater which was indoors and lit by candlelight. This plays was professional because they were sponsored by wealthy aristocrats.
Restoration Stage
- From the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries plays had the status of a cultural event, and the audience was more homogeneous than in earlier periods, belonging primarily to higher social classes. While the stage was closed in by a decorative frame and the distance between audience and actors was thus enlarged, there was still room for interaction by means of a minor stage jutting out into the auditorium. Furthermore, there was no curtain so that changes of scene had to take place on stage in front of the audience. Restoration plays thus still did not aim at creating a sense of realism but they presented an idealized, highly stylized image of scenery, characters, language and subject matter.
Proscenium stage
- This stage is also known as picture frame stage because it is shaped in such a way that the audience watches the play as it would regard a picture: The ramp clearly separates actors and audience, and the curtain underlines this division. Furthermore, while the stage is illuminated during the performance, the auditorium remains dark, which also turns the audience into an anonymous mass. Since the audience is thus not disturbed from watching the play and can fully concentrate on the action on stage, it becomes easier to create an illusion of real life in plays. Furthermore, the scenery is now often elaborate and as true-to-life as possible thanks to new technologies and more detailed stage props.
