THE ARCHITECTURE OF THEATRES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 93, 22 April 1895, Page 4

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THEATRES.

Magazine of Art Many generations of gifted artists ■were needed before the apogee of theatrical architecture was reached. The greater number of the architectural inventions which we admire and are now accustomeo*te, were due chiefly to two French architects — Gabriel and Louis. They devised certain forms which have remained accepted and which cannot be departed from. Louis especially, in the noble Theatre at Bordeaux, 1760, and that at Paris, 1787, by sheer distinction of treatment, raised the architectural character of the interior of a play-house to a pitch of dignity which none since his death has ever surpassed. '1 hough, since his day, Charl«s Gamier has elaborated the external skeleton of the modern theatre, the typical interior is that of tho Bordeaux Theatre, whence the architects of the future will continuo to draw inspiration. Some of the arrangements of fl.c simple and dignified theatres o£ the ancients have greatly influenced the construction of modern playhouses. In Greece the eai^liest theatres were built of wood. But accidents of many kinds — above all by fire— soon led to the abandonmont of this material, and stone and marble were then used for building fchpm. Among the Greeks, dramatic performances were usually subservient to the religious ceremonies of the Feast of Bacchus. The Romans imitated the Greek Theatres in those they constructed. Antique theatres consisted of three j quite distinct divisions: — (1) The amphitheatre, or cavea, reserved for the spectators; (2) the orchestra down in front of the amphitheatre, still known by that name ; (3) the Btage on which the drama was performed. The amphitheatre was the most important part. It generally was formed of stone steps for the men, the top circle being crowned by a decorative colonnade reserved for women; numerous flights of steps divided the rows of seats intosections, In the Greek theatre the altar to Bacchus had its place in the orchestra, below the amphitheatre; and before this altar dances were performed. The Eomans, after the drama had ceased to be a religious ceremonial, and had become a mere^ amusement, transformed the orches tra into reserved seats for the magnate s of the town. The -stage was higher than the orchestra— raised as in our (layabout five feet above the ground. On three sides it was walled in with a decoration of colonnades and coloured marbles. There were Beveral doors in these walls leading to the postceninm (behinl the scenes). The central door was for none but gods and heroes — a royal entrance ; the side dcor3 in the back •wall were for personages of minor importance. The doors in the side walls were supposed to open to the outer country. The dramas acted on this simple and imposing stage were simple too ; the subjects generally borrowed from history and religious myth, l'he persons represented were symbolical. The .scenery, also symbolical, was placed ' on each side of the stage, like our side scenes, and adjusted with pivots, co that the side best suited to the subject of the piece could be turned to the audience. The side ■ scenes, indeed, were no more than a general indication of the character of the play ; and the background was always a piece of noble and simple architecture, which did not affect the simplicity of the drama. Beneath the front (the proscenium) was a basement in which the machinery was worked for raising the clouds and the celestial beings who brought about the climax of the action ; and the floor of the stage was furnished with traps for the entrance and exit of the infernal gods. There was a curtain tou, but of a very primitive kind. It was rather a screen, concealed in the double wall dividing the basement from the orchestra. This screen was raised between the act", to hide the stage from the spectators in the lower seats, who were co far privileged ; those who Eat in the upper tiers could see over it. The actors wore enormous metal ma^ke, which, by their shape and coarse colouring, expressed the character of the symbolical persons who wore them. The whole performance was ele- 1 mentary and symbolical, apt to strike in unison the eyes and hearts of vast masses of spectators, brought together by common faith and patriotism. The Greeks always constructed their lofty amphitheatres against a hollow hillside, to give the audience the advantage of a fine view ; the Eomanp, guided rather by political than by artistic reasons, built theatres only in their towns and on the banks of rivers. Several ancient theatres are still to be seen ; the most perfect are the Theatre of Marcellns at Rome, that of Baccbus at Athens, backing on the Acropolis, and the theatre at Orange. The ruins show the stage walls in fairly good state of preservation. 'J bus the characteristic features of the antique theatre were : An open space for performances by daylight before a vast concourse of people seated on steps in the form of an amphitheatre, with a stage in front of a permanent architectural back scene, which wae part of the building. The only structures which in our day can give any idea of the grand scale of these antique performances are a hippodrome and the arena for a bullfight. - — . — i