Staging
A definition…
• Staging is the position of the acting area in
relation to the audience.
• The Acting area is the part of the available
space occupied by the set and used by the
actors when acting.
THRUST
• The audience is on
three sides and the
stage has an area
that protrudes
forward.
• Cumbernauld Theatre
is an example of a
thrust stage.
AVENUE
The audience sits on
two sides of the
acting area.
BlackWatch – award winning
drama by Gregory Burke was
presented by the National
Theatre of Scotland in avenue
staging in a variety of venues
including the Fruitmarket and
SECC.
THEATRE IN THE ROUND
• The audience sits on
all four sides of the
acting area.
• The Circle studio at
the Citizens’ theatre is
an example of theatre
in the round.
END ON
• The audience is
positioned in front of
the acting area.
• The Tron theatre is an
example of end on
staging.
PROMENADE
• The action takes place in different areas and the audience move to
follow it. Recently a play by David Leddy - Sub Rosa was staged
as a promenade performance at the Citizens. The audience were
taken all through the backstage area, corridors and rehearsal rooms
as the action of the play unfolded.
PROSCENIUM ARCH
• The audience is
positioned in front of
the stage and the
stage is “framed”
• Theatre Royal, Kings
Theatre and Citizens
all have proscenium
arch stages.
Areas of the Stage
USR
CSR
DSR
USC
USL
CS
DSC
AUDIENCE
• The acting area is divided
into nine sections.
CSL
DSL
• In this way
actors/directors/stage
managers/set designers,
technicians etc. can
identify the different parts
of the acting space.
Upstage/Downstage
upstage
downstage
• When theatres were first
established in the 1500s
the majority of the
audiences had to stand.
Stages were built on a
rake which meant they
sloped down towards the
audience, so actors up at
the back of the stage
would not be masked by
actors at the front.
Upstage
Right
Centre Stage
Right
Downstage
Right
Upstage
Centre
Upstage
Left
Centre
Stage
Centre Stage
Left
Downstage
Centre
Audience
Downstage
Left