RENAISSANCE THEATRE
ARCHITECTURE
by Virginia R. Francisco
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V. R. Francisco
1
Italian Practice is Major Influence
• productions began 1470
• but only on special occasions
• in temporary theatres
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V. R. Francisco
2
Emphasis on Scenery
• even Serlio assumes no permanent building
• a theatre burned in Ferrara 1532
• but not known to be permanent
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V. R. Francisco
3
Temporary Theatres in Halls
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stadium-like seating around an orchestra
used to seat royal party
raised stage at ruler's eye level
front stage flat for actors
rear raked for scenery
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V. R. Francisco
4
Scenery Not Meant to be Changed
• Serlio’s 3 scenes were to be enough for all
plays
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5
Development of Permanent
Theatres
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after 1550: the Baroque Era
new concern for authority
return to orthodoxy
under growing pressure from Protestantism
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V. R. Francisco
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Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza
• oldest surviving permanent theatre in Europe
• built 1585 by Olympic Academy, founded
1555
• specialized in Greek dramas
• formerly produced on temporary stages
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V. R. Francisco
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Teatro Olimpico Designed by
Palladio
• a member of the Olympic Academy
• student of Vetruvius and of Roman ruins
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V. R. Francisco
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Teatro Olimpico
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in existing building
necessarily semi-elliptical seating
around a small orchestra
http://www.vicenzanews.it/APT_PRO/MUS
EI/teatro_olimpico.htm
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V. R. Francisco
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Stage and Scenery
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rectangular stage
fixed facade with 5 openings
modified by Scamozzi
street scenes in perspective
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Teatro at Sabbionetta
• designed by Scamozzi, 1588
• first purpose-built theatre building
• designed as one unit
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V. R. Francisco
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The Proscenium Arch
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purpose is masking scene changes
served by downstage angle wings and border
early proscenium arches were temporary
oldest extant evidence is drawing
Bartolomeo Neroni, 1560
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Permanent Proscenium Arches
• early at Uffizi court theatre, Florence, 1586
• designed by Bartolomeo Neroni
• destroyed in c. 18
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Teatro Farnese at Parma
• designed by Giovani Battista Aleotti, 1618
• first used 1628
• first surviving theatre with permanent proscenium
arch
• two more arches upstage
• Auditorium Like Other Court Theatres
• U-shaped stadium seating
• large open orchestra
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V. R. Francisco
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Box, Pit, and Gallery Auditoria
• used in middle ages in temporary theatres
• used in London (1567), Paris (1558), Madrid
(1579) public theatres
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V. R. Francisco
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Corrales in Spain
• Madrid, several temporary, 1570’s
http://www.coh.arizona.edu/spanish/comedia/grap
hics/principe1.jpg
• Almagro, n.d., now restored
http://www.coh.arizona.edu/spanish/comedia/grap
hics/almagro.html
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Standardized by Public Opera
Houses
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and professional opera troupes
first public theatre, San Cassiano, Venice, 1565
Opera of SS Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, 1639
plan is first extant evidence of bpg auditorium
five levels of galleries
first two divided into boxes
parterre
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Venice Public Opera House
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Box, pit, and gallery auditorium
Proscenium arch stage
Wing, drop, and border scenery
La Fenice, 1789
http://www.teatrolafenice.it/fenice/storia/frindpr.
htm
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V. R. Francisco
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Surviving Renaissance Theatres
• Drottingholms Slottsteater, 1766, Sweden
http://www.drottningholmsteatern.dtm.se/engelsk/
eframes_index.htm
• Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
• 1680, reconstructed and equipped 1765
http://www.ckrumlov.cz/uk/zamek/5nadvori/i_bd.
htm
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