THEATRE
Neither I, nor people who lived before us could imagine life without theatre,
without the joy and pleasure it gives.
Starting from religious performances of street actors and musicians, theatre
has passed a long way and developed in what we have got now.
What does the interior of a modern theatre look like? Its two main parts are the
stage and the auditorium. The orchestra separates the hall from the stage. A system of
lights illuminates the stage. The seats on the ground hall are known as "stalls". The
raised back part of the ground floor is "the pit", while the small compartments nearer
the stage are "the boxes". Then follow "the dress circle", "the balconies" and finally
"the gallery". A play lives a long life before it makes its appearance on the stage
before the general public.
It is a real piece of art, its creation calls for inspiration, talent and artistic
ingenuity. A playwright conceives an idea and after months and months of hard work,
disappointments and joys his ideas develop into the script of the play. Only after long
discussion, it is decided to stage it or not.
The producer instructs the theatre stuff and outlines the main points of its
stage presentation. The director chooses the cast. The painter draws the sketches of
the scenery and special workshops get busy preparing the sets. The dress department
makes the necessary costumes. When everything is ready, the play faces the theatregoing public on its first night.
One of the most difficult things for the theatre-goer in our city is deciding
where to go to. This is a problem, because the public is offered a variety of theatres
When you get to the theatre the "Sold Out" sign is already up, and there are a
lot of people, asking passers-by, if they have an extra ticket. At the box-office the
cashier gives you tickets with a smile, saying that those are the last two. You leave
your hat and coat in the cloakroom, and then buy a programme. If you run your eye
down the programme, you can see an excellent cast tonight.
No matter where you sit, in the stalls, or the balcony, you see and hear equally
well.