Types of theatres

• Arena
  Arena
  An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
  
  /Stadium
  Stadium
  A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
  
  : The playing area is in the center of a large open space which usually seats thousands of people.
• Proscenium
  Proscenium
  A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
  
  : The audience directly faces the playing area which is separated by a portal called the proscenium arch. The stage is often raised a few feet higher than the first rows of the audience. The audience is on a rake, getting higher as the seating goes towards the rear of the house.
• Thrust
  Thrust stage
  In theatre, a thrust stage is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its up stage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility of a backstage area...
  
  : The playing area protrudes out into the house with the audience seating on more than one side.
• Theatre in the round
  Theatre in the round
  Theatre-in-the-round or arena theatre is any theatre space in which the audience surrounds the stage area...
  
  : The playing area is surrounded by audience seating on all sides.
• Traverse: The elongated playing area is surrounded by audience seating on two sides.
• Black box theater
  Black box theater
  The black box theater is a relatively recent innovation, consisting of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor.-History:...
  
  : A bare-bones stage of various seating types.

Stage

The area of the theatre in which the performance takes place is referred to as the stage. In order to keep track of where things are and where they need to go, the stage is divided up into sections and is oriented based on the performers perspective to the audience.

• Upstage: The area of the stage furthest from the audience.
• Downstage: The area of the stage closest to the audience.
• Stage Left: The area of the stage to the performer's left, when facing downstage (i.e. the audience).
• Stage Right: The area of the stage to the performer's right, when facing downstage (i.e. the audience).

• Center Stage: The center of the playing area.
• Center Line: An imaginary reference line on the playing area that indicates the exact center of the stage.
• Wings: Areas that are part of a stage deck but offstage (out of sight of the audience). The wings are typically separated using drapes (usually black). Often there will be 2, 3, or even 4 different "portals" which consist of a wing curtain (or leg) on each side of the stage and a teaser drape (or border.) It is used for performers preparing to enter, storage of set
  Set construction
  Set construction is the process by which a set designer works in collaboration with the director of a production to create the set for a theatrical, film or television production...
  
  s for slow changes and as a stagehand
  Stagehand
  A stagehand is a person who works backstage or behind the scenes in theatres, film, television, or location performance. Their duties include setting up the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging, and special effects for a production.-Types of stagehand:...
  
   work area. Wings also hide technical equipment, such as lights which project from the side of the stage.
• Rake
  Rake (theatre)
  English theatre stages in the Middle Ages and early Modern era typically sloped upwards away from the audience. This is known as a rake or raked stage and improves the view for the audience....
  
  : A slope in the performance space (stage), rising away from the audience.
• Shell
  Shell (theater)
  In theater, a shell is a curved, hard surface designed to reflect sound towards an audience.Often shells are designed to be removable, either rolling away on wheels or flying into a flyspace...
  
  :A hard, often removable surface, designed to reflect sound out into the audience for musical performances.
• Prompt corner
  Prompt corner
  The prompt corner or prompt box in a theatre is the location at the side of the stage where the prompt is located in order to coordinate the performance and prompt the performers when required.-Location:Historically, the prompt corner was situated on the left side of the stage, therefore Prompt...
  
  : Area just to one side of the proscenium where the stage manager stands to cue the show and prompt performers.

• Proscenium: The portal that divides the audience from the stage.
• Plaster Line: An imaginary reference line on the playing area that indicates where the proscenium arch is. Typically, the plaster line runs across the stage at the back face (upstage face) of the proscenium wall.
• Safety curtain
  Safety curtain
  A safety curtain is a fire safety precaution used in large proscenium theatres. It is usually a heavy fibreglass or iron curtain located immediately behind the proscenium arch. Asbestos-based materials were originally used to manufacture the curtain, before the dangers of asbestos were discovered...
  
  : A heavy fiberglass or iron curtain located immediately behind the proscenium.
• Apron
  Apron stage
  The apron is any part of the stage that extends past the proscenium arch and into the audience or seating area. The Elizabethan stage, which was a raised platform with the audience on three sides, is the outstanding example....
  
  : The area of the stage in front of the proscenium arch.

House

The house can refer to any area which is not considered playing space or backstage area. Outside the theatre itself this includes the lobby, coat check, ticketing counters, and restrooms. More specifically, the house refers to any area in the theatre where the audience is seated. This can also include aisles, the orchestra pit, control booth and balcony.

• Orchestra or Orchestra Pit
  Orchestra pit
  An orchestra pit is the area in a theater in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music or in cases when incidental music is required...
  
  : In productions where live music is required, such as ballet, opera, and musicals, the orchestra is positioned in front and below of the stage in a pit. The pit is usually a large opening ranging from 4'-6' wide, 20'-30' long and 6'-10' deep. Some orchestra pits have lifts or elevators that can raise the floor of the pit up to the same height as the stage. This allows for easier movement of instruments among other things. Often an orchestra pit will be equipped with a removable pit cover which provides safety by eliminating the steep drop off and also increases the available acting area above. In most cases, some sort of lattice or sound port is built into the front of the orchestra pit, to allow audience members in the front rows to hear the music while still having a wall to keep them separated from the orchestra.

• Auditorium
  Auditorium
  An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
  
  : The section of the theatre designated for the viewing of a performance. Includes the patron
  Patrón
  Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
  
  s main seating area, balconies, boxes
  Box (theatre)
  In theater, a box is a small, separated seating area in the auditorium for a limited number of people.Boxes are typically placed immediately to the front, side and above the level of the stage. They are often separate rooms with an open viewing area which typically seat five people or fewer. ...
  
  , and entrances from the lobby. Typically the control booth is located in the back of the auditorium, although for some types of performance an audio mixing positing in located closer to the stage within the seating.

• Vomitorium
  Vomitorium
  A vomitorium is a passage situated below or behind a tier of seats in an amphitheatre, through which big crowds can exit rapidly at the end of a performance...
  
  : A passage situated below or behind a tier of seats.

• Control Booth: The section of the theatre designated for the operation of technical equipment, followspots, lighting and sound boards, and is sometimes the location of the stage manager's station. The control booth is located in the theatre in such a way that there is a good, unobstructed view of the playing area without causing any (or minimal) distraction to the audience (i.e. preventing distracting light leak or noise), and is generally an enclosed space.

• Catwalks
  Catwalk (theater)
  A catwalk is an elevated service platform from which many of the technical functions of a theater, such as lighting and sound, may be manipulated.- Function :...
  
  : A catwalk is a section of the house hidden in the ceiling from which many of the technical functions of a theatre, such as lighting and sound, may be manipulated.

Front of House

• Lobby
  Lobby (room)
  A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
  
  : The lobby is a room in a theatre which is used for public entry to the building from the outside. Ticket counters, coat check, concessions and restrooms are all usually located in, or just off the lobby.

• Box office
  Box office
  A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
  
  : A place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to a venue

• Marquee
  Marquee (sign)
  A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre. It has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the play or movie and the artist appearing at that venue...
  
  : Signage stating either the name of the establishment or the play and the artist(s) appearing at that venue.

Backstage or Offstage

The areas of a theatre that are not part of the house or stage are considered part of backstage. These areas include dressing rooms, green rooms, offstage areas (i.e. wings), cross-overs, fly rails or linesets, dimmer rooms, shops and storage areas.

• Dressing Rooms: Rooms where cast members apply wigs, make-up and change into costumes. Depending on the size of the theatre, there may be only a male and female dressing room, or there might be many (i.e. one for each member of the cast). Often in larger spaces, cast members in lead roles have their own dressing room, those in supporting roles share with one or two others and those in the background or 'chorus' roles share with up to 10 or 15 other people. Dressing rooms generally feature a large number of switchable outlets for accessories like hair dryers, straightening irons, and curlers. They also feature mirrors, which are often lit. Sinks are present for the removal of makeup and sometimes a dressing room will have shower
  Shower
  A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
  
  s and restrooms attached. Lockers, or costume racks are generally used for storage of costumes. In some performances, dressing rooms are used as a secondary green room
  Green room
  In British English and American English show business lexicon, the green room is that space in a theatre, a studio, or a similar venue, which accommodates performers or speakers not yet required on stage...
  
   because of space limitation or noise, especially by performers with long breaks between stage appearances.

• Green Room
  Green room
  In British English and American English show business lexicon, the green room is that space in a theatre, a studio, or a similar venue, which accommodates performers or speakers not yet required on stage...
  
  : The lounge backstage. This is the room where actors and other performers wait in when they are not needed onstage or in their dressing rooms.

• Crossover: A crossover is a hallway, room, or catwalk designed to allow actors in a theater to move from wings on one side of a stage to wings on the other side without being seen by the audience. Sometimes this is built as a part of the theater, sometimes exiting the building is required, and still other times the set includes a false wall to create a temporary crossover. A trap room, orchestra pit, or even the front of house can be used as crossovers.

• Fly System
  Fly system
  A fly system, flying system or theatrical rigging system, is a system of lines , blocks , counterweights and related devices within a theatre that enable a stage crew to quickly, quietly and safely fly components such as curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects and, sometimes, people...
  
  : A fly system is a system of ropes, counterweights, pulleys, and other such tools designed to allow a technical crew to quickly move set pieces, lights, and microphones on and off stage quickly by 'flying' them in from a large opening above the stage known as a fly tower/flyspace

• Catwalk
  Catwalk (theater)
  A catwalk is an elevated service platform from which many of the technical functions of a theater, such as lighting and sound, may be manipulated.- Function :...
  
  : A catwalk is an elevated platform from which many of the technical functions of a theatre, such as lighting and sound, may be manipulated.

• Dimmer Room: The room backstage which contains the dimmer racks
  Dimmer
  Dimmers are devices used to vary the brightness of a light. By decreasing or increasing the RMS voltage and, hence, the mean power to the lamp, it is possible to vary the intensity of the light output...
  
   which power the lighting rig in the theatre. Often dimmer racks may not be housed in dedicated room, instead they may be in a mechanical room, control booth, or catwalk, or even on the side of the stage as is often the case on Broadway, touring shows, or at corporate events. When the dimmers are stored onstage, this area of the stage is known as the 'Dimmer Beach'.

• Shops
  Scene shop
  A scenery shop or scene shop is a specialized workshop found in many medium or large theaters, as well as many educational theatre settings. The primary function of a scene shop is to fabricate and assemble the flats, platforms, scenery wagons, and other scenic pieces required for a performance...
  
   and storage areas: Depending on the space available a theatre may have its own storage areas for old scenic and costume elements as well as lighting and sound equipment. The theatre may also include its own lighting, scenic, costume and sound shops. In these shops each element of the show is constructed and prepared for each production.

• Call board: Literally a backstage bulletin board
  Bulletin board
  A bulletin board is a surface intended for the posting of public messages, for example, to advertise things to buy or sell, announce events, or provide information...
  
   which contains information about a theatrical production including contact sheets, schedules, rehearsal time changes, etc.

• Trap room: A large open space under the stage of many large theatres. The trap room allows the stage floor to be leveled, extra electrical equipment to be attached, and most importantly, the placement of trap doors onto the stage (hence the name). It is usually unfinished and often doubles as a storage area. It is often also used as a substitute for a crossover.