| The theater rises upwards, or at least the central | | | | the building aims to heighten and bring to full |
| space, where the auditorium is. This is the great | | | | fruition the visual effects of the show. The visual |
| space between the stage and the balcony and | | | | effect is important! This is apparent in the way |
| dress circles. The auditorium is an important | | | | that the theatre seats, in some way, grade |
| design space, which fills the space between the | | | | upwards. There is the fact that seats go upwards |
| balcony and the stage and it is this space, which | | | | -higher and higher- to the upper dress circle and |
| opens out and rises upwards. This central space is | | | | sometimes to the gods and then there is the |
| a unique characteristic of Victorian theaters. | | | | dome. |
| When you visit a theater, you go into the foyer | | | | What is apparent too is the whole visual effect as |
| and then you are led to your ‘area’ | | | | well as the general audience closeness to the |
| whether it is the stalls or the dress circles. The | | | | actors. Yes actors have to act and perform and |
| foyer is the entrance into another world. Or you | | | | they need an auditorium. Victorian theaters |
| could say that the foyer is a part, one of the | | | | allowed this, with the centre-piece auditorium and |
| parts, of the close-knit structure that is the | | | | the overall close structure of the theater. There is |
| theater. | | | | the emphasis on the visual and the auditory, and |
| There are the entrances into other worlds, or at | | | | the way too that things are functional i.e. seats go |
| least one world. For the entrances to the dress | | | | upwards. Space is thus important. Within modern |
| circles, the balcony, the stalls, are just different | | | | theatres sometimes there is too much space. |
| entrances. They are different viewing areas for | | | | And within this 'close space', there is decoration, |
| one show. You could say that they are different | | | | the Victorian decorations; the arcs, the shapes |
| viewing areas for different visual and auditory | | | | and the grotesqueness of the era ; the great |
| ‘shows’. A theatre is for entertainment. It | | | | theatrical distinctions, you feel them too in the |
| is structured so that people or the audience can | | | | theater, the columns, the curtains. |
| see and listen to the visual and aural effects of | | | | In some theaters, the stage reaches back and |
| the show. | | | | the orchestra is seated at the far end of the |
| The theater is a place for visual effects, because | | | | stage behind the performance. Sometimes the |
| people come to see a show. The structure of the | | | | orchestra sits in front in the stage. However, the |
| theater from the stalls to the gods, you could | | | | former situation is a laudable location for the |
| say, is to allow the visual effects to be seen. You | | | | orchestra and it can be an admirable design |
| are looking down from the gods. You look down | | | | element in some performances. Yes when the |
| from the circles, and you look across in the stalls. | | | | orchestra plays behind the performance! This can |
| The structure of the theater is also to allow the | | | | be a real scenographic effect! And when you |
| full artistic effect to be produced or, you could | | | | have the orchestra on stage, it can produce a |
| say, the full effects of the entertainment on the | | | | real scenographic mix. |
| stage to be produced. | | | | Victorian theaters hold within them that peculiar |
| That is why the form of the 19th century | | | | theatrical excitement. They ‘hold’ the |
| west-end theaters is admirable. Their form is | | | | closeness. There is the 'show' aspect. There is the |
| functional. It is functional because the structure of | | | | fact too that the theatre is for the people. |