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Theatre Arts for Advanced Secondary Schools

(c) Simple to use: The inbuilt features of proscenium stage make it simple to
use. Designers can set their equipment freely because the stage is large.
It is simple for the audience to use, as seats simply face towards the
direction of performers.
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(d) Privacy of performers: Performers can use the backstage for resting,
changing costumes, having a breather and exchanging views with other
performers during performance. Generally, the backstage located in a
proscenium stage is the performers’ own space that allows them to be real
as opposed to the stage when they wear roles they have been assigned.

Disadvantages of a proscenium stage
(a) Inflexibility: Most of the proscenium stages have fixed seats. Thus, there
is no room for rearrangement of seats based on the need. For example,
even when the size of the audience is small, all seats must remain intact,
thereby causing the misuse of resources.

(b) Insecurity: Fixed seats may become a challenge in case of a danger or
an emergence, since they do not allow the audience to escape out quickly.

(c) It is expensive to hire: The price for hiring a proscenium stage is usually
high. Moreover, some owners rent proscenium halls and musical
instruments separately. If a thorough evaluation is not done, performers
may not meet their financial targets, and sometimes they may end in debts.
(d) It restricts audience participation: In proscenium stage, performers and
audience sit at different levels. Thus, this restricts performers and audience
to mingle. The distance restricts the African audience to exchange roles.
In other words, proscenium stage denies the audience opportunity to
switch roles from audience to performer and the vice-versa.

Thrust stage
This is a kind of stage that has three quarter seating. The audience usually sits in
three sides to watch the performance. It is also referred to as platform stage since
the raised stage is located at the centre. Thrust stage has different shapes; it can
be in a form of a semicircle, U-shape or half polygon with a tendency extending
towards the centre. Figure 3.4 and Figure 3.5 show thrust stage in a semicircle
and polygon forms respectively.

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