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Theatre Arts for Advanced Secondary Schools

(d) It provides a clear view to the audience. The audience can see the
play properly as the stage is raised and located close to them. Unlike a
proscenium stage where some audience sit far back, in a thrust stage, they
feel closer to performers regardless of where they are seated.

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(e) The audience can hear the performers’ voice clearly. The raised seats at
the back help audience to hear the voice of the performers clearly without
artificial amplification.

Disadvantages of thrust stage

Thrust stage has some disadvantages.

(a) Audience can be blocked. If the scenery is not designed properly, the
audience can be blocked, since the stage is extended to an auditorium.
For example, big pieces of furniture such as coaches and chairs can block
the audience from seeing the performance. This is an exclusive case of
audience whose seats are located near the backstage.

(b) Performers can be viewed from their back. In this kind of stage, an
audience sitting near a backstage can view performers from the backside.
Figure 3.8 shows audience near the backstage.

Figure 3. 8: Some audience near backstage

(c) Acting in this stage is not straightforward. It is difficult to perform in this
kind of stage. For instance, performers cannot turn to all three sides to
demonstrate the same action to the audience.

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