1*1 



THKATRK. 



THKATHK. 



i J 



the dirtMm of the acena from it would be ascertained by making it 

 equal to one-fourth of that line. After all, a* hat been remarked by 

 in hi* work on theatre*, there U something more whimsical 

 than rational in such an arrangement. In addition to the disadvan- 

 tage* already pointed out, ai regards the want of moveable scenery, it 

 was no alight inconvenience that the itage could never be occasionally 

 extended in depth, shallow ai it was. Taking 70 feet as the diameter 

 of the orchestra alone, which dimensions are equal to the whole of the 

 largest of our modern theatres, the depth of the stage in a Grecian 

 theatre would be a little more than 10 feet, or one-seventh of that 

 diameter ; and in a Roman one 17| feet, or just one-fourth. While so 

 confined a space would admit of very little dramatic action, it would 

 scarcely admit of any change of scenery. Yet shallowness of the stage 

 was in some measure matter of necessity, in order that the performers 

 might be as near to the front of the stage as possible, separated as they 

 were, in the Grecian theatre at least, from the audience by the inter- 

 vening orchestra. 



Strict as were the rules for proportioning the depth of the stage to 

 the siie of the orchestra, the relative size of the orchestra to the coelum 

 or whole auditory does not appear to have been subject to any regula- 

 tions : it varies considerably in different theatres, being in some nearly 

 one-half, in others only one-fifth, or even little more than one-sixth of 

 the entire diameter of the interior, as in the theatres of Epidaurus and 

 DramyssuB, or Janina. 



\Vhi-n it in said that the Grecian orchestra was considerably larger 

 than the Roman, there is some ambiguity in the expression, for it 

 might be inferred from it that it was larger than the other in propor- 

 tion to the coelum, whereas the meaning is that the orchestra of the 

 Greeks formed a larger portion of a circle, extending to 220 degrees, 

 while the Roman was only 180 degrees, or on exact semicircle. In the 

 Greek theatre, therefore, the orchestra cuts into the stage, and renders 

 that part termed Logeion by the Greeks, and Pulpitum by the Romans, 

 considerably narrower than the extremities, whereas in the Roman 

 theatre the stage was of the same depth throughout, pulpitum being a 

 mere technical distinction applied to that portion corresponding with 

 the orchestra, and to which the actors confined themselves, in order 

 that they might be better seen and heard by the whole of the audience 

 than would otherwise have been the cose. The ancients also had 

 recourse to what seems a strange expedient for transmitting the actor 's 

 voice to the furthest part of the theatre, namely, that of placing in 

 cavities for the purpose beneath the seats hollow metal or earthen 

 vases, termed Echeia (fa*' ), that is, " sounding thing," which aug- 

 mented the sound. The plans above given are not drawn to any par- 

 ticular scale, but supposing them to be upon the same scale, and the 

 diameter of the orchestra in the Greek plan to be 100 feet, the diameter 

 of the coelum or whole auditory will be 300 feet, the width of the 

 stage and scena 180 feet, and the depth of the logeion only 15 feet, 

 while in the other the dimensions will be, orchestra 100 feet, auditory 

 270 feet, scena 195 feet, depth of stage and pulpitum 25 feet. 



ln-r jHjint of difference between the Grecian and Roman theatre 

 U that in the former the stage was considerably elevated above the 

 orchestra, 12 feet or upwards, consequently there was a wall of that 

 height at the back of the orchestra, to which was given the name of 

 Hyposcenium (faro<rini>"<')> or Lower Scena.'and which.appeara to have 

 formed a sort of architectural basement to the stage, and was adorned 

 with niches and statues. 



Little more remains to be said on the subject of ancient theatres, 

 except to remark that the form of the orchestra also determined that 

 of the exterior of the building ; while the Roman theatres, therefore, 

 did not exceed a semicircle, those of Greece had a greater curve. In 

 the Greek theatres, however, the orchestra was not always extended 

 beyond a semicircle by the curve being continued, but Hinnetimee by 

 straight lines at right angles to the chord (or |>arallel to D B, in the 

 plan of the Roman theatre, whose general form is so shaped, the ex- 

 ternal semicircle being prolonged by the colonnades). Grecian theatres 

 were almost invariably built on the sloping ride of a bill, so that, 08 

 regards the coelum, it was merely necessary to shape it out, and erect 

 the seaU ; consequently there was no other architectural exterior than 

 that formed by the Farascene (\\afaa n^vrj) and colonnade behind the 

 stage ; for which reason the degree of curvature did not manifest 

 iUelf. The Roman theatre*, on the contrary, were erected on level 

 ground, and, therefore, the curved port of the exterior was confined to 

 a semicircle, a form which unites better with the rectangular one and 

 its straight line* 



The theatre at Athens (called that of Dionysus) was by no means so 

 spacious as many others, it* diameter being only 250 feet, and that of 

 the orchestra 72 feet, which are very moderate dimensions in com- 

 panion with thorn of sonic of the Asiatic theatres. The <>.l.i..n 

 of KegilU, also at Athens, though similar in its general plan to the 

 usual theatre, was a music-hall, and was covered in with a tvnt-liki> 

 roof, with semicircular eye or opening for light, Both structures 

 were situated at no great distance from each other on the south 

 wilfiif the Acropolis; therefore the scena of the theatre liad a northern 

 aspect, and must have been in shadow while the |>erformanoM took 

 place. 



The following is a list of such ancient theatres as are known, 

 together with the respective dimension* of their general diameter and 

 of their orchestra ; which we have for the most part taken u]i >n tin 



authority of a similar table given by Colonel Leakc, in his ' Tour in 

 Asia Minor,' to which several other examples are here added. 



D m. 



i rdhtn> 



Anemurium 197 feet. 



Aipeodu 40* Si rows of tnli. 



(cent Ionic and Corinth.) 



Athens, Theatre of Baeehus . . .250 71 ft. 



Odclon 90 36 



Onldiu 100 



Delos I7S 



Dramruui, or Joannlni . . .440 78 



Ephcras COO 240 



Kpldaunu 370 55 



HcrcuUneum li>0 1C row of 



Hierapolis 346 100 



Laodlcea, Great Theatre . . . . S64 136 



Llmyra IDS nut known. 



Mantlncia 227 not known. 



Miletus 474 224 



Myra 360 120 



NicopolU [In Kpiru) . . . . J60 120 

 Orange (tcena ocly remaining, 330 feet 



wide, 114 feet high). 



Patara 26i 98 



I'erga 25 rows of units. 



I'hcllu 400 Scena 190 



Fola, about 200 08 



(destroyed 1C 30, but plan preserved 

 by Scauioz/i) 



Fompell 190 G2 



rompoiopolis 219 138 



Rome, theatre Msrcellus . . . 517 17! 



Sardes 396 1C2 



Sclinus (In Cillch) . . . . 114 



Sicyon 813 100 



Side 390 120 



Sparta 453 217 



Stratonicca 390 lui; 



Syracuse 440 



Tauromcnlum .... 330 width of scena 132 



Teos 2S5 70 



Tralles 540 150 



Of some of these theatres scarcely anything 'remains, little more 

 than their general shape and extent being now dustinguiahal >le ; 

 accordingly the statements of their dimensions are not to be strictly 

 relied upon, though they are sufficient to enable us to e.-i 

 comparative size. 



Fortunately the ancient theatre was not token as a model for modern 

 structures of the kind. The revival of theatrical rqirt-Kontations took 

 place before anything was known relative to that branch of archteology, 

 and under very dill'.rent circumstances. Dramatic entertain 

 were in the middle ages either partly religious, and performed within 

 churches, convent*, and colleges ; or were acted for the an. 

 princes and nobles on occasions of state and festivity, in halls i 

 temporarily fitted up for that purpose ; consequently spacioini and 

 permanent structures, as public theatres, were not required until 1- n>; 

 afterwords, when the drama had become a distinct profession. In tin- 

 meanwhile a taste for scenic display had developed itaolf, which re- 

 quired a very different arrangement of the stage and its apparotu- 

 that of the oncicnU. Imperfect as they were in many respect*, the 

 dramatic pageants and recitations performed before Leo X. wore " got 

 up" with great magnificence, and some of the greatest artit 

 employed upon the decorations ; among others Hilda* 

 [PEKUZZI, in Bioo. Div.], whose skill in architecture ami 

 carried scene-painting almost to perfection at once. Kvcti in th 

 ceding century dramatic exhibitions bad been produced at ' 

 a style then unprecedented; and we are told that the first I 

 theatre was one erected in that city by Bernardo Buontalcnti in l.'.M ; 

 but it docs not appear to have been a public the/ il.l it 



have been very spacious, as it now forms merely a saloon in the build- 

 ing called the UffizL Theatres on the |.n>ent KyMem wen-nut built 

 until the early part of the 17th century : just before which time on 

 attempt hail been mode to restore the form of the ancient theai . 

 stage, with the permanent architectural scena and its entrances, by 

 PaUodio, whose celebrated Tcatro Olim]iico at Vicenza is one of those 

 things which have gained a traditional reputation far Iteynnd tin 

 merits. Admired at first, because then superior to anything of tin- 

 kind, it has continued to be admired since, partly on account ..f t In- 

 character attached to it, which few care to dispute ; and partly ]>. 

 on account of ita singularity, and because it shows the peculiar 

 the aneieiit. thtfttl ' means, however, is it eiirato 



imitation, though its chief merit lies in being a mere imitation ; it i* 

 M-inU-lliptie.'il inxtoad of semicircular, with the stage on the longer 

 axis of the ellipse ; and mi thin account it looks too much squeezed up 

 one way, and -t>. i In ! out the other, ;>n 1 {.roduces the same kin.l ot 

 disagreeable effect which would arise from placing the stage on tin 

 longer side of a parallelogram of the same extent (1)6 x 45 feet). It is said 

 that the space to whieh tin- an-hiteet \w restricted > 

 1 1 '.|>t that forin.y y appears HO from the published plans of 



the building, for it would not bo difficult to show how a semicircle 



