THE 



297 



THE 



but in carrying up the boxes, tier after tier, to such a 

 preposterous height that the uppermost box is several feet 

 above the top of the curtain or stage-openings, and the 

 back seats of the upper-gallery are actually on a level 

 with the ceiling over the pit." Such accumulation of 

 diminutive stories gives a crowded appearance to the whole, 

 and leaves no space for architectural decoration around 

 the upper part. No doubt a very striking appearance of 

 a different kind presents itself from the pit and from the 

 stage, when the house is entirely filled to the very top ; 

 and if we consider merely the coup-d'oeil from such points, 

 it may be allowed to be imposing. But then, as regards 

 that part of the audience who occupy the upper part of 

 the house, the arrangement is bad. From the seats which 

 are at all above the level of the top of the curtain, there 

 Is only a bird's-eye view of the stage and the scenery, and 

 that only from the front seats, and also facing Hie stage, 

 lor from those on the side of it it is impossible at that 

 height to obtain a sight of the scene or even the actors, 

 unless when they come forward towards the foot-lights. 

 There should be no seats at a greater height than midway 

 that of the curtain, or the level of what is now the second 

 tier of boxes in our large theatres ; for, as the scenery can 

 be painted only to one horizon, generally that of the 

 stage itself, its perspective effect is more or less impaired 

 when it is seen from either very much above or below that 

 level. No less preposterous is the practice of continuing 

 the side-boxes up to the proscenium, and sometimes (as 

 in the Opera-house at London) quite up to the very cur- 

 tain, so that there is no proscenium at all, unless tin- 

 on the floor of the stage, between the curtain and 

 foot-lights can be so called. While those so seated lose 

 the scenery altogether, they have the disadvantage of 

 seeing between the wings on the side opposite them ; and 

 although the positive inconvenience resulting from such 

 arrangement is felt only by a portion of the audience, the 

 bad effect occasioned by it extends to the whole theatre. 

 Nut only ought there to be a distinct proscenium, sen ing 



n architectural frame to the stage and its scenery, 

 dividing that part of the theatre from the rest, but it ought 

 1o be of much ampler proportions than are now given it. 



mid extend so far as to leave some interval a sort 

 of neutral ground between the curtain and the boxes, so 

 as to remove the nearest spectator in them to a tolerable 

 distance for properly viewing the stage as a picture ; for 

 it is possible to be as inconveniently near the stage as 

 distant from it. Where, in order to contract the stage, 

 or to render the pit and general diameter of the house 

 considerably greater than what is required for the width 

 nf the curtain, the plan is made to approach a circle (as 

 is the case in nearly every theatre built within the last 

 twenty years), the boxes should be confined to the semi- 

 circle facing the stage ; and, so far from being a blank, the 

 curved space on each side between them and the curtain 

 might be made to contribute very much to the architee- 

 tuial appearance of the whole house. This would not 

 take away anything from the pit, and if it materially dimi- 

 nished the number of the boxes and seats in them, it 

 would be only where there ought to be nothing of the 

 kind. The banishing of boxes from such situations, and 

 making also no more than two tiers, would certainly 

 greatly abridge the present capacities of theatres : ;i 

 house of the same size would not contain the same num- 

 ber of persons as at present, when a large part of the 

 audience are put where they cannot well see the perform- 

 ance. It is likely, therefore, to be objected that such a 

 system would be too expensive, since a large house would 

 be requisite for a comparatively moderate audience ; but. 

 curtailments might very well be made elsewhere, for at 

 present the whole building is frequently very much larger 

 and more costly than actual necessity requires, the 'house' 



. be its dimensions what they may, taking up a com- 



ively small area of the entire plan, while the rest is 

 occupied by stately approaches and saloons, which, where 

 economy rendered it expedient, might be greatly abridged, 



:nuch plainer in style, and some of them omitted alto- 



-uperfluous appendages. 



In some of the modern continental theatres, the pomp 



displayed in such accessory parts of the building far ex- 



1 1 ling of the kind in this country. In that at Berlin, 



other spacious apartments, is a music-saloon 



.is leet high, 44 wide, and 100 feet in length in its upper 



j,!,.-). where there if a screen of six Ionic columns at each 



P. <:., No. ir,'2T). 



end ; the whole highly decorated, and forming one of Schin 

 kel's richest pieces of interior architecture. The theatre 

 at Munich has two staircases to the boxes, with flights of 

 marble steps 13 feet wide ; and besides two saloons for 

 the public (each 82x31 feet), there is a very magnificent 

 one communicating with the royal box not a mere ante- 

 room, but what would be termed a noble room even in a 

 palace, its dimensions being 40X44 feet, and 25 in height. 

 In both these theatres, and in that of Genoa, the royal or 

 state box is itself a room of some size, about 15 by 18 feet, 

 more or less ; and according to the general custom of the 

 continental theatres, this box (which occupies the height 

 of two tiers, and is adorned with caryatides in front) is 

 directly in the centre of the house, facing the stage, con- 

 sequently in the very best situation of all ; whereas the 

 situation assigned to royal visitors in our theatres is almost 

 the very worst, as far us seeing the stage and the per- 

 formance is concerned. 



In regard to the form of the ' house,' a decided improve- 

 ment has taken place of late years ; and the circular plan, 

 or one approaching to it (either extended by the curtain 

 being a tangent to the circle or somewhat beyond it, or 

 reduced by the curtain intersecting and forming a chord to 

 the segment), may now be considered the one established 

 as being the most pleasing and commodious that which is 

 best adapted for affording a distinct view of the stage to 

 the majority of the audience. But there is considerable 

 difference of opinion as to its being the best form in regard 

 to hearing. In fact, the science of acoustics i not yet 

 brought to exactness as regards practical purposes in 

 building : it is easy enough to ascertain beforehand how 

 mr.-jli of the stage will be visible liom different parts of 

 the theatre, but not so what will he the result as to sound, 

 since that will depend upon a variety of circumstances, 

 some of them counteracting each other, and not everyone 

 of them to be guarded against or foreseen. The shape of 

 the house is but one of them out of many ; .much will also 

 depend upon size, much upon the depth of the boxes and 

 galleries, and also upon accidental and such trivial matters, 

 that any delect or advantage so occasioned is not likely to 

 be traced to them. Here the chief guide is experience; 

 and experience seems at. present to be in favour of, at 

 least not at all against, the circular form; for the new 

 theatres at Mayence, Dresden, and other places where it. 

 has been adopted, are said to be perfectly satisfactory in 

 regard to the actors being distinctly heard in every part. 



While in their internal embellishment and titling up 

 theatres afford very great scope to the architect, though 

 not so much as they might do, they also afford opportunity 

 for accomplishing much in regaid to characteristic exter- 

 nal design. Magnificent as are the exteriors and facades 

 of the theatres at St. Petersburg, Berlin, Munich, Bordeaux, 

 and Nantes, with their porticos and colonnades, there is 

 nothing in them that very clearly expresses their particular 

 purpose, because nothing that corresponds with or indicates 

 the form of the ' house 'itself within. Moller, we believe, 

 was the first who made the internal plan discover itself 

 from without, by making the auditory, at least the corridors 

 and saloon surrounding it, project out as a spacious semi- 

 cm lt>, in the fa;ade of the theatre at Mayence. The same 

 form of exterior has been given by Semper to the new 

 theatre at Dresden, which is also remarkable for the dis- 

 play it makes of sculpture. 



Alter all it is the stage itself, with its multifarious con- 

 t ri\ ances and complex mechanism, its scenery and pictorial 

 effects, which manifest the extraordinary perfection to 

 which the moderns have carried the scenic, if not the dra- 

 matic ait; nor can we exclude the latter, unless we choose 

 to blot out the name of Shakspere. It does not enter into 

 our purpose however to speak of stage mechanism, which 

 is a .subject and study by itself, and not otherwise connected 

 with theatres and their architecture than as being made 

 use of in the former. Those who seek for information of 

 the kind will meet with many plates showing the stage 

 construction and mechanism of Plymouth theatre, in 

 Foulstone's ' Public and Private Buildings ;' and, with more 

 general and complete instructions, in Stephenson's work 

 on the machinery of theatres. Neither can we make any 

 additions here to what, has been already said on the subject 

 of SCKNK-PAINTING. We will only observe that very 

 great improvements and numerous contrivances for pro- 

 ducing stage and sce'iic effects had been introduced into 

 theatres at the commencement of the seventeenth century. 



VOL. XXIV. 2 <j 



