351 
Plan for an Improved Theatre . 
show. Here any voice uttered upon the stage at A would 
he concentrated at the point B, excepting what is absorb- 
ed by entering the side boxes. 
I have drawn the stage semicircular, and on one side 
arranged the seats concentrical with it. This, I con- 
ceive, would be a material benefit to the observers, but it 
would have this objection, namely, that the seats, if so 
placed, must rise in steps and have arms to each ; hence 
the necessary allowance of room for the accommodation 
of the largest persons would be more than necessary for 
smaller ones; and on no occasion, however pressing, 
could the advantage be taken of sitting closer. 
I have also drawn the scenery in a portion of a circle, 
which would be a most material advantage, both to the 
hearing and sight, if conveniently practicable : and provi- 
ded double the height of a scene can be had within the 
building, it might be managed by suspending the scenes 
on cords passing over rollers disposed in this form. 
In constructing the elevation of a theatre, the first con- 
si deration is to economise space, hence in the boxes, as 
| at No. 1, fig. S, after allowing the seats to rise one foot in 
five for the purpose of clearing the view from the heads of 
those below, if a line be drawn to the top of the scenery 
from the eye of the most backward observer, the bottom 
of the next tier of boxes must just commence at that line, 
as exhibited by dots. 
As it is advantageous in the metropolis to make thea- 
tres more extensive than the direct voice of an actor can 
fill with ease, it becomes necessary, to call in the aid of 
reflected sound, and so to distribute the whole voice as 
may be deemed most important. I have in the enclosed 
sketch supposed, that (in a theatre where the extreme 
part of a pit is one hundred and twenty feet from the 
centre of the stage) the direct voice is sufficient till with- 
in one fourth of the extremity of the building. There- 
