SPACE IN
PERFORMANCE
WEEK 5 TUTORIAL
Acknowledgement of Country
■ We acknowledge that we study and work on the unceded
lands of the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin nations who
have been custodians of these lands for centuries. We are
privileged to share the lands which have witnessed creative
and ritual practice for so long.
■ We offer our deep appreciation for their contribution to, and
support of, our artistic and academic enterprise.
■ We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging
For the zoomers - a few protocols before we
start:
■ Turn your video on. We want to see you If we can’t see you, your teacher and your classmates may not be
aware that you are present.
■ You are a participant. Interject your voice into the conversation just as if you were in the on-campus
classroom.
■ Come to class prepared. Make sure you’ve watched the weekly lecture and any Zoom prep assignments
that will prepare us all for meaningful conversations.
■ No attendance while operating a motor vehicle!
■ Use a device that allows you to collaborate. Try to work at a screen that allows you to see everyone well.
Mobile devices, like iPads, have some limitations, so your best bet is to use a laptop or desktop. A phone
will work as a backup but should not be your primary device.
■ Use Chat as a learning backchannel. There is to everyone mode and private (to individual) mode in chat.
Share ideas, ask for tech support, but keep the conversation on topic to the course.
■ It might help to have a pen and paper next to you – to make some notes or even prompts if you get asked
a question
■ Keep you microphone muted unless you want to ask a question
■ You can put up your hand by waving – that’s why we like the video on, and that’s how you can get our
attention to ask a question
Roll Call
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ This list of theatre terms will be added to week-by-week, as we
introduce new words and concepts during the lectures and tutorials.
The definitions are largely taken from the following invaluable website:
■ http://www.theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/glossary-of-technical-
theatre-terms/
■ (Where they do not have a definition for one of the terms, we have
added our own and marked them with*).
■ Please use this glossary to assist with all assessment tasks, as
correct use of terminology is an assessment criteria.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Studio theatre
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Studio theatre
A 20th-century term that describes a small theatre space. Studio theatres often have a
flexible auditorium whose stage and seating may be re-arranged to suit the specific
requirements of a production. Many studio theatres are attached to a larger theatres
and function as a space for the exploration of more experimental modes of
performance or the staging of new writing. Universities and drama schools often contain
a studio theatre.
The Studio Theatre, National Institute of Dramatic Arts, Sydney
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Black Box theatre
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Black Box theatre
A kind of flexible small studio theatre where the audience and actors are in the same
room, surrounded by black tabs (curtains). Doesn't necessarily describe the audience
layout, which can be easily reconfigured.The stage can be defined by a change of
flooring (e.g. black dance floor), or a raised platform. If actors leave the stage, they do
so through gaps in the curtains.
A black box type of venue is easy to set up in non-theatre spaces, and can be found
occupying hundreds of spaces around cities such as Edinburgh during their Fringe
Festivals.
Studio at the Questors Theatre, Ealing, UK Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, S Theatre, Seoul
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ In the Round
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ In the Round
Theatre in the Round is a form of audience seating layout where the acting area is
surrounded on all sides by seating. There are often a number of entrances through the
seating. Special consideration needs to be given to onstage furniture and scenery as
audience sightlines can easily be blocked.
Artist’s impression of the new Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago In the Round stage configuration – Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ End Stage
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ End Stage
Traditional audience seating layout where the audience is looking at the stage from the
same direction. This seating layout is that of a Proscenium Arch theatre.
The end-on stage can be split into 9 areas: upstage right, upstage centre, upstage left,
centre stage right, centre stage, centre stage left, downstage right, downstage centre,
downstage left.
End stage configuration – Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre The Studio, Bradford, UK
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Traverse Stage
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Traverse Stage
Form of staging where the audience is on either side of the acting area.
The Railway Children, King’s Cross Theatre, London, 2015Traverse stage configuration – Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Moveable/flexible seating
GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
■ Moveable/flexible seating
As it sounds – a flexible system of rostra and seating that allows the designer to
reconfigure audience layouts in performance spaces
Project 2
Looking at Project 2 in detail –
This project is similar to Project 1 where we really want you to
look art a given performance space and think about how it has
been used in two contrasting productions
you can find the details of the projects in canvas here:
https://canvas.lms.unimelb.edu.au/courses/128867/assign
ments/282810
Let’s take a look
The Venues for Project 2
The Sumner
Theatre,
Southbank
Theatre,
Melbourne
The main theatre in the
Southbank Theatre building in
Southbank, Melbourne and home
of the Melbourne Theatre
Company
Sumner Theatre website:
https://www.mtc.com.au/your-visit/our-
venues/southbank-theatre/
The Venues for Project 2
The York Theatre,
The Seymour
Centre, Sydney
The York Theatre is the largest
theatre in the The Seymour Centre,
the University of Sydney’s multi-
venue performing arts centre in
Chippendale, Sydney
York Theatre website:
https://www.seymourcentre.com/venues/york-
theatre/
The Venues for Project 2
The Olivier Theatre,
National Theatre,
London
The largest of the theatres in the
National Theatre complex in London.,
with strong connections to the very
earliest Western theatre traditions
National Theatre website:
https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/your-visit/national-theatre-
venues/olivier-theatre
The Venues for Project 2
The Merlyn Theatre,
The Malthouse,
Melbourne
The largest of the three theatres that
make up the Malthouse theatre
complex. A flexible space capable of
being reconfigured a number of ways
Malthouse website:
https://www.malthousetheatre.com.au/
In groups:
Take ten minutes and look at one of the theatres that we have just looked at, and using the internet, try to
find images and information about as many productions that you can that have been mounted in the
theatre. Try to find examples from different genres of performance.
This website can be very useful when looking for shows mounted in the Australian venues -
https://www.ausstage.edu.au/ausstage/pages/search/
And for the Olivier –
https://theatricalia.com/place/k7/olivier-theatre
Make sure that you choose a spokesperson for the group and we will return together in ten minutes time
and take a look at your findings
It will help if you find a couple of images for each production that you can share with the rest of us
An exercise to help with Project 2
■Any questions regarding project 2? (we’re
happy to receive emails) – don’t forget to
look in the FAQs before asking – it may have
been answered there!