| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 1,808,564,526 visitors served. |
|
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
proscenium |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia | 0.03 sec. |
prosceniumIn a theatre, the frame or arch separating the stage from the auditorium, through which the action of a play is viewed. In ancient Greek theatres, the proskenion was an area in front of the skene that eventually functioned as the stage. The first permanent proscenium in the modern sense was built in 1618 at the Farnese Theatre in Parma. Though the arch contained a stage curtain, its main purpose was to provide a sense of spectacle and illusion; scene changes were carried out in view of the audience. Not until the 18th century was the curtain commonly used to hide scene changes. The proscenium opening was of particular importance to 19th-century realist playwrights, for whom it served as a picture frame or an invisible wall through which the audience experienced the illusion of spying on the characters. proscenium 1. the arch or opening separating the stage from the auditorium together with the area immediately in front of the arch 2. (in ancient theatres) the stage itself How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| ? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | |
|---|---|---|
Spectacular feats included running up the proscenium wall and flipping. Another object building in dreary surroundings beside a major road, the FT Printworks memorably celebrated the mechanical ballet of the print process, framed by an immaculately detailed glass proscenium wall. |
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|