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scene and light designers. The performance is typically viewed by a group
of observers called an audience (see Figure 1.5).
Part of the technical magic that supports the performance is embodied
in the scenery and objects on the stage (windows that open and close, tea-
cups that break); the rest happens in the backstage and wing areas (where
scenery is supported, curtains are opened and closed, and sound effects are
produced), the loft area above the stage, which accommodates lighting in-
struments and backdrops or set pieces that can be raised and lowered, and
the lighting booth, which is usually above the audience at the back of the
auditorium. The magic is created both by people and machines, but who,
what, and where they are do not matter to the audience.
It's not just that the technical underpinnings of theatrical performance
are unimportant to audience members; when a play is working, audience
members are simply not aware of the technical aspects at all. For the audi-
ence member who is engaged by and involved in the play, the action on
the stage is all there is. In this sense, plays are like movies: When you are
engrossed in one, you forget about the projector, and you may even lose
awareness of your own body. For the actor on stage, the experience is
Figure 1.5.
A typical proscenium theatre
