THEATER, a place for public representations, chiefly of a dramatic or musical de scription. Theaters are of very ancient origin. They were found in every Greek city, both at home and in the colonies, and many very interesting specimens of the Greek theaters stil lexist in very good preservation. These were not built like modern theaters, with tiers of galleries rising one over the other, but were constructed with concentric rows of seats rising in regular succession one behind and above the other like the steps of stairs. These seats were frequently cut in the solid rock; and a place where the natu ral curve and slope of the ground rendered such excavation easy, was generally chosen. The seats, or audience department, were arranged in a semicircular form. In the center, at the lowest point, stood the orchestra; and the proscenium, or place for the dramatic representation, formed the chord of the semicircular auditorium. Behind this was the scene., closing in the building was a solid wall, generally ornamented with pillars, corni ces, etc. There was no roof, but the audience was probably protected from the sun's rays by a curtain stretching across the theater. This form of theater was also that adopted by the Romans, who built or excavated large theaters in many of their impor tant towns. The theaters of the Romans differed from their amphitheaters (q.v.), the former being semicicular, the latter oval, and with seats all round. Of the theaters still remaining, that of Orange, in the s. of France, is one of the finest, the auditorium being 340 ft. in diameter. During the middle ages, theaters were unnecessary, and were never built. The few dramatic performances then in use, which were chiefly of the nature of holy mysteries, were represented in the cathedrals. From the remains still existing, however, there would seem to have been large open-aired theaters at an early age in this country. Of these Piran Round in Cornwall is the best example. It is circular, with raised platforms all round for spectators, after the manner of the Greek theaters. With the revival of classical literature in the 16th c., the classical drama was also reproduced, and naturally along with it the classical form of theater. The first specimens of what may be called modern theaters (although founded on the old Greek model, according to Vitru vius's description) were the Theatro Olympic°, erected by Palladio in Vicenza; a similar one in Venice, also by Palladio; and another in Vicenza, by Serlio. In Italy and Spain, open court-yards, with galleries round them, were at first the scenes of dramatic perfor mances. In France and England, where the climate did not so readily admit of open-air representations, the first plays performed were exhibited in tennis or racket courts, in which there were usually galleries at one end; and as this accomodation was found too limited, these Were afterward carried along the sides also. But dramatic literature soon became so important that buildings had to be designed for the express purpose of its representation. Accordingly, in Paris, the theater of the hotel de Bourgogne was erected in the beginning of 17th century. It was rebuilt 1645, with tiers of boxes on a square plan. In 1639, the theater of the Palais Royal was erected by Richelieu, and was long considered the best model. The present circular plan of the galleries, with pit sloping backward, seems to have been first introduced in Venice in 1629; and the horse-shoe form of the boxes was first carried out by Fontana in the Tordinoni theater, at Rome, in 1675. The modern form of the auditorium was thus invented, and gradually improved and perfected, till in about a century similar theaters were erected all over Europe; the Scala theater at Milan, the largest in Italy, and the great theater at Bordeaux, being built, the former in 1774, and the latter in 1777. The plan of the Scala theater at Milan
shows the general disposition of all the parts of the modern theater on the largest scale. Modern theaters are all very similar in their general distribution. They are divided into two distinct departments—viz., the auditorium or audience department, and the stage or scenic department. In the former, the seats are invariably arranged on a sloping ground-floor or " pit ;" and on several tiers or galleries, extending in a semicircular or horse-shoe form found the house. On the ground-floor, the front rows of seats are gen erally set apart as " dress stalls." and the back part only is then called the " pit." In opera-houses, the stalls generally occupy the greater portion of the space, and the " pit " is reduced to a minimum. In dramatic theaters, the tiers of galleries have the floors arranged iu stages, rising above one another in such a manner as to enable the spectators all to see over those before them to the front of the stage. In theaters for operatic reureseutation, the galleries have the floors laid level, and are divided all round into private boxes. The top tier is, however, sometimes left partially open, and has the seats on stages. In the larger opera houses, there are usually retiring-rooms connected with each of the private boxes. There is also a "crush-room," or large saloon, in which the audience may promenade between the acts. In all French theaters and opera-houses, these saloons, onagers, are very large, and elegantly fitted up. They are almost always over the entrance-hall. In some of the modern French theaters, there are two foyers, one over the other, for the different classes who occupy the dress circle and the upper galleries. The question has often been raised as to the best form for a theater, both for hearing and seeing. It is a most diffcult question to decide theoretically as regards hearing, but it is quite clear that the old semicircular plan of the Greeks is as nearly as possible the best for seeing, as it places the seats all round at an equal distance from the center of the proscenium; and therefore we find, where seeing well is all-important, as, for instance, in a lecture theater, this old form is usually adopted. In an oblong house, on the other hand, the seat at the center of the galleries are much further removed than those at the sides from the center of the stage, and are thus at a disadvantage as regards hearing; while the side boxes are badly placed for commanding a view of the stage. The entrances and staircases of theaters are not generally so well arranged or so spacious as they should be. In French theaters, this is especially the case. In these, there is often only one narrow wooden stair on each side of the house, leading to all the galler ies. Recent accidents by fire, and the risk the audience runs in case of want of proper exits, have drawn attention to this subject, and the legislature will probably determine that there must be a separate, wide, and easy stair to each gallery—as, indeed, there usually now is in theaters recentlybuilt iu this country. For large galleries, these stairs should be at least six feet wide; and a strong iron hand-rail down each side of the stair would be found useful in case of a panic, to prevent a fatal crush. Besides the main passages for the use of the public, there ought to be private passages and doors leading to every part of the house, so that the manager may pass with case to any point in the audience where his presence may be required.