All The World’s a Stage

The world of theater gives us three primary stage configurations we can apply across all of our public and private communications.

You are likely most familiar with a Proscenium stage environment.

With a Proscenium Stage the audience views the performance from a single side.

This means that sight lines are completely under the control of the performer on the stage.

You’ll find this type of configuration in most theaters and cinemas.

Another common stage set up is the Thrust Stage.

With a Thrust, the performance area extends out into the audience, creating a dynamic in which the performance is viewed by the spectators from multiple sides of the stage at one time.

But just like a Proscenium Stage, a Thrust stage still typically has a designated back of house or “off stage” area in which there is no seating.

The Third configuration we are likely to encounter is what is called an In the Round stage.

An In the Round Stage is a performance area in which the performer is surrounded by spectators on all sides.

In this configuration, there is no designated off stage, the performance takes place in the midst of the audience for the duration.

Just as an actor can use tools to adapt to each of these three stage configurations differently, we can can use specific ideas to help us recognize and optimally use space in our public communications.

In the audio lecture I’ve included here we explore how to recognize and tailor your thinking for each of these environments.

You can also find visual representations of these stages in our video series.

Becoming familiar with this material will help you to notice how each of these “stages” enter your daily experience of the world through architecture and positioning.

best,

Kathryn