Dogwood Dell: a repertory theatre or a theatre of proscenia

Abstract

The possibility for a design of a performance theatre to emerge from the following statements was explored and investigated.

The proscenium plane is an essential structural element of the theatre: it is the heart of the theatre artistically, philosophically and physically in all of its' manifestations

The building is conceived from this element, it is also made of this element.

The proscenium plane is repeated and paired in a series to form the dialogue of the theatre. The proscenium, physically, is the opening or surround that separates the audience from the stage. It acts as a window or frame for the audience to view the action of the play through. A proscenium does not have to be a physical manifestation, it can be, literally, the separation between the actor and the audience. The proscenium plane is the wall, visible or invisible that separates and defines the actor and the audience. It becomes the symbolic frame for the action of the play: the audience is seated in reality, the dramatic event is not. Philosophically, the proscenium plane defines a relationship of an author to his characters, and the actor to the audience. It presents the threshold between the place of viewing and the place of narration. It becomes a portal through which the audience must go mentally and physically to comprehend the story and characters of the play.

With this design, I present to both the actor and the audience a place to pass through the multiple planes of proscenia to play their respective parts in the event known as THEATRE.

The design proposal takes in to consideration the chosen site's existing conditions, relationship to the topography and future potential as a performance center in the city.