Putting The Theatre Wish List Together

Now I had a mental picture of the model I needed to find examples of actual theatres that contained all the items in my wish list. For inspiration mainly.

Akron Civic’s Proscenium Arch…

After weeks and months of searching I managed to find two really great examples. The first is the Akron Civic Theatre in Ohio, USA and the other, The Theatre Royal is in London’s Drury Lane right here in the U.K.

The Akron Civic Theatre is a stunning piece of archetecture. The theatre was originally built in 1929 by Marcus Loew and designed by famed American theatre architect, John Eberson. The interior structure was designed after a Moorish castle featuring Mediterranean décor, including medieval carvings, authentic European antiques and Italian alabaster sculptures.

.. And a side view

Among facilities of its size, the Akron Civic is one of only five remaining atmospheric theaters in the USA where patrons experience a twinkling star-lit sky and intermittent clouds moving across the horizon, all while sitting inside the auditorium.

The elements I like are the shape, the curtain/pelmet combination and the overall "manageable" scale. I say "manageable" because when constructing model theatre you have to factor in not only the height of the arch but the rigging and scenery above that’s being hidden from the audience view. What does that mean? It means the height of the arch is actually twice what you normally see. If the scale isn’t right we could end up with a model theatre fifteen feet (5 meters) high or wide - and we don’t want that! How would we get it into a car for exhibitions?

Proscenium Drawing

The drawing (right) is from when the theatre was undergoing restoration in 2001. You’ll see later how I use this image as inspiration and incorporate parts of the design into a plan for our model. As luck would also have it the design lead to some exciting new ideas that meant having to turn wood on a lathe - but more on that later.

You may have noticed that some of the features in my wish list aren’t found in this theatre. For example, it doesn’t have marble columns or boxes and the ceiling is’t segmented. It doesn’t even have a chandelier. Hmm, what other theatres may have these items, I pondered..

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane c1808

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, UK is a very well known and much loved venue and includes many items on my wish list.

The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres dating back to 1663, making it the oldest theatre in London. The image (left) is circa 1808 and this theatre burnt down!

Drury Lane has been called one of the most haunted theatres in London. The appearance of a ghost signals good luck for any production. The most famous is the "Man in Grey," who appears as a nobleman of the late 18th century.

Theatre Royal, Side Drawing

Looking carefully at the most recent incarnation of the building (originally opened to a production of Hamlet in October in 1812, and designed by Benjamin Dean Wyatt) I was particularly interested in the building’s proportions. The dimensions are very, very well laid out (see image right). My eye is especially drawn to the stage, boxes and orchestra pit. The diagram even shows trap doors and the rake of the stage.

You’ll also notice what I was saying about the height of the theatre being double that of the proscenium. See the grid going high above the stage? There are also columns displayed, trap doors and many other design features that our theatre requires.

So, taking these two theatres into account I could now start formulating a design of my own. However, there was one last piece of the jigsaw that needing fitting and unbeknown to me it was to be the most important decision of the entire theate project - the columns and size of them!