Contemporary Theatre Architecture

This book documents--and celebrates--Britain's contemporary theater architecture. It is about the conception, design, and delivery of spaces for drama between 2008 and 2018, a period of economic recession and financial austerity that has nonetheless seen a significant number of well-received theater-building projects. Intended not only for theater enthusiasts but also for individuals and organizations that may be contemplating a capital project of their own, Play On provides detailed "contemporary histories" of ten recent projects. It includes new theaters, like Liverpool's prize-winning Everyman Theatre and Cast in Doncaster, as well as major refurbishment and restoration projects such as the National Theatre in London and the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow. Architects whose work is discussed include Haworth Tompkins, Aedas Arts Team, Bennetts Associates, Richard Murphy Architects, and Page\Park. An extended introductory section sets the case studies in their historical and contemporary contexts and draws out key themes, including sustainability, accessibility, and the need for theaters to be efficient yet welcoming public spaces.

Understanding the theatre space on both the practical and theoretical level is becoming increasingly important to people working in drama, in whatever capacity. Theatre architecture is one of the most vital ingredients of the theatrical experience and one of the least discussed or understood. In Architecture, Actor and Audience Mackintosh explores the contribution the design of a theatre can make to the theatrical experience, and examines the failings of many modern theatres which despite vigorous defence from the architectural establishment remain unpopular with both audiences and theatre people. A fascinating and provocative book.

Explores the cultural, social, and poltical aspects of theatrical architecture, from the threatres of ancient Greece of the present.

Contemporary Theater: Evolution and Design marks an unprecedented attempt to trace the evolution and style of theater architecture from its very beginnings to the present and to provide a methodology for modern theater design. Emphasizing that today's theaters are the inevitable result of older traditions and are themselves part of ongoing heritage, It defines the social, aesthetic, philosophic, and political components that have shaped 20th-century Theater forms and, from that point, identifies contemporary architectural trends for the theater.Contemporary Theater consists of four main sections, which follow chronologically signifying distinct periods in the evolution of the theater:Evolutionary Problems Up to the 20th Century - discusses instinctive theater in primitive tribes and Egypt; The Golden Age of Greece, the Roman Empire; Middle Ages up to 19th-century Romanticism and Realism.20th-Century Theater - examines the relation of 19th to 20th-century theater; the impact of social upheavals; World War I; new movements and trends in theater architecture, scenography and stagecraft; the "golden age of theater"; new technology; the emergence of Appia, Graig, Reinhardt, Piscator, Gropius, and the Bauhaus School.Contemporary Theater Forms - describes new exploratory theater forms created between the word wars:Contemporary Trends - summarizes the conclusions of the study; analyzes the functional needs of its performing art and defines the appropriate theater form for each art.Enhanced by numerous diagrams, charts and an extensive bibliography, Contemporary Theater represents the first holistic vision of the theater from architectural viewpoint. Equally important, the book stands as a challenge to contemporary architects and artist to build upon the rich traditions and forms of the past, as their ancestors did to revive the "living organism"known as theater.

Dramaturgy and Architecture approaches modern and postmodern theatre's contribution to the way we think about the buildings and spaces we inhabit. It discusses in detail ways in which theatre and performance have critiqued and intervened in everyday spaces, modelled our dreams or fears and made proposals for the future.