what does parterre seating mean

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What does parterre mean in theatre?

This article is about theatre audiences. For the gardening arrangement, see Parterre. The word parterre comes from the French par and terre and literally translated means "on the ground".

When were seats installed in the parterre?

Seats were installed in the Comédie-Française in 1782 and in 1788 benches were installed in the Comédie-Italienne. In 1777 Jean-François de La Harpe 's proposal to install seats in the parterre sparked the debates between philosophes, playwrights, and officials about the desirability and motives behind seating the parterre.

What are the characteristics of a parterre audience?

While parterre audiences differed in social status, size, inclusion of women, and seating arrangements, they shared the characteristic of being noisy, often boisterous, interactive audiences.

What is a French parterre garden?

Parterre Has French Roots. The original idea of the French parterre garden, with its carefully designed plots and walkways, was to present an artistic pattern when seen from above—from a balcony, a raised terrace, or the top of an outdoor staircase. English gardeners responded with garden designs that tried to make their viewers half-forget...

Is parterre seating good?

PARTERRE. If you're not a fan of heights and still want the stage at eye level, the Parterre is perfect for you! Graduated seating provides a clear view of the performance, and seats in this section are less expensive than in the Orchestra.

What does parterre mean in a theatre?

Definition of parterre 1 : an ornamental garden with paths between the beds. 2 : the part of the main floor of a theater that is behind the orchestra especially : parquet circle.

What are the 3 different levels of seating in the theater?

Understanding the Theatre's Layout Take a look at the Seating chart below. The three primary seating sections in a Broadway Theatre are: The Orchestra (green section), The Mezzanine (in blue), and The Balcony (purple). Let's break down each section…

What is the highest level of seating in a theater?

The highest platform, or upper circle, is sometimes known as "the gods", especially in large opera houses, where the seats can be very high and a long distance from the stage.

Where is the parterre in a Theatre?

While parterre audiences were located at, or near, the bottom of the theater's social hierarchy, attending the theater was still an exclusive activity, limited mostly to the middle ranks of people and above.

What does parterre in Italian mean?

1. a formally patterned flower garden.

Where is best to sit in a theatre?

Typically, stalls seats can be regarded as some of the best seats in the auditorium, due to their close proximity to the stage. If you're sitting in the first few rows of the stalls seats, you may even be able to touch the stage and see performers blink.

Which are the best seats in a movie theatre?

The best movie seats are located in the center, with three seats to the left and right. Why these seats have a great picture: For the best view, stick to the center of the theater. THX—the A/V company developed by George Lucas—recommends that you find a spot with a 36-degree viewing angle of the screen.

What are the types of seats in theatre?

Cinema and Theater SeatingVIP CINEMA SEATING.VIP Kids Sofa.PREMIUM GLIDER.FULL ROCKER.SWING BACK/GLIDER.PLANETARIUM SEATING.

What are the 4 types of theatre spaces?

Theatre performance spaces fall into four categories: proscenium theatres, thrust theatres, arena theatres, and found spaces. This section will introduce you to the common parts of each theatre and the relative benefits of each type.

What seats are better orchestra or balcony?

Orchestra seats get you closest to the stage, but being in the mezzanine or balcony can give you a wider, fuller view of the stage from a little higher up, especially as compared to a section like the side orchestra, where you might be closer, but might not have a full view of one far side of the stage.

Are stalls or dress circle better?

Sitting in the stalls always lets you see the expressions of the actors more and can be more personal. For a better view of the full stage you should opt for the dress circle.

What is the parquet circle?

Also called parquet circle. the rear section of seats, and sometimes also the side sections, of the main floor of a theater, concert hall, or opera house. an ornamental arrangement of flower beds of different shapes and sizes.

Where were the three circles of dancers?

There were three circles of dancers: near the entrance to the parterre, in the centre of the floor, and on the stage . The Arabesque roof was borne on Byzantine arches, which gave free access on three sides from a delightful parterre.

Where did the word "parterre" come from?

The word parterre comes from the French par and terre and literally translated means "on the ground". Originally, the term was used in the 16th century to refer to a formal ornamental garden, but by the mid-17th century, it was increasingly used to refer both to the ground level of a theatre where spectators stood to watch performances and to ...

What were the practices of Parterre?

Parterre practices ranged from harmless gossiping to violent rioting. Talking, laughing, whistling, drunken brawls, and hissing, even dancing and singing was common behaviour. Prostitution was normal and individuals who ventured into the parterre could expect to be pick-pocketed, spied upon, and jostled about, in spite of the police or doormen who were charged with maintaining order. Yet, according to historian and musicologist James Johnson,

Why did England's Parterre audiences differ from France?

England's parterre audiences differed from France because of the relatively high number of elites and "fashionable women" who socialized in the pit. Historian Jennifer Hall-Witt provides several possible explanations for the unique character of England's parterre.

What are the characteristics of a Parterre audience?

While parterre audiences differed in social status, size, inclusion of women, and seating arrangements, they shared the characteristic of being noisy, often boisterous, interactive audiences.

What is the significance of the Contested Parterre?

The significance of the parterre for Ravel is how it functioned as a critical segment of public opinion in an absolutist state, eventually becoming a symbol of political culture in France. Ravel writes that in France, public opinion had already emerged by the 1750s, decades before the date most historians associate with the emergence of public opinion. Ravel finds evidence of an emerging public opinion in the parterre audiences of the theater, which in his view was "one of the first forums in France where the subjects of the Bourbon Crown insisted on their place in French political culture".

How many spectators did the Parterre have?

Though only informal critics, the size of the parterre, which ranged from around 500 to over 1000 spectators, meant their voice carried some weight with theater managers, whose commercial success depended partly on their patronage.

Is a Parterre ticket cheapest?

Also in England, unlike in France or Austria, parterre tickets were not the cheapest; a galley ticket was less than the average half-guinea price of a parterre seat in a London theater. Ultimately, the pit in England was more socially respectable than elsewhere in Europe.

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Overview

The word parterre comes from the French par and terre and literally translated means "on the ground". The main meaning of the word is the front section of a formal garden, but by the mid-17th century, it was also used to refer both to the ground level of a theatre where spectators stood to watch performances and to the group of spectators who occupied that space.
Although the word parterre originated in France, historians use the term interchangeably with its …

Audience

Practices

19th-century changes

Historians' views on the parterre & the public sphere

See also

Bibliography