Theater Planning

Chapter 16Public Spaces

So far in Part II we’ve focused on the design of the audience and performance areas. In these last two chapters we turn to an overview of the public spaces (also called the front-of-house) and the non-public preparation and work spaces (called the back-of-house). This chapter discusses typical public spaces and their design considerations. The actual makeup of the public spaces depends on the owner’s needs and can vary widely.

First Impressions

The impresarios are correct: the show starts on the sidewalk, or in the parking lot, or even sooner. The patron takes away the totality of his or her experience, perhaps beginning with the purchase of a ticket, and including the trip to the theater, the ease of parking (if that ...