1. THE
DESIGNERS
PART ONE:
THE FALSE PROSCENIUM
and the
4th WALL REMOVED
Chapter 6

2. The Proscenium Arch
Developed during the Italian Renaissance,
the Proscenium Theater is perhaps the most
familiar of the architectural theater types.
A large arch “frames” the stage. The
audience sits in front of the arch, and most
of the action takes place behind it. There is
usually a large curtain (the grand drape)
which rises at the beginning of the
performance and falls at the conclusion.

3. The False Proscenium
As the proscenium arch became popular,
designers began to “decorate” it. Actually,
they created a “second” or “false”
proscenium which stood just behind the
original one. This false proscenium served
to narrow the proscenium opening and to
ornamentally support the overall stage
design. Notice the different design styles
of these “false” prosceniums.

4. False proscenium for Sherlock Holmes

5. Sherlock Holmes
Notice how the false proscenium unifies the various locations

6. False proscenium for Scarlet Pimpernel

7. Scarlet Pimpernel

8. Scarlet Pimpernel

9. Scarlet Pimpernel

10. Scenic drop for Drood

11. False proscenium for Drood

12. Drood

13. Drood

14. False prosceniums for
Knickerbocker Holiday

15. Examples of proscenium style theater with
the “4th Wall Removed”
This style of scenery became very popular once theatre
moved indoors and employed the nearly exclusive use
of the proscenium arch. The set resembles an
“architecturally correct” interior room where it appears
that we (the audience) are looking in as though the 4th
wall were removed.
Note the angle of the set for for both “Sherlock Holmes”
& “1776” and how it juts out to give a slight feeling of a
“thrust stage”. Also, notice how the light angles and
colors give you a sense of the “time of day”.

16. Sherlock Holmes thumbnail

17. Sherlock Holmes finished set

18. Sherlock Holmes white model

19. Sherlock Holmes finished set

20. The Box Set
4th Wall removed “1776”

21. “1776”

22. “1776”