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Glite Dictionary
proscenium arch

proscenium arch

1 8.6
An arch over a stage that makes a frame between the actors and the audience
  • noun
  • /prəˈsiːniəm ɑːrtʃ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arco de proscenio
  • Nevertheless, absolute drama does work in a rudimentary way as a kind of historical category, designating a kind of play produced at different times and in different places in Europe between about 1400 and 1880, written for the proscenium arch stage, with a limited set of characters, and more or less observing the unities of time and place.
  • proscenium arch stage

Examples

  • Instruct singers to place the thumb and index finger of one hand on the corners of their mouths, creating a human proscenium arch.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The Vaudeville is actually a traditional proscenium arch theatre, but it is small enough to make every single member of the audience feel involved in the story unfolding before them.

    Blog text (34)

  • For if I had been erect when a portion of one of the flies dropped from the proscenium arch, it would have hit my head.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Some are large chambers that open upon a main corridor, with raised altars that can be seen through an entrance resembling a proscenium arch.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Two other fat people in black uniforms sat beside him, but they could not see the play because the box was placed absurdly against the proscenium arch.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The theatre was usually a bootbox with a proscenium arch cut in one end, and my company of actors was cut from illustrations in books, mounted on pasteboard and stuck in sticks.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The proscenium arch beautifully frames the stage, enhancing the view for every audience member.

  • During the performance, the actors stepped through the proscenium arch to greet the audience.

  • The ornate decorations on the proscenium arch added a touch of elegance to the theater's interior.

Synonyms

proscenium
vsproscenium arch
  • Specialized
3 9.1

Part of a theatre stage in front of the curtain, often framed by an arch

is the curved frame above the stage opening rather than the broader front area

How High

amphitheater
  • US
16 4.9
proscenium arch
  • Specialized
1 8.6
stage
375 1.0
platform
90 1.6
microscope stage
  • Specialized
3.9

Surface Forms

proscenium arch singular
proscenium arches plural

Morphology

proscenium + arch

The meaning is directly compositional: 'proscenium' specifies the stage-front area and 'arch' names an arched construction, so 'proscenium arch' straightforwardly denotes the arch framing the stage opening. While 'proscenium' is specialist vocabulary, if a learner knows both constituents the combined meaning is predictable and follows common theatrical naming patterns.

Etymology

Proscenium arch comes from old theatre language: proscenium meant 'in front of the stage' and the arch is the curved frame around the stage. Picture a picture frame around the actors that separates them from the audience. That's why it means the arch that forms the 'stage opening'.