In theatre, a thrust stage (also known as a platform stage or open stage) is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility of a backstage area. Entrances onto a thrust are most readily made from backstage, although some theatres provide for performers to enter through the audience using vomitory entrances. A theatre in the round, exposed on all sides to the audience, is without a backstage and relies entirely on entrances in the auditorium or from under the stage.
As with an arena, the audience in a thrust stage theatre may view the stage from three or more sides. Because the audience can view the performance from a variety of perspectives, it is usual for the blocking, props and scenery to receive thorough consideration to ensure that no perspective is blocked from view. A high backed chair, for instance, when placed stage right, could create a blind spot in the stage left action.
The thrust stage is the earliest stage type in western theatre, first appearing in Greek theatres, and its arrangement was continued by the pageant wagon. As pageant wagons evolved into Elizabethan theatre, many of that era's works, including those of Shakespeare, were performed on theatre with an open thrust stage, such as those of the Globe Theatre.
The thrust stage concept was generally out of use for centuries, and was resurrected in 1953 by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada. Their Festival Theatre was originally under a tent, until a permanent thrust stage theatre facility was constructed in 1957. Since that time dozens of other thrust stage venues have been built using the concept.
The Maclab Theatre at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, AlbertaThe Festival Theatre at the Atlantic Theatre Festival in Wolfville, Nova ScotiaThe Festival Theatre at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, OntarioThe Studio-théâtre at Place des Arts, Montreal, QuebecThe UFV Theatre at the University of the Fraser Valley in Chilliwack, British ColumbiaThe BMO Mainstage at Bard on the Beach in Vancouver, British ColumbiaThe ANTA Washington Square Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York (now demolished)The Octagon Stage at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, AlabamaThe Mark Taper Forum in Los AngelesThe Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, CAThe PCPA Marian Theatre in Santa Maria, CAThe PCPA Solvang Festival Theatre in Solvang, CAThe John W. Huntington Theatre at Hartford Stage in Hartford, ConnecticutThe La Nouba stage in Downtown Disney in FloridaThe Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, FloridaThe Gateway Theatre in ChicagoThe Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in ChicagoThe Ethel M. Barber Theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, IllinoisThe Guthrie Theater in MinneapolisThe Greenbelt Arts Center in Greenbelt, MarylandThe Court Street Theatre in Nashua, New HampshireThe Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, New HampshireThe Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, New JerseyThe George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New JerseyThe Circle in the Square Theatre, New York CityThe Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center, New YorkThe Mystère theater in the Treasure Island hotel in Paradise, NevadaThe Carolina Actors Studio Theatre in Charlotte, North CarolinaThe Paul Green Theatre at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, North CarolinaThe O'Reilly Theater in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Kleberg Stage at the Zach Theatre in Austin, TexasThe Blackfriars Playhouse at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VirginiaThe Playhouse at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, WisconsinThe American Players Theatre in Spring Green, WisconsinThe Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in Milwaukee, WisconsinThe Barksdale Theatre at the Shops at Willow Lawn in Richmond, VirginiaThe Lowell Davies Festival Theatre at the Old Globe in San Diego, CaliforniaCentre Stage-South Carolina in Greenville, South CarolinaTheatre Suburbia in Houston, TexasPlaycrafters Barn Theatre in Moline, Illinois Shanklin Theatre, University of Evansville, Evansville, IndianaWaldbühne ("Forest Stage"), BerlinNumerous Greek theatres, such as the one in EpidaurusThe Questors Theatre, EalingThe Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, EnglandThe Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury, EnglandThe Globe Theatre in London, England. All other Elizabethan Theatres were also in the same style.The Olivier Theatre in the National Theatre, LondonThe Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, EnglandThe Chichester Festival Theatre. Notable for the fact that the stage is hexagonal, and is surrounded by the audience on four sides.The Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, EnglandThe Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, EnglandElmbank Studios, AyrThe Quarry Theatre at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, LeedsThe Riverside Theatre in Coleraine, Northern IrelandPrithvi Theatre, MumbaiRanga Shankara, BangaloreJagriti Theatre, BangaloreBhartendu Natya Academy, Lucknow, Uttar PradeshThe York Theatre, part of the Seymour Centre, SydneyGeorge Jenkins Theatre in Frankston, Victoria
