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THE

485

THE

^ ETRASPASTUS, (from rt-oa, four, and aizaoota, to?°>) a machine containing four puiieys.LETRASTYCHE, a gallery with four rows of pillars.

4 ^TRASTYLE, (from rerpa,four, and orvXoe, a pillar ,)ij Ul ^’ n g> or portico, with four columns in front; or a build-8'"'ith four pillars on a side.

HATCH, a roof or covering formed of reeds, straw, and® r similar materials.

th riJ EATRE, (from StaaBai, to see,) a building used for® Performance of plays, and other scenic representations.

0 p "*■ Ee magnitude of a theatre must depend upon the number^spectators, and the style in which the exhibitions are^ e ^ e d to be got up. It would not be easy to describe in^ r ds all the apartments necessary to the construction of ae atre, nor their uses, or proportions to each other, as thesem st depend upon arbitrary circumstances; but the followingstraet of the report of Mr. Wyatt, the architect of the pre-fu 1 Hrury Lane Theatre, with a description of the plan, willr "Eh a valuable elucidation.

jw. arranging the design which I submitted to the com-• for rebuilding Drury Lane Theatre , and which the~ iV^Etee have done me the honour to adopt, I have beenU B 5'ed principally by the considerations which are explainedCa . ^' e f° ur following heads, namely: First, the size, orfto ^ ie theatre, as governed by the width of the

to ^ Cen ‘ um > or stage-opening, and by the pecuniary return. “6 made to those whose property may be embarked in theH °srn. Secondly, the form or shape of the theatre, as con-f| C . te d with the primary objects of distinct sound and vision.

the facility of ingress and egress, as materiallyO^g the convenience of those going to every part of thea c ,® e respectively ; as well as their lives in cases of sudden°tj <lent a, 'd alarm. Fourthly, decorum among the severalto an ^ Hasses of the visitants to the theatre, as essential>j s . le accommodation of the more respectable part of those, st ltan ts, and consequently of great importance to the inter-im 3 °f the theatre.” [Mr. Wyatt here details, under their. Pective heads, the space requisite for the various depart-t>a r t3 the theatre; and then proceeds thus to the com-st at at ‘ v e width of the stage-openings.] “ The annexedla r enaen t of the dimensions of the stage-opening of several6 theatres will be sufficient to show, that 35 feet is a.y moderate width for that opening.

(The statement alluded to by Mr. Wyatt, is as follows :

40 feet ; Turin , 39 ; Bordeaux, 39 ; Argenta, at^ ,ne ) 36 ; Milan, 40; San Benedetto, at Venice, 40;83 ? atre Frangois, at Paris, 40 ; Theatre Italien, at Paris ,it, ^ Present Theatre at Covent Garden, 37 ; late Theatre.< ( Ur y Lane, 46, afterwards reduced to 33 feet.]

8t a(r ' A ' n H although it appears, in that statement, that theit, p^'°Pening, in the theatre which was lately burnt downit> *' tll 'y-dane, was latterly two feet less than that proposed\ 7 P'an, this fact is not to be received as a criterion forth tensions most suitable to that part of a theatre ; for,l)i, t 6 Hte theatre, the stage-opening was originally 46 feet :Pr 0 ’ u P°n an alteration which was subsequently made in the

t| Beilin™ / e __ __j_\

, en >um (for the purpose of introducing stage-doors,)t>t ea , re adth was reduced to 33 feet; not because a greaterj I than 33 feet was considered to be inconvenient and

^ ut because the reduction to that breadth of 33® 0 i'ded an opportunity of combining, with the alteration14ft 6 the introduction of some private boxes in a

W °‘ the proscenium which would otherwise have been

..JPace.

aving assumed that the size, or capacity, of the theatre,e Pend principally upon the width of the stage-opening,

having stated the

reasons for6 H

the limit which I have

applied to that opening, I have next to remark upon the sizeof the house, as it relates to the pecuniary return for thecapital embarked in the concern. It is proposed, that thelargest return which can be obtained, consistently with a dueattention to the interests of the public, is the legitimate rightof the proprietors, and, consequently, that (after havingdetermined the width of the stage-opening upon a suitablescale) the most capacious form which can be possibly con-structed to admit of distinct vision and sound, is the formwhich ought to be chosen. It appears to be a very popularnotion at present, that our theatres should be very small,but if that popular notion be suffered to proceed too far, itwill tend, in every way, to deteriorate our dramatic per-formances, by depriving the proprietors of that revenuewhich is indispensable to defray the heavy expenses of sucha concern, and to leave a reasonable profit to those whoseproperty may be embarked in the undertaking. It should beremembered, that the unavoidable expenses attendant on anytheatre of a superior order in London , (whatever be the dimen-sions of that theatre,) must of necessity he very great; andthat less than a certain return for those expenses cannotmaintain such a theatre to any good effect. Assuming theboundary which has been described as the limit of the stage-opening, and confining the front boxes (which is absolutelynecessary for purposes of vision or sound) within a givendistance from the front line of the stage, it is quite unques-tionable, that a segment of a circle, including three-fourthsof an entire circle, contains the most capacious area whichcan be formed within those given points; and, therefore, ifthat form be also one which is well adapted to distinct visionand sound, it ought, upon the principle before stated, to bechosen in preference to any other. It should be remembered,that the remarks which I am now offering, apply to the sizeor capacity of the theatre, as relates to the pecuniary returnfor capital embarked; the subject will be hereafter consideredin its relations to sound and vision ; in the mean time, view-ing it as the form which is capable of containing the greatestnumber within the given limit, I shall assume it as that whichthe proprietors are entitled, for their own interest, to adopt.A theatre consisting of three-fourths of a circle, with a pro-scenium according to my plan, which shall limit the stage-opening to 35 feet, will contain, in four different heights, 78boxes, holding 1004 persons ; with four boxes (of larger sizethan the rest) next to the stage on each side of the theatre,capable of containing 188 spectators, in addition to the 1004before mentioned, amounting, in the aggregate, to 1,192 per-sons, or. £417 4 0

A pit, containing 911 persons, or . 159 8 6

A two-shilling gallery for 482 persons, or. 48 4 0

A one-shilling ditto for 284 persons, or.. 14 4 0

Total. £639 0 6

exclusive of four private boxes in the proscenium, and 14 inthe basement of the theatre, immediately under the dress-boxes. Suppose the four private boxes in the proscenium tobe appropriated to the managers, and certain other personsconnected with the theatre who shall pay no rent for thoseboxes, the remaining 14 private boxes will let as follows ;namely, the 12 smaller ones for £300 each, and the two largerones for £500 each, for the season, (being at the rate of £23per night for 200 nights) which, together with the foregoingamount, produces an aggregate total of £662. 6s. 6d.Adverting to all the foregoing circumstances, I have nodoubt that the advantages of the form which I have adoptedwill readily be admitted, as far as the form relates to thecapacity of the theatre, and to the financial considerations