The unseen side of Theaters

[BonnieBanks]

Posted: 7/11/15 at 7:13pm

http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/klaus-frahm-fourth-wall

A wonderful collage of photos of the unseen side of theater. Marvelous photos in there.

Some photos from the article:

[NoName3]

Posted: 7/11/15 at 7:41pm

Thanks for posting this. You're right, the photos are both fascinating and oddly beautiful.

[BonnieBanks]

Posted: 7/11/15 at 7:56pm

No trouble at all. I've been a fan of Klaus Frahm for years. He does such excellent work.

[littlemouse921]

Posted: 7/11/15 at 10:03pm

Does anyone know which theatre is which?

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 7/12/15 at 1:46am

The middle one is the theatre that Phanom plays at in Germany. The theatres there are much more modern than those on Broadway. And, of course, the chandelier was a dead giveaway as to what show it was. 

Updated On: 7/12/15 at 01:46 AM

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 7/12/15 at 3:09am

The chandelier isn't an automatic giveaway -- it could always be "Beauty and the Beast." Oh, wait, BATB might as well be Phantom -- an ugly, bitter person who imprisons people in his castle, a magic mirror, a chandelier ... 

Audrey

[Tag]

Posted: 7/12/15 at 11:10am

Here's a better link that includes a slideshow and the names of the theatres.

[bwaychae5192]

Posted: 7/12/15 at 11:52am

Beautiful.

These have been making the rounds on Tumblr lately and I smile every time I see them on my dashboard. I love the accompanying text found beneath the slideshow on the link Tag provided. I feel that it strengthens the perspective of the photos. Pasting below in case you missed it:

“The Fourth Wall” is a concept in dramatic theory, often used by actors to signify the invisible stage wall where the audience is seated to view the play. The stage is classically perceived from the audience’s perspective, where they are able to glimpse the action through a “window” into the set—"The Fourth Wall.“

In this series, the direction of the viewpoint is opposite: we take the perspective of the actor. The camera is far behind the iron curtain.

It is the camera’s specific perspective, dissolving the traditional order, which questions the hierarchy of the stage and audience. For the French philosopher Lacan, an image is a gaze pointing outward, as the light-points send out rays to the viewer. In other words, the image looks at the onlooker.

Here, the space reserved for the audience becomes flat, like a postcard, and the real space of the theater, the stage, is explored in many directions. The camera looks up, taking note of the scaffolding and lighting structures: the mechanics of the space. Thus, we become aware of a workspace hidden behind the red velvet curtain. The contrast between backstage machinery and the sea of velvet seats is exciting."