Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

#1

Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 12:07am

"Theatre" or "Theater", the definition in the dictionary, doesn't seem to distinguish between these two words.In the case of "theatre" the definition the American Heritage dictionary gives is "a variation of theater".

I have always used "theatre" to refer to a structure utilized for live performances and "theater" to refer to buildings where films are shown.

What's your preference or definition?

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My perfect day would begin at on the beach in Hana, Maui and end at a Broadway Musical.

#2

re: Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 12:14am

same as you. it always bothers me when people spell it theater it is supposed to be theatre, at least i think so.

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One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art-Oscar Wilde

#3

re: Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 12:26am

Even tonight on BroadwayWorlds' "Theater" News Roundup there were both:

Playbill has an article on "Today in THEATRE History"

New York Times published "THEATER Listings" for Broadway.

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My perfect day would begin at on the beach in Hana, Maui and end at a Broadway Musical.

#4

re: re: Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 12:27am

Hey i just had this conversation with someone. Anyway I agree:
"theatre" for live performance. and "theater" for Movie place.

#5

re: re: re: Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 5:56am

I was always taugt::

THEATRE = craft
THEATER = building

#6

re: re: re: re: Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 6:28am

I like that response. Correct I believe. It is just that my typing doesn't know the difference sometimes.

#7

My preference

Posted: 6/15/03 at 7:21am

I have always used THEATRE to refer to live performances, and THEATER for movies.

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Ray is the author of the Brad Frame mystery series, and two suspense novels. He is also the author of a one man play based on Ben Franklin. http://www.rayflynt.com

#8

re: My preference

Posted: 6/15/03 at 8:01am

I guess I prefer THEATRE but I am also the person who while in first grade spelled color...colour. Would you believe that my teacher marked me wrong!! In first grade, I was not one to complain to the teacher either. So my parents did. The teacher actually told my parents that she would prefer me to use American spelling. My dad just laughed at her and suggested that she reconsider that statement.

Anyway...I will now use the theory you all do for the building versus craft.

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addition to the serenity prayer: Help me hide the bodies of the people I had to kill because they pissed me off!!! :-)

#9

re: Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 9:03am

You could define it based upon crass capitalism:

Theatre - $95.00 a seat
Theater - $7.50 a seat

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My perfect day would begin at on the beach in Hana, Maui and end at a Broadway Musical.

#10

re: re: Theatre or Theater, what's your preference?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 9:20am

So what's musical theater?

#11

toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 2:12pm

Like broadwayguy 2, I think among "stage folk" it's pretty much accepted as "theater"= the building for performing and "theatre" = the craft, piece of work,or group of people ie: South Side Theatre League.

But I LOVE : theatre $95 seats vs theater = $7.00 seats. LOL!

Either way, it's a cyber pain-the-butt when you're putting in the URL's.

Happy Popas Day !

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www.pbentertainmentinc.com BWW regional writer "Philadelphia/South Jersey"

#12

re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 2:49pm

Only pretentious people like Dollypop use the spelling t-h-e-a-t-r-e.

#13

re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 3:00pm

As I'm English I've always spelt it Theatre. I also likethat spelling better.

And there's really no debate about 'movie theatre/theater'. As we just call it a cinema.

I swap between the American and English spellingfor Colour/Color. As I've been brought up with 'Colour', but as I've grown to know lots of Anerican people in my life, and if I talk to them through a letter or the net. I tend to just write it whichever way it comes out,(Like lots of American/English spelling.) which gets me in trouble with my english teacher. lol

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"In a really well-written musical, you talk until you just can't talk anymore, you're going to have to sing. And when you're just so full you can't sing anymore, then you have to dance. It's a natural progression." ~Bebe Neuwirth

#14

re: re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 3:55pm

I've always used Theatre as opposed to Theater up until last year. Then I realized that it sort of goes either way, so I stopped being so anal about it. LOL now you guys have me all upset about the way I spealt my user name. I didn't think it mattered that much to other people.

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"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#15

re: re: re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 4:06pm

I've always used theatre....and theater for the movies, althoguh I'm also of the belief that there are very few if any actual movie theaters left. I'm the freak who calls it a movie house. Movie theaters had live performances between shows, full screens, red curtains, etc. The closest i've seen recently is the Ziegfeld (bless that place...), I call that a movie theater, just because it's got the feel of one. And yes, I also distinguish between a film and a movie (Forrest Gump, The American President, those are films. Dumb and Dumbererererer is a movie).
I'll just crawl back up with my film art textbook now....

#16

re: re: re: re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 4:25pm

I am a film major, so I have to agree with you on noting the distinction between Film and Movie. And then there is also a difference between Movie and Crap on a screen (like Dumb and Dumberer) or however you spell it. LOL

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"It's the little things; the details, that distinguish the Barbra Streisands from the Rosalyn Kinds."~Gilmore Girls~

#17

re: re: re: re: re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 5:11pm

True. I group most "movies" into the Crap genre though. Things that involve Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and especially Jim Carrey, are all defaulted to Crap On A Screen. Ok. Stuff like Down With Love and The In-Laws and What Women Want, those are all movies. Tadpole, Bridget Jones' Diary, I consider those films. (I LOVE TADPOLE!!!)
/end dork session

#18

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 6:12pm

I've always stood by the notion that "theatre" is THE theatre, and "theater" is where the films play. I don't think "theatre" is pretentious, I just think it is what it is. It's the theatre. :)

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"You! You are the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber! And you, well, I just plain don't like you."
~Stewart Gilligan Griffin

#19

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 6:16pm

Theatre is the act, theater is the place. simple as that. I am majoring in "theatre." I like to go see shows at the "theater."

#20

re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: re: toMATEo or ToMAHto ?

Posted: 6/15/03 at 6:23pm

Actually, if you want to sit down and analyze it, I suppose I do use it in that sense. When referring to the actual thing you're seeing and/or are invovled in, it's "theatre." The venue is the "theater."

"I'm going the theatre tonight!" or... "The theater is on 46th..."


*starts off singing in her own little world*

"You say 'aa-fter' and I say 'ah-fter.' You say 'laa-fter' and I say 'lah-fter.' 'Aa-fter,' 'ah-fter,' 'laa-fter,' 'lah-fter.' Let's call the whole thing off!!"

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"You! You are the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber! And you, well, I just plain don't like you."
~Stewart Gilligan Griffin