Posted: 11/2/16 at 8:53pm
Why do people describe large theatres with the word barn? I've heard of airplane hanger too, which makes much more sense. Is a barn supposed to be as big as an airplane hanger.
Posted: 11/2/16 at 9:01pm
Barns are big. Airplane hangars are bigger. Much, much bigger.
Posted: 11/2/16 at 11:44pm
That's always kind of bugged me. Not all barns are big. i generally think of a theater as being bigger than a barn.
Posted: 11/2/16 at 11:48pm
^ If you told me I'd one day be writing that sentence when I registered for a BroadwayWorld account...
Posted: 11/3/16 at 12:14am
I don't know if we will ever get to the bottom of this fascinating question, but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that barns smell and airplane hangars don't.
Posted: 11/3/16 at 2:35am
Never thought about it. But I think 'barn' connotes bad acoustics. I would assume it came from summer stock.
Posted: 11/3/16 at 3:11am
During the 1700s in England, the touring theatre troupes would perform in 'barn' theatres. They were very simple barn like wooden structures that were commonly attached to an inn. If there was not one of these structures, they would often perform in an actual barn.
Posted: 11/3/16 at 7:20am
And when the chorus boys were feeling frisky, they'd arrange to meet
"behind the barn"
Posted: 11/3/16 at 7:38am
Yet another riveting question jorge, really out did yourself this time.
Posted: 11/3/16 at 8:44am
Old English bereærn "barn," literally "barley house," from bere "barley" + aern "house," metathesized from *rann, *rasn (source also of Old Norse rann, Gothic razn "house," Old English rest "resting place"
.
Posted: 11/3/16 at 8:53am
Jed2 said: "During the 1700s in England, the touring theatre troupes would perform in 'barn' theatres. They were very simple barn like wooden structures that were commonly attached to an inn. If there was not one of these structures, they would often perform in an actual barn.
"
Thanks!
Posted: 11/3/16 at 9:09am
It's a nod to the famed theater architect Barney McBarnerson.
Posted: 11/3/16 at 9:43am
I was actually in one of his theatres once.
It was affectionately referred to as The Silo.
