Theatre History or the History of Theatres.
VR simulations of landmark, historic theatres.
To gain a full understanding of theatre history, one should be familiar with theatre architecture. Plays from different historical periods have different structures. So do the theatres. As theatre buildings evolved there was a changing relationship between the actor to the audience. Where was the cause and effect; architecture, writing style, available stagecraft, or acting style? In approaching the production of a period play, informed artists will know how it was originally staged. Even when setting the script in a different historical period, they have to know how and why it was before deciding how to refashion it.
Plays by the ancient Greeks have a definite declamatory style. Characters frequently come to center and deliver lines as a grand pronouncement. The great size of theatres and lack of sophisticated stagecraft, combined with the problems of open-air acoustics may explain that style.
In Shakespeare’s works, scenes often begin with lines that describe the locale. The physical layout of theatres like The Globe restricted the use of elaborate scenery.
These Historic Theatre Simulations can be run on desktop computers (Windows and iOS), mobile devices (Android and iOS), and advanced VR systems (Oculus (Meta), Vive, and Mixed Reality).
You will need the free Simlab VR Viewer application.
On a desktop computer, download it HERE.
For mobile devices, go to Google Play or the App Store.
For VR systems, use the app outlet for your device.
To
Start
After you have installed the VR Viewer, click the "Download" link below for the theatre you wish to visit. After you download the file, the VR Viewer may launch by itself. If not, start the app, go to the "My Models" tab, add the theatre model file and GO!
FOR MORE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS LOOK HERE.
Next
Use Keys to Move:
Move Forward OR
Slide to Slide to
the Left the Right
Move Backward
Hold down the SHIFT key to run. Tap the SPACE BAR to hop.
Esc key to quit
Use the mouse to
look around and
steer while you are
moving.
Click the wheel
button to open the
options menu. There
you can change speed,
switch from walking to flying, and try other stuff.
A scroll of knowledge can be accessed simply by walking up to one. To stop the flood of information, just walk away.
The Theatre of Dionysus may be the world’s first theatre. It is located on the south side of the Acropolis hill, where the natural slope of the hill provided an inclined seating area.
Over centuries, the theatre evolved through five distinct eras, from a simple, flat playing space beneath the hill, through the great civilization of Greece, to the occupation of Greece by the Roman Empire, and beyond.
Take a walk through the oldest of dramatic houses, where the great works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes were first heard.
Greek and Roman odeons, or odea, were the first indoor performance spaces. In many ways, the Roman versions foreshadowed the configuration of modern theatre spaces.
The Odeon of Agrippa was built in the 1st century at the center of the Agora of Athens, or the city square. It was a gift to a conquered people from their Roman conquerors. It served the Athenians for 150 years before being destroyed by outside invaders.
Explore the odeon and imagine what it must have been like, as a performer, or as a member of the Athenian elite, sitting in the audience.
This is the Theatre of Tapestry Hall, built in 1711 in bustling and prosperous Antwerp. It is an example of a medium-sized court theatre of the Baroque period. Antwerp’s city council allowed the local patrons to use a part of an old tapestry sales hall, which stood partially empty. The Theatre of Tapestry Hall hosted operas and comedies and was a favorite site for fashionable balls.
Typical of Baroque theatres, new forms of stagecraft used increasingly elaborate machinery to present spectacular visual effects.
Visit the theatre and see what contemporary critics described as "one of the most beautiful theatres outside Italy" and "among the beautiful theatres of Europe."
HEADS UP!
There are many doors in the theatre. The ones marked with THIS FLOURISH can be opened by clicking on them.
Desktop Computers
After launching Simlab VR Viewer, click on the "My Models" tab, then the "Add Model" button.
Go to the place you saved the downloaded model and open it. You will be asked to confirm you choice.
Lastly, click on your choice of "Desktop" or "VR."
It takes a minute to load the simulation and then off you go!
Watch a video
tutorial HERE
Virtual Reality Devices
If you are rocking full VR gear, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, Vive, or MS Mixed Reality, then you probably don't need any additional instruction. The SimLab VR viewer is available on the Simlab site, Steam, and the Oculus store. Knock yourself out.
Old historic theatre simulations. Not nearly as cool. They will soon be replaced.
The Theater of Pompey was a theater in Ancient Rome built by one of Caesar's generals, Pompey the Great, in the waning years of the Roman Republican period. It first opened in 55 BCE and was the first permanent theatre in Rome and the largest ever built, 150-meters in diameter and 35-meters tall. It was also the first stone theatre in Rome. Pompey dedicated the Temple of Venus at the top of the cavea a few years later, in 52 BCE The cavea is thought to have seated at least 20,000 people. Because permanent seating was traditionally prohibited in the ancient city, Pompey legitimized his theatre, by dedicating it as a Temple of Venus Victrix3, with the seating in the Cavea described as the steps leading up to the temple. Pompey drew inspiration for his theater from that of Mytilene in Greece, according to Plutarch, and asked for detailed drawings of its plan. The theatre was the only permanent theatre in Rome for forty years, until it was joined by the Theatre of Balbus in 13 BC on the Campus Martius. Even so, the Theatre of Pompey continued to be the main venue for plays, both because of its magnificence and its size. All throughout its lifetime, the site was considered the premiere theatre. Aside from the temple, the pulpitum and the scanae frons were the focal points of the theatre. The pulpitum was the main stage where many theatrical performances would have taken place. The scaenae frons served as a backdrop. One luxurious feature was the uela. These awnings stretched over the auditorium to shade the spectators. This immense awning was purple according to Pliny. Behind the theatre was a large quadriporticus. The porticos of this 4-sided complex enclosed a garden with fountains and statues. Along the covered arcade were rooms where Pompey exhibited works of art he collected during his campaigns. At the opposite end of the complex was the Curia of Pompey. On 15 March 44 BC, Brutus and Cassius assassinated Julius Caesar in the curia during a Senate session.