Proscenium stage vs. Black Box
A proscenium stage is a traditional theater design that uses an architectural frame, called a proscenium arch, to separate the audience from the performers and frame the view of the stage. Our main auditorium seats 700+, but often seats are removed for the pit and in the case of Mamma Mia, an extended stage.
A black box theatre is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor.
Most of South’s shows have been on the traditional stage (Charlie Brown, Peter and the Starcatcher, Mamma Mia, etc). But we often use the black box format to achieve a more intimate space. Our black box is on the stage and uses risers to have seats set up on three sides of the performance space. The black box was used for Blood at the Root and Peerless, and is often used for student directed full length shows. The black box set up seats about 80.
