Throwback Thursday Rake
The word “raked” as an adjective means “inclining
from the vertical or from the horizontal” according to www.dictionary.com. A raked stage is one
that is higher in the back (away from the audience) than it is in the
front. As I mentioned in a recent blog,
this is where the terms upstage and downstage come from.
Here is a brief history of raked stages
from https://www.thoughtco.com/raked-stage-3219701:
“In Shakespearean times, theatres were
built with an open area in front of the stage, where the poorest viewers,
called groundlings, stood to watch performances. Raking the stage allowed cast
members placed on the immediate action happening nearest the audience
to still be seen.”
Raked stages are
seldom encountered today, since they fell out of favor in the early 20th
century. They are more often found outside the U.S., but some still exist here,
often in towns with historic theaters. For instance, Ford’s Theatre in
Washington D.C. still has a raked stage.
Dancing on a raked
stage can be disconcerting, although I found it easier to pirouette – I suppose
because it forces your body forward. The slant isn’t usually visible to the eye,
but it definitely felt when one is
dancing on it.
From the Big
Blue Book of Ballet Secrets
Dance History Secret #251:
“A raked stage slants toward the audience.”
Link of the Day:
Quote of the Day:
“All the
world's a stage.”
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It
― William Shakespeare, As You Like It
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