An 

auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie
theatres, the number of auditoria (or auditoriums) is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoria
can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and theaters, and may be used for
rehearsal, presentation, performing arts productions, or as a learning space.

7 Auditorium Acoustics Considerations

If your school, performing arts center, museum, concert hall or event venue has an
auditorium, you’re probably more concerned with acoustics than most people — and
rightfully so. In an auditorium, acoustics are extremely important.
Even if you recognize the importance of acoustics, that doesn’t mean you know how to
achieve them in an auditorium. Auditorium acoustics can be complicated to understand,
but we can break them down into seven main factors that influence the sounds in this
type of space.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACOUSTICS IN AN

AUDITORIUM
An auditorium is an important gathering place for everything from routine
announcements to special performances. What all these occasions have in common is
that you want the students or attendees to hear what’s coming from the stage clearly.
You don’t want that important lecture on bullying or that vocal solo a student has
practiced to sound unclear or too quiet.
You can pay attention to other aspects of your auditorium, like the quality of the seats,
decor and lighting, which are all important. However, you should never neglect one of
the most critical aspects of your auditorium: the sound. Whether you’re building a new
auditorium or renovating an existing one, acoustics should be a central focus in your
design. Even if you’re not taking on a full-scale renovation, you can still make
improvements with acoustic treatments for your auditorium.
Effective auditorium design should address the following goals:
 Speech, vocal performances and music should all sound clear rather than distorted or
echoey.
 Sounds should be loud enough for the audience to hear, including those sitting at the
very back of the auditorium.
 The right sounds should be isolated, meaning performances and speeches ring clearly
over other sounds from the room.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT AUDITORIUM
ACOUSTICS
There are several aspects of an auditorium that impact the acoustics you experience in
the space. All these factors combine to create a unique acoustic landscape for every
auditorium. You can draw on an understanding of these factors to account for
acoustics during the design and building stage, or you can address problems in an
existing auditorium and use acoustic treatments to remedy them.

1. Size of the Auditorium

In any room, size has an important influence on acoustics. Size includes the length,
width and height of the room. Larger and smaller auditoriums come with their own
acoustical advantages.
For instance, a small room generally won’t allow music to ring out at richly as it will in a
large room. When it comes to volume, you’ll have an easier time getting the whole
audience to hear clearly in a small room, while a larger auditorium can pose some
volume challenges. This is why you need the other aspects of a large room to contribute
to good acoustics and why you need a quality sound system.
Another concern related to auditorium size is reverberation, which we’ll discuss more
below. Larger rooms can cause longer reverberation times, which can become
excessive. Smaller rooms can cause shorter reverberation times that may seem too
short, making the room feel acoustically “dead.”

2. Shape of the Room

Like size, the shape of your auditorium will play an important role in determining the
acoustics. This is why it’s feasible to have a computer program that can reconstruct a
room’s geometry based solely on the input of one sound emission. Auditoriums come in
many different shapes, though you won’t see some shapes as often because they’ve
proven to be poor for acoustics.
Generally, you want to avoid square rooms or narrow, rectangular rooms since the
parallel walls can cause sound waves to bounce back and forth continuously — creating
undesirable reverberations that muddy the overall sound clarity. This is why many
auditoriums have more of a fan shape. Some auditoriums also feature curved walls,
which help diffuse sound. In addition to the general shape of a room, other architectural
features like the ceiling pitch and structures in the room will affect the way sound
waves behave in the space.
Some architects specialize in building spaces with the right shape to achieve the
appropriate acoustics for performances or lectures. If your auditorium is already built,
you may not be able to alter the shape, but you can find other ways to improve your
acoustics.

3. Materials in the Room

A common problem in auditoriums is reverberation, which occurs when sound waves bounce off
surfaces and congregate. If you’ve ever attended a lecture where the speaker’s voice echoed and
made it difficult to understand what they were saying, you’ve experienced the issue of excessive
reverberation. Some level of reverberation is a good thing, especially when it comes to musical
performances, since otherwise the room will feel acoustically dead.
In a general-purpose auditorium where you want speech to sound clear and music to sound rich
and full, the ideal reverberation time — the time it takes a sound to die away — is around 1.5
seconds to 2.5 seconds.
For most auditoriums, the reverberation time will be too long unless there are sound-absorbing
materials throughout the room. This includes acoustic panels, upholstered chairs, curtains and
other soft, porous surfaces. If your auditorium is full of surfaces that are hard and nonporous,
like windows or wood floors, these materials will reflect sound waves and contribute to higher
levels of reverberation.

4. Balconies and Orchestra Pits

If your auditorium includes an orchestra pit and any balconies, these features can affect
the acoustics in the room. Balconies can be a helpful way to include more seating in a
room without lengthening the room to the point where attendees in the back have
trouble hearing. The shape and size of a balcony and the materials it includes all affect
the way sound waves behave in the room.
Orchestra pits also affect the structure and acoustics of an auditorium. Installing
soundproof curtains around an orchestra pit can help a conductor control the sound
levels that emerge from the pit.
The inside of an orchestra pit also has acoustics to consider. You want musicians in the
pit to be able to hear themselves and hear others clearly. In surveys regarding opera
halls, most of the issues people cited with orchestra pits had to do with acoustics, so it
is important to design orchestra pits strategically for the acoustics to be ideal.
5. Auditorium Use
Many auditoriums, especially those in schools and universities, are used for a variety of
purposes. This presents a challenge acoustically since the ideal acoustics for speech
are not the same as the ideal acoustics for music. This is because speech should have
a shorter reverberation time than music. You can continue to make distinctions beyond
speech and music. For example, the ideal acoustics for a cappella choral music are not
the same as the ideal acoustics for rock music.
You may be dissatisfied with the acoustics of your auditorium because you’re using it
primarily for speeches when that same auditorium would be excellent for a musical.
This is part of what makes acoustic design a complicated subject, and it’s why
acoustics experts approach every space as a unique project with its own challenges
and solutions.
If your auditorium is primarily used for a certain type of event or performance, you
should factor this into your acoustic design. If you want to create a space that offers
good acoustics for a range of uses, an acoustic engineer can help you achieve that.

6. Doors and Buffer Zones

It’s also important to consider the spaces outside an auditorium and how they can
affect acoustics within the auditorium. If there are other activities, conversations or
footsteps outside that are audible inside the auditorium, this will interfere with the
sounds you want the students or audience to hear.
Doors can be a point where outside noises are let in. Solid-core doors with higher sound
transmission control (STC) ratings will do a much better job of blocking outside noises
than hollow-core doors with lower STC ratings.
Some auditoriums use buffer zones to help prevent noise from getting into the
auditorium. These are areas that lie between your auditorium and other rooms used for
other purposes, such as classrooms, restrooms or dressing rooms. These areas, which
can take the form of hallways or foyers, provide a blanket of space around your
auditorium that should be relatively free of noise and activity during a performance.

7. Background Noises
Even if you have soundproof doors and buffer zones to keep out noise from the outside,
that doesn’t mean the auditorium will sound completely silent when empty. All rooms
have ongoing noises from HVAC equipment and even plumbing pipes running in the
background. In most situations, we hear these as white noise, and it’s not much of a
bother. These sorts of background noises may not pose a problem in an auditorium if
they are very quiet. However, if the air conditioning comes on and is noisy, it will
interfere with the quality of a performance on your stage and may make it harder to
understand a speaker.
Fortunately, there are solutions you can employ to eliminate these problems. Duct liners
and mufflers can help absorb sound from your HVAC system so it doesn’t bleed into
your auditorium. You can also choose HVAC systems that are quieter than others. With
the right design, you won’t have to sacrifice comfort, and you also won’t have to
sacrifice sound quality in your auditorium.

HOW TO IMPROVE AUDITORIUM

ACOUSTICS
If you’re dealing with an existing auditorium that has some acoustical shortcomings,
you can improve the situation through acoustic treatments. Acoustic treatments for
auditoriums are products you can install to address acoustic problems and improve the
sound in your facility without the need to renovate your space.

1. Custom Acoustics Analysis

There are many possible solutions out there, so it’s best to have acoustics
professionals, such as our team at Illuminated Integrations, conduct a custom analysis
of your auditorium. This way, they can accurately diagnose the challenges that are
having a negative effect on your auditorium’s acoustics. Properly understanding the
problems in a space allows professionals to develop a solution that is completely
customized for your auditorium.
It’s especially helpful when you can work with a team like Illuminated Integrations. We
understand the ins and outs of acoustic design and audio systems and can ensure your
sound system and the room acoustics work in cooperation to produce a great sound
from the front row to the back.

2. Absorption
For most auditoriums, an acoustics expert will likely recommend solutions to help
absorb, diffuse and block sound. An example of an absorption product is auditorium
acoustic panels. These panels can look attractive hanging on your auditorium walls and
will help absorb the energy of sound waves so they don’t reflect and reverberate. Some
products can even target specific frequencies. Since lower frequencies have particularly
long, powerful sound waves, you may need bass traps to absorb them at the corners of
the auditorium.
Ceiling design for auditoriums will sometimes feature another type of sound-absorbing
treatment: ceiling clouds. These are essentially acoustic panels that hang horizontally
from the ceiling and help absorb sound waves that travel up. Especially when your
auditorium has a high ceiling, you may need ceiling clouds to help prevent the
cavernous sound that can result from this ceiling structure.

3. Diffusion
Diffusion products are designed to disperse sound waves rather than absorb them, so
the sound waves don’t reverberate between parallel walls. Diffusion panels have a three-
dimensional look, unlike acoustic panels. You may have seen diffusion panels before
and thought they were a creative piece of decor in a theater since they have an artistic
look.

4. Soundproofing
Blocking sound may involve creating buffer zones, installing more soundproof doors or
even providing better insulation for the room. The idea is to eliminate noises from
outside so the audience in the auditorium only hears the lecture or performance they
came for.

Application: Auditorium Soundproofing

An auditorium is a place for learning, entertainment, expression and outreach. Organizations like
schools, colleges, community, choirs, businesses and more rely on auditoriums to support their
causes and host events.

An auditorium is usually a large space that can accommodate sufficient amount of people so that the
cause can be addressed as required. For the sound to reach every occupant perfectly, acoustic and
soundproofing treatments are required.

MMT Acoustix® soundproofing products are majorly used to enhance the sound quality and improve
acoustic in an auditorium. Products like SoundAxe wooden acoustic panels, Acoustic foam panels,
Sound Absorbing: Sound Insulation Pads and Sound Barriers: MLV are used for soundproofing an
auditorium.

Using soundproofing products correctly reduces the slap back sounds, echo & reverb, bass
reflections and mic distortions.
Application: Auditorium Soundproofing
MLV : Mass Loaded Vinyl

Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) also known as rubber damper sound barrier, is a limp-mass
material used to block unwanted noise and reduce sound transmission without reducing
space. Constructed out of non-reinforced high temperature vinyl with no lead fillers, this
material is as heavy as lead, yet is as safe and can easily be cut with a utility knife or
cutter.

Mass Loaded Vinyl called Noise Block is used for soundproofing walls, doors, ceilings,
ducts and pipes. This can also be used for car sound proofing. It is a very easy to use
acoustic sound barrier that provides effective sound proofing for a wide variety of sound
control applications.

The science of sound

Understanding the basic characteristics of sound is vital when you’re exploring how to
reduce it. In the very simplest terms, sound is nothing more than the vibration of energy.
When an object vibrates, the air around it vibrates too. These vibrations are carried
through the air in the form of soundwaves until the air inside your ears begins to vibrate.
This sensation is what eventually gets interpreted by the brain as noise, speech and
music.
 

It was soon discovered that certain materials can be used to manipulate how these
soundwaves behave. For example, sound energy will naturally bounce off hard surfaces
but may become muffled and distorted when coming into contact with soft ones. As
such, the science of soundproofing was born.

Absorbing sound vs blocking sound

Before you can understand the workings behind sound insulation foam, it’s important to
first establish the difference between absorbing sound and blocking sound. These terms
are often used interchangeably, but there are clear distinctions between the two
processes.

In the same way as white objects reflect light and black objects absorb it, different
materials react to sound in different ways. Various types of acoustic foam can be used
either to block out sounds from the outside world or to absorb sounds within a room to
reduce reverberations. Therefore, it’s crucial to know what you’re trying to achieve
before you invest in any kind of soundproofing solution.
How soundproofing foam works
 

Sound absorbing foam

Sound absorbing foams are typically softer and more lightweight than their sound
blocking counterparts. This open and flexible cell structure acts as a natural soundwave
absorber and prevents noises from reverberating off hard surfaces like walls, floors and
ceilings. It does this by converting existing sound energy to heat and reducing the ability
of soundwaves to bounce back into the room. 

Depending on how it’s used, this type of foam can also enhance the acoustics within a
room. Sound absorbing foam cut into pyramid or wedge shapes can be used to
manipulate vibrations in a way that improves sound quality. A common example is a
recording studio, where echo is reduced through the installation of visible foam tiles and
panels on the walls.

When to install sound absorbing foam

 
If you want to absorb sound within a room then you need to soften the hard surfaces. If
you’ve ever wondered why ‘cold’ buildings like churches and gymnasiums echo when
you clap your hands, it’s because the sound is bouncing off of the walls and ceiling and
is then amplified by the shape of the room.

A common approach to soaking up sound within large rooms is to install acoustic

tiles that are cut to size and fitted to the biggest surface areas, such as floors and
ceilings. This approach can be effective at absorbing airbourne sounds and preventing
echo.

Sound blocking foam

The purpose of sound blocking foam is to prevent noise from travelling through walls.
This requires materials with the opposite characteristics from the soft, lightweight foam
that you’re likely to see in places like recording studios.

Foams with a closer cell structure are therefore more common here, as the thicker and
denser the foam, the fewer chances soundwaves have of penetrating through to the
other side.

When to install sound blocking foam

If your problem is sound coming through the walls and ceilings from adjoining parts of
the building, then you will need to block this sound from getting in.

If you want to block out noise then you will almost certainly need to install sound
insulating foam inside the wall construction. These are typically dense, heavy panels
that are designed to ‘decouple’ the wall between rooms to stop sounds travelling
through materials. Any type of acoustic Basotect foam should have the desired effect,
but class O foams are designed specifically for this purpose and comply with existing
industry regulations.
Wooden Acoustic Panels
Acoustic Wood Panels
Acoustic wood panels is used for sound insulation and acoustic arrangement. Acoustic wood
panel solves sound problems such as echo. It is the panel that provides the acoustic arrangement
and allows the sound quality to be maximized.

Acoustic wooden panels can be used on ceilings and walls. Acoustic wood panels are panellas
that are reflective of sound absorption. Applied space provides acoustic design and insulation.
It is an acoustic coating material that you can balance sound disturbances such as echo and echo.
The surface has 2 images with a joint and holes. Acoustic wood panels can be applied to ceilings
and walls.

Perforated Wooden Acoustic Panel

Fireproof Perforated Wood Acoustic Panel is a kind of resonance absorption material with holes
through on the quality MDF board. It has strong selection on the sound spectrum and particularly
has a great performance on the middle and low-frequency.

Slotted Wooden Panel

The Common Material Slotted Wood Panel is made of high quality MDF board. According to
the customer’s acoustic and decoration requirement, our Common Material Grooved Wooden
Acoustic Panel can equipped with outstanding environmental, flame retardant and waterproof
function, even with various colors and finish choices.
Grooved Wooden Acoustic Panel
The grooved wooden acoustic panel is made of high quality MDF board. According to the
customer’s acoustic and decoration requirement, our grooved wooden acoustic panel can
equipped with outstanding environmental, flame retardant and waterproof function, even can
with various colors and finish choices.
Wood Wool Acoustic Panel
Wood Wool acoustic panel sound absorption spectrum is high, which have fairly good results for
low, medium and high frequency noises, and good fire-proof, no dust pollution.

Acoustic Foam Panels

Acoustic foam is an open celled foam used for acoustic treatment. It attenuates airbone sound
waves, reducing their amplitude, for the purposes of noise reduction or noise control. The energy is
dissipated as heat Acoustic foam can be made in several different colors, sizes and thickness
Acoustic foam can be attached to walls, ceilings, doors, and other features of a room to control noise
levels, vibration, and echoes
Many acoustic foam products are treated with dyes and/or fire retardants

Auditorium Designs
An auditorium may be designed for a playhouse with stages for dramatic performances, a concert
hall with orchestras for musical performances, or a theater house consisting of screens to watch
movies or presentations.

Forms of auditoriums include:

 Lecture halls
  Opera houses
 Concert halls
 Theaters
 Playhouses

Characteristics To Consider When Designing

Auditoriums
 Whether the performances are audio, visual, or both
 If the performances are live or recorded
 The size of the audience

Parts Of An Auditorium
Auditoriums come in many shapes and sizes, but designs typically consist of three main
components:

1. The main seating area

2. The stage
3. Support spaces

The Main Seating Area

The main seating area is where the bulk of the audience sits. Standard estimates are based around
guidelines of approximately 18 sq. ft per person. This allows for aisle ways, sound and light control
areas, and entryways that trap the light when late-comers arrive. Viewing angles are critical
components of seating layouts; every seat should have a great one. Acoustical control is a science,
and the use of 3D computer models is essential to develop the optimum “sound environment” when
designing a seating area.

Auditorium Stage
The stage should be sized to accommodate the largest group expected to be featured. Assume that
the typical stage is 30-35 feet deep with a proscenium opening of 40-50 feet wide, and up to 30 feet
tall. The side stage should be at least half the size of the proscenium opening on each side. Ideally,
access to the stage is handicap accessible. That can be accomplished by the construction of side
aprons on the same level as the “cross-aisle.”

Auditorium Support Spaces

If the auditorium is where the heart and soul are, the support spaces are where the bones and guts
of the operation are. This includes the front end which consists of the ticket booth, entrance
vestibules, lobby, coat check, retail, and recessions. The front end support spaces make use
of attractive or discreet designer trash cans in auditorium lobbies, and under counter trash cans for
auditorium staff.

The backend consists of storage rooms, dressing rooms, a “green room” which can double as
rehearsal and instructional space, set construction areas, and equipment rooms. Computer-
controlled stage rigging and LED theatrical lighting have become standards in most performance
venues, so making sure that room for their storage and operation are part of your design will ensure
that your theater is up to modern standards. The backend support spaces benefit from commercial
grade trash cans, or trash cans with wheels for maximum flexibility. The support spaces are where a
lot of action goes down and they need to be kept clean and tidy, which is why benefit from having
large and durable indoor commercial trash cans and recycling bins.
Considerations In Auditorium Seating Design
The overall design of the auditorium is determined by the audience size and form of stage, which are
both determined by the type of performance.

Auditorium Dimensions & Layout

Dimensions can get tricky, but a good rule of thumb is arranging the size of the auditorium around
the type of performance and the number of audience members you plan to seat:
  200 seats: 270m² | 2,900 ft2
 150 seats: 190m² | 2,000 ft2
 75 seats: 125 m² | 1,350 ft2

Floor Design
Whether the floor is sloped or level is an important part of auditorium seating design. Many
auditoriums use raked seating, which is positioned on an upwards slope away from the stage, in
order to give the audience a better view than if the seats were all on the same level.

When designing a floor space for a theater, consider:

 The impact of both row spacing and the sightline of the audience
 Tier depth
 Tier height
 Numbers of aisles
 Aisle width
 Slope degree
 Any form of construction that might block your audience’s view

Steeper Ascending Seating

Auditoriums with steeper ascending seating gives each audience member a better view of the stage.
Steeper seating also creates a greater sense of drama, with the seats in front sloping away to reveal
the action unfolding on stage.
Shallow Ascending Seating
When it comes to seminars and audience participation, like one could expect in college lecture halls
or business conferences, shallowly ascending seating is considered superior to steeper options
because it puts everyone closer to being on the same level to allow for easier communication. This
kind of intimacy is not ideal for the drama that concert halls or playhouses call for.

Auditoriums with shallow ascending seating typically have audiences that bring beverages or snacks
with them, and paper to take notes. This means shallow ascending seating auditoriums frequently
benefit from having multiple recycling bins and trash cans, that are strategically placed by all doors,
because audience members need a convenient place to dispose of their items.

Sightline
With sightlines, you want an unobstructed view between your audience and the speaker or
presentation on stage. Consider viewing angles from the most extremely positioned seats in the
theater to ensure maximum viewing quality.
Vertical Sightlines
Auditoriums should aim for ‘every other row sightline’ which means that the view of a patron in one
row should have a completely unobstructed view of the stage over the head of patrons in seats at
least two rows in front of them.

Horizontal Sightlines
Ensure that the extreme seats have a viewpoint that includes three-quarters of the stage and the wall
behind the stage. With auditoriums that frequently have dance performances, the audience expects
to see the dancers’ feet, no matter what row they’re in. If the auditorium is for other types of
performance, this might not be as important.

Seat Design Aspects To Consider

When designing the seating for your auditorium or theater, these are the cardinal rules to achieve an
optimal balance between three principles:

1. Clear audience view and acoustic quality

2. The audience’s comfort and safety
3. Maximum occupancy for maximum sales

Seat Width
Seat width is the gap between the final seat in the row and the stairs, as well as the distance
between each audience member in a row. Seats should snugly fit in all gaps.

Row Spacing
The clearance between each row of seats is critically important to both audience safety and comfort,
as well as the seating capacity and profitability of an auditorium.
Americans with Disabilities (ADA)-Compliant Seats
Additional regulations to remember are ADA-compliant seats, which are designed for people with
restricted mobility and are usually located closest to the aisle. ADA-compliant seats are legally
required to feature flip-up or side-open end arms (for easier access), and they always feature the
ADA seat mark. 

The minimum widths for a wheelchair space are:

 36” (915mm) for a single wheelchair

 33” (840mm) for two adjacent wheelchairs

The minimum depths for a wheelchair space are:

 48” (1220mm) for front or rear access

 60” (1525mm) for side access

In addition to auditorium seating, there are many guidelines for how to accommodate all guests in all
parts of the building, including ticketing practices, which can be found on the websites for National
Endowment for the ArtsOffice of Accessibility, and the National Association Of Theatre Owners.
Auditorium Seating Layouts
In the world of auditorium design, there are three main styles of seating arrangements, multiple aisle,
continental, and wide fan. Variations of the three main forms accommodate different stages.

Multiple Aisle Auditorium Seating

Multiple aisle seating is a more formal setup, suitable for lecture halls and business conferences.
Seat count can vary, typically you want a maximum of 14-16 chairs per row.
Continental Auditorium Seating
Continental seating is a good use of space and is the preferred choice for open space auditoriums
and amphitheaters. Having all seats turned toward and arranged in a concave shape toward the
central arena increases intimacy between performer and audience. 
Wide Fan Auditorium Seating
Wide fan auditoriums bring the audience up close and personal, but limits the usage of a stage to
mostly speech-related activity.
Horseshoe Auditorium
A horseshoe auditorium is popular in many entertainment venues in combination with a proscenium
stage. It was common in Baroque theater design for ballet, masques, and opera performances, and
is still popular in theaters and auditoriums today, including the Auditorium Building in Chicago.
V

Vineyard Auditorium
Beyond the three main categories of auditorium seating design, other seating arrangements are
variants of the main three categories to accommodate the stage and surrounding space. One of the
most dramatic variants of auditorium design is the vineyard seating, which surrounds an arena stage
style. Vineyard seating is popular in concert halls, like the Berlin Philharmonic.

Stage Designs
The style of stage in an auditorium is determined by the type of performance, which in conjunction,
determines the seating arrangement.
Arena / Theater-in-the-round / Island Stage
A central stage surrounded by the audience on all sides, these styles of stage are some of the best
for sightlines. An example of an arena stage in an auditorium is the Glenn Hughes Penthouse
Theatre in Seattle Washington, which was the first theater-in-the-round venue built in the US.
3/4 Arena Stage
Typically used for open space theaters, the ¾ arena stage is frequently paired with a continental
seating arrangement. These stages closely resemble amphitheaters and thrust stages, and are
useful for musical concerts and plays, as it offers great sight and aural clarity to the audience.

End Stage
These styles of stage utilize space effectively and are an excellent choice for lecture halls and film
presentations. The seating arrangement is usually multiple aisles, ideal for small spaces. However,
this is not the most intimate method of staging, so not as great for performances that require that
level of intimacy.

Proscenium Stage
A proscenium stage resembles an end stage, with the addition of the proscenium arch through
which the audience views the performance. The audience directly faces the stage and views only
one side of the scene. Often, a stage may extend in front of the proscenium arch which offers
additional playing area to the actors. This area is referred to as the apron. Underneath and in front of
the apron is sometimes an orchestra pit which is used by musicians during musicals and operas.
Thrust Stage
A stage that “thrusts'' the performers into the audience for a greater sense of intimacy and drama,
which is achieved by seating the audience on three sides of the stage. Usually thrust stages are in a
square performance area, surrounded by raked
seating. 

Flexible Theater / Black Box Theater

Black box theaters are usually created in “found” or converted spaces, with big empty boxes painted
black to create an auditorium-like space. Neither the stage nor the seating is fixed, so the theater can
be altered to meet the whims of the director.
Traverse / Alley / Corridor Stage or Profile Theater
The audience is on two sides of the stage, facing towards each other. This style of theater is usually
in a “found” or converted space. Some of these stages require the performers to be staged in profile
to the audience so it doesn't become uncomfortable. A non-theatrical form of the profile stage is a
basketball arena, if no one is seated behind the hoops. Smaller auditoriums such as these benefit
from smaller and low-profile auditorium trash cans that don’t take up much space.