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“Once spectators arrive at a theater for a performance, they immediately take in the environment in which the event will take place” (Wilson 128). Theater design involves many different elements that all combine to define an area for acting. It is these very elements that take all the hard work of a performance, molds it, and displays it to the audience as a grand drama. Yet, what are the aspects that make up a theater? What type of light casts illusions upon the audience? Which color of light should be used to create a warm mood? How elaborate and large should a stage be? Which stage suits a performance with motion? Which auditorium best suits which performance? Should one use technical or conceptual sound design when he/she creates a sound design room? With the stage, sound, lighting, and auditorium put into place the pottery wheel starts spinning, and a masterpiece of art is made.
A stage, or typically referred to as the deck, serves as the focal point of a theatrical performance for an audience. It may consist of a platform, or a series of platforms (Wilson 5). Some theaters, usually prosceniums, have off stages as well. Off stages store props, sets, and scenery for later in the performance (Wilson 6).
A theater may have an unfixed stage such as a black box theater, or a fixed stage such as a proscenium or an amphitheater. Black box stages allow for construction in a suitable acting area (Nicoll 2). They are painted black, hence the name, which allows for stronger lighting (Nicoll 7). The reason black box theaters are mobile is to adjust to different scenes (Nicoll 5). This mobility allows black box theaters to generally be used for limited sets, simple lighting, and simple plot lines (Nicoll 3).

Prosceniums and amphitheater stages are permanent parts of the structure or
theater (Nicoll 2). A proscenium theater’s main feature is its large archway near the
front of the...