Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
scène bi-frontale
English translation:
traverse stage
Added to glossary by
Helen Shiner
Nov 27, 2012 12:18
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
France
scène bi-frontale
French to English
Art/Literary
Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
Theatre
Bonjour All!
I'm struggling with this theatre term. I know it's a kind of stage, but have not been able to find the correct technical term in English. Can anybody help? Thank you!
Pour vous qui aviez déjà travaillé en *bi-frontal*, ça change la donne de jouer à 360° ?
Absolument. Parce qu’en *bi-frontal* on peut toujours se cacher, sortir à cour ou jardin.
I'm struggling with this theatre term. I know it's a kind of stage, but have not been able to find the correct technical term in English. Can anybody help? Thank you!
Pour vous qui aviez déjà travaillé en *bi-frontal*, ça change la donne de jouer à 360° ?
Absolument. Parce qu’en *bi-frontal* on peut toujours se cacher, sortir à cour ou jardin.
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +6 | traverse stage |
Helen Shiner
|
| 4 -1 | thrust stage |
Yvonne Gallagher
|
| 4 -1 | bi-frontal stage |
kashew
|
| 2 -1 | a split scene approach |
katsy
|
References
| bi-frontal |
José Patrício
|
Change log
Nov 27, 2012 14:31: Helen Shiner changed "Field (specific)" from "Poetry & Literature" to "Cinema, Film, TV, Drama"
Nov 28, 2012 18:34: Helen Shiner Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+6
41 mins
Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Arts/Academic translator - Art historian
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
11
Selected
traverse stage
Is this what you need?
A traverse stage is a form of theatrical stage in which the audience is predominantly on two sides of the stage, facing towards each other. The stage is also commonly known as an alley or corridor stage.
In some traverse stages, one end of the stage space may also end in audience, making it similar to a thrust or three-quarter round stage. Other times, the ends of the stage are much larger than the traverse stage itself allowing for more space for actors, sets, and scenery. Although not commonly used for the production of plays, this form of staging is especially popular for fashion shows.
There are many practical implications for the actor performing on a traverse stage, such as the need for greater projection of voice (when the actor faces one audience, he turns his back to the other) and to make sure that every action is visible to both sides of the audience. From a design perspective, staging is very limited so as not to block sight lines across the stage. Furthermore, lighting the stage from one side only will cast a shadow over the actors' faces when viewed from the opposite side.
An advantage of this style of staging is that it is intimate staging and allows the actors to use the audience for effect.
While not strictly a traverse stage, the hanamichi of a kabuki stage, which is basically a wide catwalk that extended outward from the main stage to the rear, can be compared to one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traverse_stage
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Note added at 44 mins (2012-11-27 13:02:53 GMT)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/drama/performing/s...
http://theatredesigner.wordpress.com/theatre-design-101/stag...
http://learning.covcollege.ac.uk/content/NLN/Arts_and_Crafts...
A traverse stage is a form of theatrical stage in which the audience is predominantly on two sides of the stage, facing towards each other. The stage is also commonly known as an alley or corridor stage.
In some traverse stages, one end of the stage space may also end in audience, making it similar to a thrust or three-quarter round stage. Other times, the ends of the stage are much larger than the traverse stage itself allowing for more space for actors, sets, and scenery. Although not commonly used for the production of plays, this form of staging is especially popular for fashion shows.
There are many practical implications for the actor performing on a traverse stage, such as the need for greater projection of voice (when the actor faces one audience, he turns his back to the other) and to make sure that every action is visible to both sides of the audience. From a design perspective, staging is very limited so as not to block sight lines across the stage. Furthermore, lighting the stage from one side only will cast a shadow over the actors' faces when viewed from the opposite side.
An advantage of this style of staging is that it is intimate staging and allows the actors to use the audience for effect.
While not strictly a traverse stage, the hanamichi of a kabuki stage, which is basically a wide catwalk that extended outward from the main stage to the rear, can be compared to one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traverse_stage
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2012-11-27 13:02:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/drama/performing/s...
http://theatredesigner.wordpress.com/theatre-design-101/stag...
http://learning.covcollege.ac.uk/content/NLN/Arts_and_Crafts...
Note from asker:
| Aha! Yes! This sounds very much what I've been looking for! Thank you!!!! |
| Thanks to Tony M too for providing confirmation from a genuine source!! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lara Barnett
: Looks like that going by Google Images. Sometimes audience are directly opposite each other, sometimes at angles to each other.
14 mins
|
|
Thanks, Lara, yes, there are versions on a theme.
|
|
| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: yep, sounds like this is it if audience only on two sides.
28 mins
|
|
Thanks, gallagy2, that's very gracious - I guess it is technically a form of thrust stage.
|
|
| agree |
Victoria Britten
57 mins
|
|
Thanks, Victoria
|
|
| agree |
kashew
: Confirmed in http://www.theatrecrafts.com/results.php
1 hr
|
|
Thanks, kashew
|
|
| agree |
Tony M
: Yes, it makes it clear that there are left and right wings (but no back and front). This is the term used by my theatre technical teacher, who was Tech. Manager at the National Theatre on London's South Bank.
1 hr
|
|
Thanks, Tony, a bit like a cat-walk ...
|
|
| agree |
katsy
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks, katsy
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much for this solution, which I'm not sure I would have found on my own! Great references too."
-1
25 mins
a split scene approach
Cela ne décrit pas la "scène" (stage) mais la "scène" (scene)
http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8709387_split-scene-drama.html
Donc, plutôt ce qui se passe sur la scène (stage) que la dénomination donné à une scène(stage) disposée de cette façon.
Mais vous pourriez peut-être utiliser cette expression?
http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8709387_split-scene-drama.html
Donc, plutôt ce qui se passe sur la scène (stage) que la dénomination donné à une scène(stage) disposée de cette façon.
Mais vous pourriez peut-être utiliser cette expression?
Note from asker:
| Actually, I'm 100% sure it's the stage he's talking about not the scene. Thank you, though, for your answer - the idea of 'split' may well turn out to be useful!! |
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tony M
: It is indeed talking about the actual form of the stage itself.
1 hr
|
-1
41 mins
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
Works in field
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US, Canadian, Irish) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
20
thrust stage
http://www.caue92.fr/IMG/pdf/dossier_theatres.pdf
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Note added at 44 mins (2012-11-27 13:02:54 GMT)
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definition for salle bi-frontale from above link (which also has a piture if you scroll down):
Dispositif scénique, où les gradins sont placés des deux cotés de la scène.
http://www.ia470.com/primer/theatres.htm
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Note added at 45 mins (2012-11-27 13:03:53 GMT)
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from 2nd link above
Thrust theatre:
A Stage surrounded by audience on three sides. The Fourth side serves as the background.
In a typical modern arrangement: the stage is often a square or rectangular playing area, usually raised, surrounded by raked seating.
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Note added at 45 mins (2012-11-27 13:04:29 GMT)
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typo above: piCture
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Note added at 46 mins (2012-11-27 13:05:28 GMT)
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there might also be a horsehoe stage used which would also have audience on three sides
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Note added at 47 mins (2012-11-27 13:06:09 GMT)
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oops, clicking too fast! horseShoe!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 44 mins (2012-11-27 13:02:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
definition for salle bi-frontale from above link (which also has a piture if you scroll down):
Dispositif scénique, où les gradins sont placés des deux cotés de la scène.
http://www.ia470.com/primer/theatres.htm
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 45 mins (2012-11-27 13:03:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
from 2nd link above
Thrust theatre:
A Stage surrounded by audience on three sides. The Fourth side serves as the background.
In a typical modern arrangement: the stage is often a square or rectangular playing area, usually raised, surrounded by raked seating.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 45 mins (2012-11-27 13:04:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
typo above: piCture
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2012-11-27 13:05:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
there might also be a horsehoe stage used which would also have audience on three sides
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2012-11-27 13:06:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
oops, clicking too fast! horseShoe!
Note from asker:
| Great references - thanks very much! I'm familiar with the term 'thrust stage', but am not sure it fits here because my text talks about two possible exits for the actors so I think the audience can only be on two sides of the stage (whereas a 'thrust stage' would have them on three sides). I still appreciate your thoughts, though; thanks again! |
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tony M
: That's different; a thrust stage might be described as 'tri-frontale', but DOES have a 'back'
1 hr
|
-1
1 hr
bi-frontal stage
*
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Note added at 1 heure (2012-11-27 13:40:29 GMT)
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http://www.tns.fr/en/saison2012-2013/dom-juan.html
Created in 2011 for a ***bifrontal stage***, this show is back to the TNS after a long
tour, this time yet for a frontal set in the Koltès venue. In this new version, the ...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 heure (2012-11-27 13:40:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.tns.fr/en/saison2012-2013/dom-juan.html
Created in 2011 for a ***bifrontal stage***, this show is back to the TNS after a long
tour, this time yet for a frontal set in the Koltès venue. In this new version, the ...
Note from asker:
| Thanks, but as I said to the other person who already suggested this, it only gets 7 hits on Google, and most of them seem to be as part of texts translated from French (which, to me, suggests the translator simply used an Anglicised version of the French term). What I'm looking for is the correct term a native English speaker would really use here without any influence from the French. |
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tony M
: Not the correct EN technical term, just a cop-out translation of the FR term :-(
1 hr
|
Reference comments
13 mins
Reference:
bi-frontal
Note from asker:
| Since 'bi-frontal stage' only gets seven hits on Google, I'm not convinced it's the correct term. Will wait for alternative ideas! |
Discussion