A box is a group of seats in a traditional theatrical interior , separated from neighboring ones by side partitions or barriers.
Historically, the lodge was a separate small room with a separate entrance, in some cases leading through a small hallway, where you could leave clothes or even spend time at intermission - this room was called advance deposit. The lodges were located both at the level of the stalls (behind and on the sides - the so-called lodges of the Benoir ), and on higher tiers (the first of which, the most prestigious, was called the mezzanine ).
In many theaters, privileged lodges were provided for - royal (royal, presidential), governor, director's (which was at the disposal of the theater’s management). Other lodges are most often subscribed by wealthy and / or noble connoisseurs for the entire season. The total number of lodges could be very large: in the Milan theater “ La Scala ”, for example, there were 194 of them.
The advantage of the box was not only a separate entrance, but also (in some cases) the ability to observe the stage action, to a lesser extent revealing itself. At the same time, the aristocratic audience in the lodges could, on the contrary, attract increased attention (cf. Pushkin : “The theater is already full, the lodges shine”).
See also
- Parterre