In a
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
, a box, loge, or opera box is a small, separated seating area in the
auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...
or audience for a limited number of people for private viewing of a performance or event.
Boxes are typically placed immediately to the front, side and above the level of the stage. They are separate rooms with an open viewing area which typically seat five people or fewer. Usually all the seats in a box are taken by members of a single group of people. A state box or royal box is sometimes provided for dignitaries.
In theatres without box seating the loge can refer to a separate section at the front of the balcony.
Sports venues such as
stadium
A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
s and
racetracks also have royal boxes or enclosures, for example at the
All England Club and
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Grade ...
, where access is limited to
royal families or other distinguished personalities. In other countries, sports venues have
luxury box
The luxury box (or skybox) and club seating constitute the most expensive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of th ...
es also known as skyboxes, where access is open to anyone who can afford tickets, sometimes bought by companies.
History
Opera boxes were a status of wealth and high social standing in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Opera became a place not only for enjoying art and music but also for displaying wealth and social status.The epitome of extravagance could be viewed in the art, fashions and behaviors at the Opera.
See also
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Balcony
A balcony (from , "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. They are commonly found on multi-level houses, apartme ...
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The gods (theatrical)
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Loggia
In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...
References
Parts of a theatre
{{theater-stub