proscenium

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noun pro·sce·ni·um \ prō-ˈsē-nē-əm \

Definition of proscenium

1 a :the stage of an ancient Greek or Roman theater

b :the part of a modern stage in front of the curtain

c :the wall that separates the stage from the auditorium and provides the arch that frames it

2 a :foreground 1

b :foreground 2

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Examples of proscenium in a Sentence

The host walked onto the proscenium.

Recent Examples of proscenium from the Web

One week before the start of school next week, crews were putting finishing touches — testing the new 500-seat proscenium theater's large screen — while students were rummaging through a maze of props backstage.

— meredith colias, Post-Tribune, "IUN hopes new building will be destination for the arts," 17 Aug. 2017
Both side walls and the back wall of Goodman’s proscenium stage are awash in sky, softly lighted by Aaron Spivey and gradually changing as day gives way to night.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eugene O'Neill's 'Ah, Wilderness!' a comedy of yearning and summer romance," 27 June 2017
Gone is the proscenium, gone are the front rows of seats, and now a long walkway thrusts toward the audience in a darkened atmosphere.

— mel shields, sacbee.com, "Eldorado in Reno presents ‘the Dark Side of Cirque’ in its new showroom," 22 June 2017
The $21 million, 70,640-square-foot building will have an office and lab wing, an auditorium and a soaring proscenium tower.

— danielle dreilinger, NOLA.com, "SUNO to break ground on $21 million new building," 13 June 2017
Projection mapping will extend the action in the films beyond the proscenium onto the theater walls, surrounding the audience with imagery.

— brady macdonald, latimes.com, "So long Shrek, hello Kung Fu Panda. Universal Studios to turn 4-D theater into DreamWorks showcase," 5 June 2017
The vast, antique interior has a giant stage beneath an elaborate proscenium arch.

— karen schoemer, New York Times, "In California, Finding ‘Fat City’ With the Man Who Wrote It," 30 May 2017
Sets created for a thrust stage had to reconfigured for prosceniums.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "'King & I' Music Director Reunites With HSO For Bushnell Stop," 24 May 2017
The actors (actual or fictional) aim to entertain us through storytelling, an M.O. magnified by Jon Gaw’s minimalist set and gilded proscenium framing the stage.

— eric marchese, Orange County Register, "‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ in Fullerton delivers the back story of ‘Peter Pan’," 8 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'proscenium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of proscenium

Latin, from Greek proskēnion front of the building forming the background for a dramatic performance, stage, from pro- + skēnē building forming the background for a dramatic performance — more at scene

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1606

See Words from the same year

Other Performing Arts Terms

diva, dramaturgy, loge, prestidigitation, supernumerary, zany

PROSCENIUM Defined for English Language Learners

proscenium

play

noun

Definition of proscenium for English Language Learners

: the part of a stage that is in front of the curtain

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See words that rhyme with proscenium Britannica English: Translation of proscenium for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about proscenium

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proscenium

Definition of proscenium

Examples of proscenium in a Sentence

Recent Examples of proscenium from the Web

Origin and Etymology of proscenium

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PROSCENIUM Defined for English Language Learners

proscenium

Definition of proscenium for English Language Learners

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