What color were the lounges of the early theatre's backstage actors?

[DkJing]

"In the early theater (no exact time), there was always a room for male/female actors to create and think about the design of the performance on stage before going on stage. In order to let them enter the performance state and thinking peacefully backstage, the walls and roof of the room were painted green.

 

[paulears]

Well, that's one of the often talked about, but inaccurate 'answers' you find everywhere - like the whistling thing backstage because of ancient stage crews being ex-sailors. 

This colour one fails to address British colour theory. Green is often considered (or at least was) an unlucky colour, two it's not exactly restful. Indeed, backstage colours tended to have more pink, rather than green. I've also seen references to the green coming from the 'jardin' French stage right label, so the green room - a place with green foliage?

Who really knows? There seems no primary evidence of the origin of the term, other than common sense and repeats of repeats from unreliable sources. 

You also can't say early theatre, because are we talking about 50, 500 or 5000 years? In all my years, I've only seen actors enter 'a performance state, a handful of times outside their dressing room, and NEVER in the green room. Green coloured rooms are sickly and institutional. neutral colours are more common in practice. 

 

Your post reads like a uni question, just add 'discuss' to the end. Green rooms are usually places people gather to chat, sleep, argue, watch TV and most important, eat.

[sunray]

3 hours ago, DkJing said:

"In the early theater (no exact time), there was always a room for male/female actors to create and think about the design of the performance on stage before going on stage. In order to let them enter the performance state and thinking peacefully backstage, the walls and roof of the room were painted green.

 

My understanding of this is the original green room was 'wallpapered' with baize rather than painted as in the early days the paint was distemper based and resulted in a soft chalky finish which marked the costumes. However I suspect the real truth has long since fallen into the realms of 'My mate says'.

Dark green is not a soothing colour, just think about all those green tiled corridors from victorian times pale green along with creams and pale pinks are more generally relaxing/soothing colours, just think about the way we consider 'light and airy' to be the most desirable look at home.

I've also heard that the rooms each sides of the stage would be coloured green and red to match the navigation lights aboard ship, which may tie up with the old notion that stage hands were drawn from the sailors due to their rigging skills.

Edited August 13 by sunray
added s to navigation lights

[sunray]

12 minutes ago, sunray said:

My understanding of this is the original green room was 'wallpapered' with baize rather than painted as in the early days the paint was distemper based and resulted in a soft chalky finish which marked the costumes. However I suspect the real truth has long since fallen into the realms of 'My mate says'.

Dark green is not a soothing colour, just think about all those green tiled corridors from victorian times pale green along with creams and pale pinks are more generally relaxing/soothing colours, just think about the way we consider 'light and airy' to be the most desirable look at home.

I've also heard that the rooms each sides of the stage would be coloured green and red to match the navigation light aboard ship, which may tie up with the old notion that stage hands were drawn from the sailors due to their rigging skills.

That took me a couple of phone calls and getting lunch ready to write. A bit scary there is a little similarity with Pauls reply

[sandall]

23 minutes ago, sunray said:

I've also heard that the rooms each sides of the stage would be coloured green and red to match the navigation light aboard ship, which may tie up with the old notion that stage hands were drawn from the sailors due to their rigging skills.

Sounds even more unlikely than most of the other theories bandied about - in several years at sea my only recollection of Green v Red was for navigation lights & buoys. On the other hand Paul's mention of "jardin" makes me wonder whether traditionally (whatever that means) French theatres used to have the duty/rest room on that side. of stage. As Paul says, discuss!

[david.elsbury]

Have we started getting posts made by spambots that are actually making sense now? What’s the world coming to?!

[paulears]

In modland, I mentioned this one when somebody reported it - but it seemed such a random post, with no apparent purpose, I wondered if it was AI or a uni question? In fairness, many uni questions people join to get solved could have been AI for the sense they made.

I cannot remember where, but I saw some research that said the often quoted sailors working back stage had no basis in fact. It made sense, I suppose in the 70's and 80's when I first read about it, but there seems to be no actual evidence backstage flying was carried out by sailors - and I think its said unemployment amongst sailors in the late 1800's was actually very low. Apart from rope and knots, seamen and flymen have little in common. 

[Junior8]

Many showmen - who probably have ancestors from booths and circus - will not have green anywhere. Others simply aren't bothered. I've never seen an explanation that convinces me about the origin of Green Room.

[sunray]

3 hours ago, Junior8 said:

Many showmen - who probably have ancestors from booths and circus - will not have green anywhere. Others simply aren't bothered. I've never seen an explanation that convinces me about the origin of Green Room.

Of all the variations I've heard of, I think the baize to protect the clothing feels feasible, there are of course other methods - wood panelling springs to mind - but to hang or stick fabric up is a quick and easy solution and of course can also be portable for a touring group.

 

As said I doubt we'll ever get to the bottom of it now.

[sunray]

22 hours ago, paulears said:

In modland, I mentioned this one when somebody reported it - but it seemed such a random post, with no apparent purpose, I wondered if it was AI or a uni question? In fairness, many uni questions people join to get solved could have been AI for the sense they made.

I cannot remember where, but I saw some research that said the often quoted sailors working back stage had no basis in fact. It made sense, I suppose in the 70's and 80's when I first read about it, but there seems to be no actual evidence backstage flying was carried out by sailors - and I think its said unemployment amongst sailors in the late 1800's was actually very low. Apart from rope and knots, seamen and flymen have little in common. 

and rigging backdrops and potentially a little time aboard to rehearse on calm days.

[kerry davies]

It is probably never going to be answerable but in outdoor and commedia gigs I have heard the patch of grass behind the stage referred to humorously as the green room. 

Theatre was never much the remit of matelots but going back to Greek and Roman days the venues and sets were erected by scaffolders and builders. The majority of amphitheatres began as timber structures unless, like at Caerleon, they had a limitless labour force of soldiers.

[sunray]

2 hours ago, kerry davies said:

It is probably never going to be answerable but in outdoor and commedia gigs I have heard the patch of grass behind the stage referred to humorously as the green room. 

Theatre was never much the remit of matelots but going back to Greek and Roman days the venues and sets were erected by scaffolders and builders. The majority of amphitheatres began as timber structures unless, like at Caerleon, they had a limitless labour force of soldiers.

One of our festival stages (tinytoy version  in comparison to most on this forum) someone referred to the brown room which turned out to be the grass area where the bands gear was unloaded to awaiting changeover with various scrap materials to keep it off the mud. The name stuck for a couple more years then forgotten until today as volunteers moved through.

[sandall]

On 8/13/2024 at 5:55 PM, paulears said:

I think its said unemployment amongst sailors in the late 1800's was actually very low.

Not sure about the late 1800's, but after the Napoleonic wars (& in any earlier period of peace) there would have been a huge number of "paid-off" Royal Navy sailors suddenly looking for work.

[Bryson]

Peter McKinnon (who I know from the Canadian institute of Theatre Technology) has written a book about Sailors and Stagehands:  https://oistat.org/news_detail.php?id=1136&mode=&Page=3

Spoiler:  he concludes its all nonsense, essentially.

[Glyn Edwards]

47 minutes ago, Bryson said:

Peter McKinnon (who I know from the Canadian institute of Theatre Technology) has written a book about Sailors and Stagehands:  https://oistat.org/news_detail.php?id=1136&mode=&Page=3

Spoiler:  he concludes its all nonsense, essentially.

Any idea how I can get hold of a copy on this side of the pond. I can't find it on the University of Calgary link.