Terenzbühne

The Terenz stage is a stage form of humanism in the 14th century that took up the stage structure of classical antiquity , which was regarded as idealized, based on the model of the comedy poet Terenz . As in the early Latin theater, it was supposed to show the unity of the setting, not several scenes like the medieval simultaneous stage . In addition, it consisted of a flat podium, on the back wall of which house facades were indicated, the construction of columns with curtains hung between them symbolized the house entrances; these curtains were partly provided with inscriptions and could also reveal a second scene behind them inside the house. Because of its similarity to bathing cabins, the Terenz stage is also known as the bath cell stage .

Today's knowledge of the use of the Terenz stage is not fully established, for example, illustrations in the Terenz editions of the 15th century show different stage structures. Equally unclear is the assumption that the German school drama of the 16th century used this form of performance, since many texts provide for frequent changes of the venue. However, there are also illustrations from this period that suggest the use of the Terenz stage.

literature

• Günther and Irmgard Schweikle (eds.): Metzler-Literatur-Lexikon, Metzler, Stuttgart 1984, p. 432 f.