Sinking (theater)
In the theater language, sinking is called an opening in the stage floor that enables unconventional appearances and exits from the lower stage or the appearance and disappearance of props . Stage effects such as smoke or the spotlight are sometimes also implemented with the help of recesses. - That is why the idioms “get out of oblivion / do magic”, “disappear into oblivion”.
Since the baroque magic game , sinking has been common as part of the stage machinery . In contrast to the Deus ex machina , which appears from above with a hoist, mostly witches, demons and similar negatively charged figures emerge from oblivion.
The recess can be equipped with a lifting floor that can be moved vertically. The maximum possible sinking is often given as the size of a stage . Since sinking is a safety risk for the performers and technicians, there are strict regulations today.