ABSTRACT
The thrust theatre became very popular because it brought audience and actor together in a way that was quite astounding for the day. In the 1920s the New Stagecraft movement began when artists like playwright Eugene O Neill felt that control of the theatre should shift away from theatre owners and be given to the artists themselves. Modern theatregoers have become so accustomed to this form of seating arrangement that they probably don't appreciate how novel it all was in the beginning for an audience accustomed to a proscenium picture-frame stage. In general, thrust theatres tend to have a more modern look than most proscenium theatres because they have an open ceiling and often make no attempt to hide mechanical systems used for heating and cooling, a design choice that has become quite popular in public spaces everywhere. Many modern buildings take the same approach in celebrating the look of their mechanical workings rather than hiding them.
