Sylvan theater
Encyclopedia
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s, or of more intimate settings, and may be intended for either public or private use.
History of sylvan theaters
A notable early example of a sylvan theater was the Bosquet du Théâtre d’Eau ("Water Theater Grove") — one of the 14 celebrated bosquet ("groves") in the Gardens of the Palace of VersaillesGardens of Versailles
The Gardens of Versailles occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles, the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by...
near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The central feature of this bosquet, which was designed for King Louis XIV by Le Nôtre between 1671 and 1674, was the auditorium-like theater sided by three tiers of turf seating that faced a stage decorated with four fountains alternating with three radiating cascades. As part of the replantation of the gardens ordered by King Louis XVI during the winter of 1774-75, the Bosquet du Théâtre d’Eau was destroyed and replaced with an unadorned garden. (As of 2009, the Bosquet du Théâtre d’Eau is currently being rebuilt.)
Europe
- Bosquet du Théâtre d’Eau ("Water Theater Grove"), VersaillesVersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1671–74) - The Sylvan Theater, Killruddery House and Gardens, Bray, County Wicklow, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.- Sir Walter ScottWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, during a stay at Killruddery, was inspired by the idea of the sylvan theatre, including it in his novel St. Ronan's WellSt. Ronan's WellSt. Ronan's Well is a novel by Sir Walter Scott. It is the only novel he wrote with a 19th century setting.-Plot introduction:The novel concerns the rivalry of two men: Valentine Bulmer, the Earl of Etherington, and his half-brother Francis Tyrrel. Both wish to marry Miss Clara Mowbray, who is the...
(1824).
- Sir Walter Scott
- Heckentheater ("hedge theater"), HerrenhausenHerrenhausenHerrenhausen is an area of the German city Hanover which is most notable for the baroque Herrenhausen Gardens.Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg died in Herrenhausen Castle and his grandson King George II of Great Britain was born there. During the Second World War the castle was...
, Germany - Sylvan Theater, Schwetzingen CastleSchwetzingen CastleSchloss Schwetzingen, or Schwetzingen Castle is a palace in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Schwetzingen was the summer residence of the Electors Palatine Karl III Philip and Charles Theodore. It is situated in Schwetzingen, roughly equidistant from the electors' seats at Heidelberg and...
, Germany - Ruinentheater ("ruined theater"), Sanspareil Garden (near Bayreuth), Germany
- Théâtre Silvain, Vallon de la Fausse-Monnaie, Marsailles, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1923) - Parc floral des Thermes, Aix-les-BainsAix-les-BainsAix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
North America
- The National Sylvan TheaterNational Sylvan TheaterThe National Sylvan Theater — often simply the Sylvan Theater — is a public sylvan theater on the grounds of the Washington Monument, National Mall, in Washington, D.C., USA. It is located within the northwest corner of the 15th Street and Independence Avenue intersection, about 450 feet southeast...
, National MallNational MallThe National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
, Washington, DC, USA (1917) - “Sylvan Theater” (“The Columns”), University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, USA - Sylvan Theater, Yosemite National ParkYosemite National ParkYosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA - Sylvan Theater, Greenwood Park, Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, IowaDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, USA - Forest TheaterForest TheaterFounded in 1910, the Forest Theater, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, was one of the earliest outdoor proscenium theaters west of the Rockies. Actor/director Herbert Heron is generally cited as the founder and driving force, and poet/novelist Mary Austin is often credited with suggesting the...
, Carmel, California, USA - The Sinsheimer-Stanley Festival Glen at Shakespeare Santa CruzShakespeare Santa CruzShakespeare Santa Cruz is a professional theatre festival held annually in Santa Cruz, California.- History :Shakespeare Santa Cruz was founded in 1981 and performs annually on the campus of the University of California, Santa Cruz...
, Santa Cruz, CaliforniaSanta Cruz, CaliforniaSanta Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, USA - The Garden Theater at Villa MontalvoVilla MontalvoVilla Montalvo is an Italian Mediterranean style mansion nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Saratoga, California, United States. It was constructed from 1912 to 1914 by California statesman and businessman James Duval Phelan. After Phelan's death, it was donated to the state...
, Saratoga, CaliforniaSaratoga, CaliforniaSaratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
, USA