Box-Set

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | 700+ words | Copyright

Box-Set, scene representing the three walls and ceiling of a room, not by means of perspective painting on wings, backcloth, and borders, as in early scenery, but by an arrangement of flats which form continuous walls, with practicable doors and windows, completely covered in by a ceiling-cloth. In London the box-set was first used in Mme Vestris's production of W. B. Bernard's The Conquering Game in 1832, and brought to perfection in her production of Boucicault's London Assurance at Covent Garden in 1841. It was in general use for more than a century, especially for contemporary drama; but since it can only function behind a proscenium arch, the widespread acceptance of various kinds of open stage as well as the cost of changing the scene for each act, has almost led to its disappearance even from traditional theatres.

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Box-Set." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Box-Set." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BoxSet.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Box-Set." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BoxSet.html

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