The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-02

Inc gentlemen who intend building the new
opera house the coming spring were kind
enough yesterday morning to call our atten-
ton to the plan. We have to say here that
our citizens have no conception of what is
really intended. The whole building will be
devoted to the purpose. The front will be of
brick with ornamental windows, the theatre
proper standing in the rear. The interior in
some respects will resemble the Boston Thea
ire, and In others the French Theatre in New
YORK, While it also possesses characteristics
wnoliy Its own. In the centre of the front of
tine building is a lobby twenty feet wide
(which extends to the auditorium by gradu-
al rise from the street,) with tesselated pave
ment, having on one side the box and parquet
office and Treasurer's room. and on the other
CLOAK room for gentlemen. At one end of the
front OF the building is long, wide passage
way Tor the actors and actresses, leading di-
rectly on to the stage. At the other end is the
gallery entrance
Having proceeded through the lobby and
entered the auditorium through large double
doors, ESQ arranged that in case of accident or
| lire the whole can at once be thrown ,pen to
the full of twenty feet) we find ourselves in
a {
our left and right, which lead directly up to
the first tier, OF private boxes to speak proper
| ly. The width of the passage way from the
| entrance doors to the rear of the parauet is
twelve feet, while the passage ways which run
| towards the stage from the rear of the house,
on either side, measure ten feet. At the stage
end OF these passage ways, also, are flights of
stairs down to the outer world and up to the
boxes. An inner wall surrounds the parquet
land boxes above) through which numerous
small doors admit to it and into the passages;
| in this respect resembling the Boston Theatre.
There is also parquet circle ON the outside of
the parquet, something after the style of the
old fashioned dress circle. The stage will be
about forty five in width by forty feet in depth
with two proscenium boxes on either side
Back of the stage, and on either side both
above and below, will be all the convenences
in the way of dressing rooms for the performs
ers and property room, paint room, scenery
room, green room. etc. There is also rear
entrance to the stage, and a passage way for
carriages who bring spectators for the parquet
and boxes
If We ascend one of the flights of stairs at
the rear of the parquet, we shall first find the
Managers room at one end of the front of the
building; in the centre, over the front en-
trance, the drawing room; and over the gen.
tlemen's cloak room the ladies' cloak room.
The whole of this first tier is partitioned off
into little boxes, something like square pews,
only great deal longer each capable of hold
ing four to six chairs, and not enclosed with
high walls or curtains, SO that an uninterrupt-
ed view of the stage and audience is obtained.
1t is in this respect it resembles the French
Theatre in New York.
The tier above this is the gallery. There are
only these two galleries in the theatre On
either side of the corridors are convenient wa
ter closets. and the arrangements for yentia
ton are taken from the best models at home
and abroad
, Everything about the theatre will be finish
, ed nthe best manner, and Portland will fine
herself provided with building that will beal
favorable comparison with those of other ant
larger cities.