A sunken area in a theater designed to accommodate an orchestra to accompany stage performances is known as an orchestra pit. The orchestra that performs in an orchestra pit is sometimes referred to as a pit orchestra, and the orchestra may be smaller than a traditional full orchestra depending on the size of the pit, as many orchestra pits do not have enough room for a full complement of musicians.
An orchestra pit is traditionally placed in front of the stage, allowing the performers to see the conductor’s movements clearly. The distance between the orchestra pit and the stage can be quite a drop when the stage is elevated and the orchestra pit is lowered, as some unwary performers discover. The orchestra pit may be covered in some cases, which can be useful for stage tricks because a trapdoor can be built into the orchestra pit, allowing actors to appear and disappear from the center of the stage.
The walls of the pit have been specially designed to provide the best possible acoustics, ensuring that the orchestra’s sound flows throughout the venue without overpowering the stage performance. Many orchestra pits are also built with low decibel levels in mind, allowing musicians to work without fear of hearing damage. The conductor is usually accommodated on a small platform in the pit so that he or she can be seen all of the musicians, who may sit in chairs or on bleachers, depending on the pit’s design.
Some pits are supported hydraulic lifts that can be raised and lowered. When an orchestra is not required, the pit can be used to extend the stage or the seating, which is very useful in theaters that offer a variety of performances. Although many patrons expect to see the orchestra perform in front of the stage, an orchestra pit can be located anywhere in the theater, and the conductor’s movements can be broadcast on monitors visible from the stage so that the actors can follow cues.
Working in an orchestra pit can be difficult because people are often forced to work in close quarters. As they must coordinate with the actors on stage, musicians must be able to work well with one another and maintain their cool in a variety of situations. If something goes wrong on stage, the pit musicians must react quickly to help mask the problem so that the audience is unaware of the problem.