scaenae

Scaenae is the Latin plural of scaena, meaning "stage" or "stage-building." The word derives from the Greek skene, the hut or tent behind the acting area, and in classical Latin and later theatrical discourse it designated the structure and scenery behind the performers. In English-language scholarship, scaenae is commonly used to refer to the stage buildings or the scenery of ancient theatres, and is often paired with scaenae frons to indicate the front façade of the stage.

In Roman theatres, the scaenae constitute the stage house—the architectural backdrop behind the orchestra that housed entrances, wings, and the apparatus used for scene changes. The scaenae frons, the visible front of the stage building, was frequently multi-storied and richly decorated with columns, niches, statues, and reliefs. This façade functioned both as a frame for the action and as a display of the theatre’s prestige.

Scholarly usage of the term appears in descriptions of Republic- and Imperial-era theatres and archaeological remains, with regional variations across the Roman world. The concept contrasts with the Greek skene, the more austere backstage building that influenced Roman practice. Today, scaenae remains a standard term in art-historical and architectural descriptions of ancient theatres.