Seating, American Plan

Style of laying out the audience area for a proscenium theatre. The audience enters the house at the rear. Fire exiting requirements state that one must not have to cross more than six others to get to an aisle. This effectively limits row widths to fourteen seats. Thus multiple lateral sections are formed. Cross aisles take up additional space that might be better suited for seating.


http://www.gotickets.com/venues/ny/longacre_theatre.php

See also Continental Seating.