caliper stages

Side stages in a proscenium theatre that extend from the apron out into the audience and intercept the audience floor. In plan view, the platforms resemble the jaws of a caliper.
Possibly evolved from Japanese Kabuki Theatres (see hanamichi), they are a distinct attribute of many theatres built in the 1960s/'70s, most notably the Pepsico Theatre at SUNY-Purchase.