<P> These buildings were semi-circular and possessed certain inherent architectural structures, with minor differences depending on the region in which they were constructed . The scaenae frons was a high back wall of the stage floor, supported by columns . The proscaenium was a wall that supported the front edge of the stage with ornately decorated niches off to the sides . The Hellenistic influence is seen through the use of the proscaenium . The Roman theatre also had a podium, which sometimes supported the columns of the scaenae frons . The theatre itself was divided into the stage (orchestra) and the seating section (auditorium). Vomitoria or entrances and exits were made available to the audience . </P> <P> The auditorium, the area in which people gathered, was sometimes constructed on a small hill or slope in which stacked seating could be easily made in the tradition of the Greek Theatres . The center of the auditorium was hollowed out of a hill or slope, while the outer radian seats required structural support and solid retaining walls . This was not always the case as Romans tended to build their theatres regardless of the availability of hillsides . All theatres built within the city of Rome were completely man - made without the use of earthworks . The auditorium was not roofed; rather, awnings (vela) could be pulled overhead to provide shelter from rain or sunlight . </P> <P> Some Roman theatres, constructed of wood, were torn down after the festival for which they were erected concluded . This practice was due to a moratorium on permanent theatre structures that lasted until 55 BC when the Theatre of Pompey was built with the addition of a temple to avoid the law . Some Roman theatres show signs of never having been completed in the first place . </P> <P> Inside Rome, few theatres have survived the centuries following their construction, providing little evidence about the specific theatres . The Roman theatre of Orange in modern Orange, France, is a good example of a classic Roman theatre, with an indented scaenae frons, reminiscent of Western Roman theatre designs, however stripped of its ornamental stone columns, statues and </P>

The roman version of the theatron was the