Jamrado's Thanetalium

Jamrado's Thanetalium (Jam-RAD-oe's THANE-tal-eeum) was a theater for the performing arts located in Khôltar, south Faerûn, circa the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR. Visitors might call it Jamrado's, but the locals always called it the Thanetalium.

Location
The Thanetalium sat on the truncated point of the intersection between the North Way (which ran north–south) and Orntathtar Way (which ran northeast–southwest). It was the easternmost structure of three that faced north through Handrornlar, the northern gate in the walls of Khôltar; the other two were Surlpar's Stews and Harmeirlarko's Journeys. Other buildings around the huge intersection were Turthtraal, the twin guard towers on either side of Handrornlar; Munsrum's Ready Ladle, a food counter across the North Way to the east;  and Taurgaur's Tarjteir, a dwarf-owned inn on Orntathtar Way across from Harmeirlarko's.

Interior
The main hall contained a two-tier stage that was surrounded on three sides by a standing-room-only audience pit with a sunken floor for better visibility. Above the pit, held up by thick pillars, were two levels of box seats accessed by staircases that led to galleries behind the boxes. The upper level of the stage had a staircase that connected to the top gallery and was used for dramatic purposes. Below the stage was a chamber that allowed access to trapdoors in the stage floor and facilities for lighting smoke pots.

Atmosphere
The entertainment offered at the Thanetalium was primarily for the common folk&mdash;hard-working crafters and laborers who wanted a break from routine, some social interaction, or a chance to throw things at people (or all three). An evening's program was typically a series of short acts by comedians, singers, dancers, jugglers, or satirical skits by actors mocking prominent Khôltans, races, political leaders, or commenting on current events. First-time visitors were sometimes bewildered because the regulars knew all the catchphrases used as a shorthand way to get a point across or get a laugh.

As of the 1370s DR, the most popular acts used performers that could shapeshift parts of their bodies&mdash;sprouting tentacles, monster heads, animal faces, enlarged body parts, or mimicking famous Khôltans.

Services
Jamrado's sold small paper cones of buttered and spiced or cinnamon-flavored nuts to audience members, but did not sell drinks because of an ongoing debate between the owners and many of the performers. The argument was over how those beverages might increase the incidences of spilling, spraying, spewing, or throwing the liquids and/or their containers. The public ignored this debate and brought their own drinkables to the theater and, for the most part, policed themselves. Hurling anything heavy or sharp at performers or other audience members was met with swift and forceful removal from the premises.