The Theater

During Shakespeares Time

The Wooden O

 1576 James
Burbage built the
first English
theatre

 1598
Landowners
would not renew
the lease
theatre was
dismantled and
rebuilt across the
Thames River

 1599 The theatre

was rebuilt and
named The Globe
Theatre

 Shakespeare
performed
most of his
plays at the
Globe and
owned 10% of
the theatre.

Elizabethan Theater
Called this to honor the
queen, Queen Elizabeth
I
She loved art, music,
drama, and poetry
She was a patron of the
arts
A patron is a rich citizen
of high rank who backed
an acting company

She liked Shakespeares

plays and protected him

James I
Became king in 1603
Was a supporter of
drama
James became the
patron of
Shakespeares acting
company
They changed their
company name from
Lord Chamberlains
Men to the Kings Men

Important People to the

Theater
The Master of
Revels was the
official censor of
plays
He approved or
censored content
A patron sponsored
an acting company
Acting companies
had to be sponsored
by a patron

Important People to the

Theater
Book holders kept
the scripts as each
actor usually only
received his own
lines and not a
complete script.
Bookholders would
help if an actor
forgot his lines.

Acting Companies
Consisted of 25-30
actors
Female roles played
by boys
Each company had a
clown for comic
relief
Plays were written
with actors and their
abilities in mind

 Prices to attend
the theatre range
from 1 penny to 1
shilling (12 cents).
Prices were
double on the first
performance.

 Performances began around 2:003:00 P.M. after lunch but while the
sun was still bright.
Plays were announced by a flag
being raised on top of the theatre. A
white flag indicated a comedy and a
black flag signaled a tragedy
3 trumpet blasts signaled that the play
was beginning.

Audience
All kinds of people came to the plays:
nobility, merchant class, apprentices,
thieves, beggars, etc.
Merchants sold their goods during the
performances.
Average weekly attendance to the theatre
was 20,000 people.

 The Globe Theatre was round and could

seat 2,000 people.
The stage was 5 feet highthis kept
the audience from jumping on the stage.
Groundlings- stood on the ground in front
of the stage their admission price was
one penny- known as the penny public.

 The stage had

three areas of
acting:
1. outer stage
2. middle stage
3. inner stage
The ceiling of the stage areas was known
as the Heavens and was painted with
signs of the zodiac: sun, moon, stars etc.

 Under the
stages trap
door was an
area known
as Hell
used for
special
effects such
as ghosts
coming and
going.

Plays were free of

interruption: no
curtains or scenery.

Parts of the Globe

Yard
Permanent Door
(stage entrance and exit)

Platform

(where
groundlings
stood)
(main acting area)

Parts of the Globe

Chamber
(upper stage)

Galleries

Terras

(3 tiers of seats
for audience
members)

(balcony)

Study
(inner stage)

Trap Door
(lead to an area beneath the stage
known as Hell)

Parts of the Globe

Canopy
(represented the sky)

Flag
Huts

(represented the Heaven

Musicians
Gallery

Props
Props were kept
to a minimum
swords, daggers,
shields, scrolls,
dishes, candles.
Props were brought
on and taken off
the stage as the
play progressed.

Costumes
Costumes were the dress of everyday life.
People of this time period were very class
conscious the fabric of ones clothing
indicated to others his/her station in life.
satin- taffeta- velvet =aristocrats (rich)
coarse wool = commoner
canvas aprons = working men (labors)
Most costumes were very lavish, colorful and
expensive

 The color of the

actors clothes
symbolized their
status in the play.
scarlet = rulers
dark blue = servants
yellow = jealous
character
orange = pride
light blue = honor
rose = gallantry

 Most costumes were very lavish, colorful

and expensive
Women were not actors so the parts of
women were played by young boys high
voice and no beard.

The skills an actor had to have were:

1. good fencer
2. dancer, musician
3. good speaking voice

 1613 Globe
Theatre was
destroyed during
a performance of
Henry VIII. Fire
from a cannon
landed on the
thatched roof
and caught fire.
1614 More
elaborate theatre
was built on the
same spot.

 1644 The Puritans tore down the Globe

Theatre because they believed plays were
immoral and caused sin.
1666 The London fire destroyed all
traces of the Globe Theatre.
1997 Theatre reopened for
performances - was rebuilt in the same
place with same materials as the original.

45 million dollar reconstruction