Drama During Shakespeare’s Day The Elizabethan Stage Drama During Shakespeare’s Day

Can you imagine a play performed outdoors in the daytime? with part of the audience standing in front of the stage for the entire production? with male actors playing female roles? with no background scenery?

Early English Theater Before permanent theaters were built, wandering acting companies performed in the courtyards of inns or in other open areas on temporary platform stages with the audience standing around the stage or sitting in chairs on surrounding balconies

The First Permanent Theater Built by James Burbage in 1576 Located outside the city of London Called “The Theater” Dismantled in the middle of the night, moved piece by piece across the river, and rebuilt as the Globe in 1599

Typical Elizabethan Theaters Theaters were three-story circular or polygonal structures with a courtyard open to the sky three tiers of seats for spectators

Typical Elizabethan Theaters The stage jutted out into the yard. “Groundlings” stood in the yard to watch the play.

Typical Elizabethan Theaters The gallery, or balcony, above the stage could be used as part of the play a seating area for musicians a seating area for wealthy spectators

Typical Elizabethan Theaters The trapdoor in the front part of the stage could be used for David Gentleman burial scenes surprise entrances mysterious exits

Typical Elizabethan Theaters The ceiling over the stage, the “Heavens,” contained another trapdoor. Actors could be David Gentleman lowered to the stage below flown over the heads of other actors

Setting the Stage Acting companies did not use artificial lighting—actors carried torches to convey the idea of night. scenery or realistic backdrops—playwrights set the scenes with descriptive dialogue. . . . Look, love, what envious streaks Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east. Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day Stands tiptoe on the misty mountaintops. from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Setting the Stage Acting companies did use props—flags, banners, swords, thrones, tables, beds special effects—actors appearing and disappearing through trapdoors, cannons firing sound effects—music, thunder costumes—exquisite suits, robes, and gowns normally reserved (by law) for upper-class citizens and nobility © Archivo Iconografico, S.A./CORBIS

Acting the Part In Shakespeare’s time, all actors were male. Female roles were played by boy actors, who concealed their gender by wearing long, full skirts wearing wigs powdering their faces © Ali Meyer/CORBIS

Capturing the Audience Elizabethan theatergoers came from various social classes, including nobility wealthy merchants tradesmen commoners Playwrights had to include material to appeal to all classes.

Capturing the Audience Elizabethan theatergoers were active and vocal. During a performance, they might eat and drink laugh and shout boo and hiss Actors had to move around, make grand motions, and speak loudly to keep the audience’s attention.

Not Everyone Loved the Theater Puritans, city officials, and others had low opinions of actors, plays, and theaters. They feared that playgoers would catch contagious diseases be morally corrupted They objected to suggestive or obscene language actors (commoners) wearing upper-class clothing scenes depicting rebellion

What Have You Learned? 1. Most Elizabethan theaters were shaped more or less like a. circles b. rectangles c. diamonds 2. Audiences consisted of commoners only. a. true b. false 3. Theater companies used all of the following EXCEPT a. costumes b. artificial lighting c. special effects

The End