Elizabethan Age Theatre

Origins of Elizabethan Age  Named for Queen Elizabeth I of England  QE was a strong supporter of the arts (literature, visual art, theater, music)  Artists were supported by the nobles

Playhouses  Playhouses were first located in London’s city limits  James Burbage built the first playhouse: The Theater (1576)  Puritans and Politicians were against playhouses because of the content and the crowds they drew

Playhouses (continued)  1597 – timber from The Theater was ferried across the Thames River to Southwark and used to build The Globe  No advertising of the plays in the city – managers used flags  Black – tragedy  White – comedy  Red - history

Playhouses (continued)  Playhouses held 1500 – 3000 spectators  Spectators were ferried across the river  Admission cost – 1 penny to stand in the (mosh) “pits” or more to sit in the tiers  1648 – Puritans order that all playhouses be torn down  1660 – Playhouses reopen

Drama  Only men were allowed to perform  The parts of women were played by young boys  Audiences cheered – talked to the actors – threw things at the actors  Plays were performed in the afternoon  Realistic costumes and special

Drama (continued)  Stage was round so that the actors could directly address the audience through soliloquies and asides  Heavens, trapdoors, inner and outer stage areas  Natural lighting (daytime performances)