1. William Shakespeare The Elizabethan Theater Grade-VIII Prepared by Ms BHAKTI SHAH PAWAR PUBLIC SCHOOL KANDIVALI

2.  Roughly circular building – designed on the courtyard of an inn –Having galleries and windows –Had no roof over the central part

3.  No stage lighting – plays were held at 2:00 in the afternoon

4.  Open-air theater – performances depended on the weather  Performances lasted about 2 hours

5.  Women did not act in the theater; young boys played the women’s parts.

6.  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.

7. Orchestra  The orchestra played in an area above the stage (3 rd level).  Today they play in the pit. (orchestra pit)

8. Stage Area  The stage area stuck out into the center audience area. There was a door on either side of the stage for exits and entrances.

9. Pit Area  The yard below the stage was known as stage was known as the pit. the pit.  Here the poor or common people would stand to watch  The floor of this area would often be covered with straw.  The poor were called groundlings, penny knaves, and stinkards.

10. Curtain  There was a main curtain used for various purposes throughout the play.

11. Trap Door  The Trap Door was used for certain entrances and exits.  Fireworks were often used as actors entered and exited the

12. Balcony  The balcony was also used as part of the staging area. (i.e. Romeo and Juliet)

13. Inner Stage  The theater had an inner stage which was usually concealed by a curtain.  Certain scenes would be acted out in this inner stage.

14. Galleries  The wealthy filled the galleries which encircled the yard.  Gallery seats were just hard wooden benches hard wooden benches w/o backs. w/o backs.  Royalty would occasionally sit on the stage itself in the sit on the stage itself in the earlier days of the theater. earlier days of the theater.

15. Audience  Audience interaction and participation was expected. Some parts of the scenes were even acted out in the audience.

16. THE END THE END