History of the Globe: Five years before the opening of the Globe, Shakespeare became part owner in a theatre company organized under the head of Queen Elizabeth the first’s royal household Lord Chamberlain. It was with these men he would purchase 50 percent shares in the globe theatre, with Cuthbert Burbage holding the other 50 percent. Although Shakespeare play’s were often performed at other venues during his career, it is important to recognize that the Globe theatre was where his most famous and most successful plays were produced.

Structure: The theatre held a capacity of 3,000 audience members divided into three sections by admission fee, socioeconomic class, and view. Since the theatre was open-air, there were poor acoustics and actors were compelled to yell, stress enunciation, and exaggerate their gestures. Without lighting all productions were held (weather permitting) between 2 and 5 pm during the day. The shows were completely devoid of scenery, stage hands, or curtains. Any change of scene were indicated in the speeches that Shakespeare would write into the plays.

Stage : The stage is 43 feet wide, 28 feet deep, and raised 5 feet off the ground. It included rigging, a trapdoor, pit, multi-tiered balconies, a small changing room, and a turret where a trumpeter would announce the day’s performance. There was also a gallery where plebians would stand to watch the show for one penny. One of the most famous performers on the stage was Richard Burbage (brother of the other owner) who owned another venue called Blackfriar’s theatre.

The Dangerous World of Acting: During Shakespeare’s time women were simply exempted from acting. All of Shakespeare’s most famous heroine’s from Juliet to Viola were played by men in women’s clothing. Being an actor was a dangerous profession in that time, most players were arrested on charges of vagrancy if they weren’t sponsored by a powerful community member. Shakespeare’s company was set apart from others by being formally patronized by first Lord Chamberlain and then by King James.

The End of the Globe: Once the globe burned down during a performance of Henry the Eighth, it quickly faded into history. It was eventually rebuilt and still stands today as a monument to the greatest playwright in the history of the world. The Globe was (in its time) the in the forefront of theatre, both in structure and performance. It shaped the way we watch theatre today, and will always be an important part of theatre history.