Shakespeare and His Theater Feature Menu Shakespeare and His Theater Early Elizabethan Theaters The First Permanent Theater The Globe The Globe’s Stage A Performance at the Globe The Modern Stage The Movies and Theater

Shakespeare and His Theater William Shakespeare wrote his plays to make the best use of the theaters of his time. He relied on language to set the scenes move the play fluidly from one scene to another entertain audience members from different backgrounds—from commoners to wealthy merchants to royalty [End of Section]

Early Elizabethan Theaters Before permanent theaters were built, touring acting companies performed in the courtyards of inns or wherever they could rent space on temporary platform stages to an audience who stood around the stage or sat in balconies surrounding the courtyard [End of Section]

The First Permanent Theater The first permanent theater in England was built by James Burbage in 1576 located outside the city walls of London called “The Theater” torn down in 1599. Its timbers were used by Shakespeare and his company to build the Globe [End of Section]

The Globe Shakespeare wrote most of his plays for the Globe Theater. The Globe Theater was a round (or polygonal) three-story building called the “wooden O” in Henry V [End of Section]

The Globe’s Stage The Globe’s main stage was a platform stage that projected into a yard open to the sky had trapdoors in the floor main stage

The Globe’s Stage The Globe’s inner stage was curtained off flanked by two doors for entrances and exits inner stage

The Globe’s Stage The balcony or upper stage could be used as Juliet’s balcony the high walls of a castle the bridge of a ship upper stage [End of Section]

A Performance at the Globe Plays were performed in the afternoon. No stage lighting was used. Very few sets—scenery, furniture, etc.—were used. Scenes were “set” by the playwright’s language. . . . 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

A Performance at the Globe Plays were performed by all-male medieval trade guilds. Female roles were played by boys. Actors often wore elaborate costumes. [End of Section]

The Modern Stage Theater stages have undergone many changes since Shakespeare’s time. Most theater stages today are proscenium stages, which have an inner stage and a large curtain that separates it from the audience.

The Modern Stage Also common in universities and regional theaters is the arena or “thrust” stage, which is surrounded by audience members on three or four sides. [End of Section]

The Movies and Theater Movies are a medium of images. Movie-goers generally want to see action, vivid scenery, and movement on screen. Plays are a medium of words. Play-goers generally want to watch the subtle development of conflicts among a small group of people in one setting. [End of Section]

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The Globe

The Globe’s Stage Trapdoors could be used for entrances and exits for ghosts descents into hell