William Shakespeare

1. William Shakespeare The Elizabethan Theater

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 (3rd 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 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 w/o backs. • Royalty would occasionally sit on the stage itself in the 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