Behind the Scenes
Though public executions were a common pastime during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, her influence of the arts brought theater to life (“Elizabethan Theater”). Attending plays was a popular form of entertainment (Mabillard, Shakespeare’s). For example nobles of the time period, or if it was today it would be people like the mayor, would attend the shows. Even everyday townspeople would come to see the shows. Everyday people just passing through would stop by the nearest theater just to watch a show, as well as sightseers. Though travelling actors allowed many people from surrounding London to attend, these actors were criticized and viewed as vagabonds (“James Burbage”). Due to the negative views that theater was given at that
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Much like today, the popularity of this entertainment brought sometimes 3,000 people to the theater no matter what the price of the seat (Mabillard, Shakespeare’s Audience)In the Globe Theatre, cost of seats depended upon seat location, just like sporting events and theater of today. “Wealthy patrons sat in the upper levels, while the lower classes stood in front of the stage. These large playhouses made it necessary for plays to include broad, bold,effects that appealed to the lower class spectators.”(Grendler) It cost sixpence to sit in the Lords’ Room (Shakespeare, Richard III).It cost threepence to sit on a cushion in the Gentlemen’s rooms (Shakespeare, Richard III).It cost twopence to sit on benches in the gallery (Shakespeare, Richard III).“Groundlings” paid a penny to stand in the open yard where there was no covering (Shakespeare’s Audience). Just like Theatres of the past, sporting events and theaters today have different prices for seats.For example, the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri has prices that range from $61.00 for Level 10 at the back of the theater to $401.00 for Level 1 right in front of the stage (Kansas City Starlight).The American Player’s Theatre, in Spring Green, Wisconsin, seat prices range from $45.00 to $74.00 with only three level of seats, “Very Fine, Prime, and Premier”(American Players …show more content…
No matter where you are seated in a theatre, the audience will still be connected and feel a part of the show. This is why Theater in the Round was an innovative change.Before Shakespeare, theater had themes based on morality and religion. The audiences purpose was to learn something.“It has been theorized that the informality thus established leads to increased rapport between the audience and the actors” (Theatre-in-the-round)”.Opening up theatre and bringing in the beauty of the world, allowed the audience to be more connected to
Eighteenth century British theatre was perhaps the starting point that would evolve into modern theatre. Women started to be allowed on stage and acting techniques were beginning to change. Leading performers were like celebrities with a number of fans. Theatre was an intricate part of the social ladder. In the overall scheme of things the actors and actresses played an important part in making the theatre what it was. Without the performers there wouldn’t really be theatre, so in order to understand the eighteenth century British theatre the performers of that era need to be understood.
Theatres and How We Had Fun." Little, Brown, and Company. (Boston, Toronto, London); 1991. P. 139, 144.
The music was played very often as a normal routine. People considered it a must to know how to play an instrument, sing, or be involved somehow with music in this age of time. Instruments in the 1600’s were able to make any type of music; the amazing part was no matter how many instruments you used it would always sound pure and the same. Another unique thing about the music and culture in the 1600’s is that it was also healthy for the body. During the Elizabethan Era the people would gather together to dance and dance for hours, their stamina must have been incredible. Music was use to entertain most people. Before the music became a big part in people life during the Elizabethan Era theatre played a really big part during this time. It was out of the ordinary for women to take part in or be a part of the theatre during this period of time. Do to the fact that women were not allowed to play in any of the plays or drama, younger boys who were still young played the role of women.
The theatre can hold up to 1500 and more people, so each performance is in front of a huge audience. Many members of the audience can watch from the grounds directly in front of the stage. Up to 3000 people can stand there to be exact.
"Elizabethan Theatre Audiences." Elizabethan Theatre Audiences. Strayer University, 16 May 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Actors were expected to memorize hundreds of lines at a time. While one play could be performing, actors would be practicing lines for their next show. Play writers also began to make roles for the actors in the theatrical pieces. The theaters that actors performed in were roofless so that the sun could be used as lighting. Theatrical shows were held in the afternoon because it provided the best amount of light for the show. When the people gathered into the theater, the different classes of people were separated by where they could afford to sit and watch the show. The lower classmen were situated on the bare earth where it was dirty and smelly because it was never cleaned. The owners’ of the theaters found it less expensive if they did not keep high maintenance of their establishments. Higher classmen sat under a roof and for a penny more, they could buy cushions for their seats.
The Globe Theater is widely known as the world’s greatest amphitheatre of its time, bringing in crowds of thousands of people. The Globe was also where most of the famous playwright, William Shakespeare, performed his plays. With its unique design, the audience was able to enjoy the plays. Inside of this round and globe-like structure, the people from all around the area packed into the seats to watch Shakespeare and his actors. Despite the Globe Theater’s success, the theater had gone through many shut downs and rebuilding projects. Finally, the Globe was demolished for the last time. It was not until years later that the theater was discovered. Now, people from around the world are learning about this amphitheater and its role in the Renaissance time period. The Globe Theater is known for its structure, audience and actors, and history.
Russell Brown, J. 1995. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
1908 Government Regulation of the Elizabethan Drama. The. New York: Columbia University Press. Lee, Sir. Sir Sidney. 1916
The Globe Theatre was where Shakespeare had most of his plays performed. It had many decorations to make it look appealing and to try and to make it seem expensive and luxurious. The Globe Theatre was built in just 6 months between 1597 and 1598 just outside central London. The Thames River separated it from St Paul’s cathedral. The Globe was made in a round circular shape. This meant that at least one actor would have their back to the audience, however, this would not have mattered because the audience came mainly to hear the play – not to see it. When you were buying a seat for the theatre, the most expensive seats would not be the ones with the best view, they would be the closest ones in order to hear better. Also, these seats would be facing towards the audience, which means that everyone would see them, meaning fame. The Globe would usually be packed with decorations and ornaments. These would have nothing to do with the play, it was used to make the theatre look more attractive/expensive. Lots of people would come to see the plays. They would do this because Shakespeare’s plays were not published at that time so the public would want to see it...
During the mid 14th century, the black plague was running rampant. The church, being a state of God, did not know how to cure these people, causing those who came to them in need, asking why God was killing their family and friends, to become disillusioned. This caused many to turn away from the church, and look inwards instead, leading to the hugely influencial humanist movement. It was through these changes within their society that theatre was able to change and blossom into an act of freedom, a means in which society and state could be critiqued, a way to bring their viewers some escape from their hard laberous
“Theatre makes us think about power and the way our society works and it does this with a clear purpose, to make a change.”
Theatre will always survive in our changing society. It provides us with a mirror of the society within which we live, and where conflicts we experience are acted out on stage before us. It provides us with characters with which we identify with. The audience observes the emotions and actions as they happen and share the experience with the characters in real time.
The name most associated with excellence in theatre is William Shakespeare. His plays, more than any other playwright, resonate through the ages. It may be safe to say that he has influenced more actors, directors, and playwrights than any thespian in the history of the stage. But what were his influences? During the Middle Ages theatre was dominated by morality, miracle, and mystery plays that were often staged by the church as a means to teach the illiterate masses about Christianity. It wasn’t until the early sixteenth century that Greek tragedy experienced a revival, in turn, inspiring a generation of renaissance playwrights.
The theater was one of the primary forms of entertainment in Elizabethan England, as anyone, rich or poor could attend the plays.The rich would sit in boxes or galleries, while the poorer people would have to stand for the entirety of the play (Haigh). The poor would stand in front of the stage which would normally be raised about 4 to 6 feet and the theater could hold on average 3,000 people (Trumbull). The rich however usually watched plays in indoor private theaters, but sometimes would watch the plays in the outdoor public ones. Performances ...