William ShakespeareThe Elizabethan Theater

Roughly circular building designed on the courtyard of an inn

Having galleries and windowsHad no roof over the central part

No stage lighting plays were held at 2:00 in the afternoon

Open-air theater performances depended on the weatherPerformances lasted about 2 hours

Women did not act in the theater; young boys played the womens parts.

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.

Orchestra

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

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.

Pit AreaThe 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.

CurtainThere was a main curtain used for various purposes throughout the play.

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

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

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

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.

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

THE END