Shakespeare's Theatre

Some interesting notes about theatre in Shakespeare's time...

• There were no actresses in Shakespeare's time; women's roles were played by young men.
• Along with attending plays, Elizabethans also enjoyed horribly bloody spectacles like bear-baiting, bull-baiting, and public executions. (Do not ask me to describe bear-baiting or bull-baiting, as such things upset me greatly.)
• Theatres were located on the south bank (Southwark!) of the Thames river--outside of the official city limits--to keep the crime associated with the theatre out.
• The theatre was a relatively cheap form of entertainment--about a day's wages for a manual laborer. Books, on the other hand, were expensive. A copy of the First Folio, when it was printed in 1623, probably cost one pound (approximately $150 today).
• The stage, called a "thrust," would jut out into the audience, and patrons would watch the action from all sides. Many members of the audience stood in the area around the stage, known as "the pit," which had a dirt floor and was open to the sky. Patrons with more money to spend could buy a seat in one of the covered side galleries, or, if they were very wealthy, above or even on the stage. The Globe seated about 2000.
• Plays did not have elaborate sets, and actors were costumed in contemporary clothing. Rich noblemen left their clothing to their servants in their wills. Often, the servants then sold the clothes to actors. Extravagant costumes were one of the main attractions of theatre.
• Plays had to be performed in daylight. There was no artificial lighting on the stage.
• In 1613, the Globe burned down during a performance when a cannon was fired for theatrical effect and caused the thatch roof to catch fire. Amazingly, no one was killed. The Globe was rebuilt within a year, this time with a slate roof.

Adapted from "Shakespeare Steps Out," published by The Folger Shakespeare Library, 1197