QUESTION 1: What were the theatres or ‘playhouses’ of Shakespeare’s time like and how were plays staged in them?
QUESTION 2: Who were the actors of Shakespeare’s plays and how did the experience of being an actor differ from the experience today?
Use the Globe’s fact sheets on Actors and Playhouses http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/education/discovery-space/fact-sheets
Question 1:
In Shakespeare's time, not all theatre was performed on a stage, many shows were versatile and could be performed in outdoor playhouses, indoor theatres and and royal palaces. or company tours, a courtyard or an inn were also popular places to perform.Men and boys played all roles, male & female characters. Acting was an all male profession. Audience members had favourite actors, enjoyed looking at the fancy costumes and the props in the play. However, the actual stage, was very bare, with very little set design. Playwrights at the time used very vivid words to describe the simple stage layout.
In 1576, the Globe theatre was built just outside of London by James Burbage. This was one of the first playhouses in England since the Roman era. It was a multi-sided structure with an uncovered yard that was central. It had 3 tiers of covered seats surrounding it with a slightly raised stage at one end of the yard. The lobe, became one of the most popular playhouses where audiences saw some o the most famous Shakespeare plays. In 1613 it burnt down when it caught fire during a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII. Later, in 1614, the second Globe was built at the same very spot.
Large, uncovered playhouses, like the Globe, is a wonderful experience when the weather is good, but indoor theatres can be a great experience with whatever weather. Also artificial light is available in an indoor theatre, which can create a mood or emotion that is completely different to the actual weather outside.
Question 2:
Elizabethan era:
For an actor in Shakespearean times, your life would change dramatically. Actors toured in companies and and traveled around the country performing in towns, villages and private houses. By 1616, when Shakespeare had died, there were several theatres around London where actors performed to huge audiences. However actors had a bad reputation and were seen as to be unruly and threat to a peaceful society.
In Shakespeare's time, acting was only a career for men and boys. Women could not perform in England until 1660. Boys would play the female roles, men played the male roles and occasionally the older women roles.Many actors started the careers as boys, they would join a company initially as a apprentice and then get taught by one of the senior actors. Actors were expected to sword fight, sing, dance and have a good memory for learning lines.
Today:
Being an actor in today's time, is a much harder job to land, and it takes a long time for an actor's life to change dramatically. There is more competition for actors currently and there are more skills required from them. But, there are far more theatres all over the country now rather than in the Elizabethan era with only theatres in London- therefore there is more opportunities and more plays for actors to audition for. There are a lot of stages to go through to get a acting job today, whereas before it was more of a straight forward process. Although it is still true that actors can have a bad reputation and are seen as a bad influence, and drama in school is claimed to be against the educational system. To go to the theatre now is very popular but expensive.
Acing now, is profession for men, women, boys and girls. Some roles in theatre today don't have to be acted by the same gender, gender role swapping is very current in today's acting. However, it is often that casting agencies do still stick to casting people as the same gender as the character roles. It also isn't just theatre that are available for actors, today there are TV programs and movies for actors to do, this entertains a larger scale audience.
