8-1RoleofTheatre

What role did theatre and drama serve in Elizabethan England? What are the characteristics of Elizabethan theatres and drama? //Answer prepared by Jessie B.// “Lights, camera, action!” Those three words are the cliché of movie making today. In the Elizabethan era, cameras were not around- but theatres were! Plays were the main entertainment source for the common person during this time period. People would simply pay one cent for a standing admission to a play. If one wanted a seat, a cushion for thier seat, or any other special addition, the payment would be slightly higher. At the Globe, once a person entered the theatre, ushers would walk around with a box gathering their admission money. Since there was an admission price, mostly wealthy people attended the plays to see actors like William Shakespeare, Burbage, Heminges, and more. However, as stated on page 157 in Elizabethan England by A.H. Dodd, only men could be actors, for women were not allowed to play on the stage. When the theatres were about full, a fanfare was played, signaling the start of the play. The plays would usually be in the daylight hours, however if it continued into the night, light was provided by burning pitch or tar. Because of this, several wooden playhouses were burned down from catching on fire. This did not stop people from seeing plays, and it certainly did not stop the productions from continuing to lure people in. But what did these theatres look like?  Though not a picture of the old Globe-which we learn was built in the winter of 1598 from Shakespeare (page 220) by Michael Wood-remains, one theater, the Swan, has one surviving picture of the interior. On the website page The Swan Theater by L.K. Alchin, we discover information about this surviving picture. One day, a man named Johannes de Witt went to the Swan to see a play. While there, he drew a sketch of the interior of the Swan, and wrote a diary entry about it. A friend of Johannes de Witt, Arend van Buchell, copied the sketch. This copy is the surviving sketch in Witt’s diary. Because most theatres were quite similar in design and layout, this single sketch and diary entry is perhaps one of the most important pieces of evidence in uncovering the history of the past.

On the website page Elizabethan Theater by L.K. Alchin, we find out that there were many different characteristics of the Elizabethan theatres. First off, they were often constructed of timber, and made to hold over 1000 people. The theatre usually did not have restroom facilities, so people had to go outside to relieve themselves. The different parts of the theatre also had nicknames. For example, the roof was called the “Heavens” and the changing room was called the “Tiring House”. An office was placed back stage where locked boxes of admission money would be placed. Plus, there were balcony’s high on the walls for actors or special guests to sit in. As one can see, theatres of Elizabethan England were quite different from theatres today.

In conclusion, theatres were the “in thing” in the Elizabethan era. Often, these theatres can be compared to a movie theatre in the twenty-first century. Though we watch different things today, and the age of the audience has varied, the concept is the same. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! Works Cited Books: Dickson, Andrew. The Rough Guide to Shakespeare. New York, NY: Rough Guides Ltd, 2005.

Dodd, A.H.. Elizabethan England. London, UK: William Clowes and Sons Ltd., 1974.

Dunton-Downer, Leslie, and Alan Riding. Essential Shakespeare Handbook. New York, NY: DK Publishing, INC, 2004.

Hart, Roger. English Life in the Seventeenth Century. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, INC, 1970.

Wood, Michael. Shakespeare. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2003.

Websites: Alchin, L.K.. "Elizabethan Theater." William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. 16 Nov 2008. William Shakespeare Info. 8 Mar 2009 < http://www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-theatre-facts.htm >.

Alchin, L.K.. "The Black Death Bubonic Plague during the Elizabethan Era." William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. 16 Nov 2008. William Shakespeare Info. 6 Mar 2009 .

Alchin, L.K.. "The Swan Theater." William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. 16 Nov 2008. William Shakespeare Info. 5 April 2009 < http://www.william-shakespeare.info/the-swan-theatre-picture.htm>.

Pressley, J.M.. "Shakespeare Poetry." Shakespeare Resource Center. 18 Feb 2009. Shakespeare Resource Center. 12 Mar 2009 .

Unknown, "Art During Elizabethan England." Elizabethan England Life. Travel Prague City. 12 Mar 2009 .

Unknown, "The Black Death." Museum of London. 5 Apr 2009 .