THEATRES, ACTORS AND ACTING IN SHAKESPEARE’S TIME

QUESTION: What were the theatres or ‘playhouses’ of Shakespeare’s time like and how were plays staged in them? 

The Globe is the most well known Shakespearean playhouse, but it was one of many in London at the time. The globe was an outdoor theatre, with the stage and most of the audience being exposed to the elements. Only the few seats were covered, and most of the audience would stand for the duration of the play. However, this made it the cheapest and most accessible way to see theatre in the day. Shakespeare's company then took over the Blackfriars theatre in London. This was an indoor theatre, providing a more intimate experience for a higher price. Often richer theatregoers would feast during the shows here, while in the globe it was more common to have a  variety of snacks on sale including fruit and nuts.

The stage was a thrust, set so that the audience surrounded three sides of the stage. It was raised so that the entire audience could see and also to distinguish it from the surrounding crowds. There were few sets used other than vital pieces marked in the text. The entrances were always clearly visible to the audience, with the addition of vertical options - the higher areas being associated with divinity and the lower trapdoor exits with evil and hell. Often fantastical scenes such as the conversations between the fairies in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" were held in the heavens to distinguish the characters as supernatural.

QUESTION: Who were the actors of Shakespeare’s plays and how did the experience of being an actor differ from the experience today

Being an actor in Shakespeare's plays was vastly different to acting today. For starters, women were not allowed to act at all, and female parts were played by boys or slight men. 

The actors would dress in lavish clothing, rarely specific to the text, to add to the spectacle. This included a large amount of makeup including white powder to make the face seem pale (often filled with poisonous lead) and blush to rosy the cheeks. 

The evolution of the actor during the Shakespearean age was largely connected to the creation of permanent playhouses. Actors used to travel in troupes around the country, performing a short run then moving on. These new theatres meant troupes could settle in London, honing their craft without having to worry about the next destination or the dangers of cross-country travel. 

As well as acting, apprentice actors were expected to know how to sword fight, sing, dance, and would need to be literate as lines were given in scrolls called "rolls". Actors were trained as apprentices to the older actors from a young age, progressing from the female rolls to the male leads as they grew.