Theatres2

Answer prepared by: Jack Hiller​**  The theatres in Shakespeare's time were very different than the theatres we see today. Theatres of that time period varied greatly. However, they can be broken down into two main categories; the outdoor, public theatres and the indoor, private theatres. Acting companies often performed in the outdoor theatres in summer and the indoor ones in winter. Experiences would also be quite different even at the same theatre. Public theatres were typically built outside of London and indoor theatre inside of London. The outdoor theatres were not built in the city of London but rather just outside of it. This was because many city officials disliked the public theatres. The city leaders were mostly from the clergy and they thought that the theatre encouraged unethical behaviour. They were built north of the city in Shoreditch or south, across the Thames in Bankside. As you can see, theatres are quite different today than they were back then.  Most of the outdoor theatres were laid out in a similar fashion. The outdoor theatres such as The Globe, The Rose, and The Swan were generally circular in shape and could hold between 2,000 and 3,000 spectators. Unlike today, plays were very dependent on the weather as the outdoor theatres had no roof. According to Shakespeare writer Amanda Mabillard, the stage had two primary parts. The outer stage was a rectangular platform that projected into the courtyard. It had a thatched roof above. This was where most of the action and acting took place. The second part was the inner stage. This was a recess in the wings at the very back of the stage. Underneath the stage lay a cellar. Trapdoors allowed actors to emerge from below the stage. In the back was the tiring house. The tiring house was a three story building. The first floor served as another inner stage if one was needed. The second floor had a balcony where scenes could be performed. The third floor housed the musicians; the rest of the space was filled with a few props and many costumes. Almost every single outdoor theatre was constructed in this manner.    The indoor theatres were quite different than the outdoor ones. They were built in the city of London. The city leaders thought that private theatres were classier and therefore did not encourage immoral behaviours. Their opinion on this may have been influenced by the fact that many of leaders attended plays there. Admission cost two to six times as much as the outdoor theatres. Only the wealthy nobility could afford to attend the plays inside. The private theatres could hold only 500 to 700 people. The indoor theatres had artificial lighting and could use music to much greater effect due to the enclosed space. The private playhouses also had an array of trapdoors and wires allowing both the rise of actors from below the stage or their descent from above. Blackfriars Theatre was the most prestigious theatre in all of England at the time. A ticket to a Blackfriars play cost over six times as much as a standing space at the Globe. The theatres that we have today, like the Marcus Center bear little resemblance to the theatres of Shakespeare’s era.
 * WHAT WAS A THEATRE LIKE IN SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLAND? WHAT WERE INN-YARDS, COURTYARD THEATRES OR AMPITHEATRES, AND PLAYHOUSES? WHAT WERE THE ROSE, THE SWAN, THE THEATRE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT THEATRES IN ELIZABETHAN AND JACOBEAN ENGLAND? WHAT WAS BLACKFRIAR'S THEATRE AND WHY WAS THIS AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN THEATRE IN SHAKESPEARE'S TIME? HOW, IF AT ALL. WERE THESE THEATRES CONNECTED TO SHAKESPEARE?
 * Works Cited**

1. Dunton-Downer, Leslie, and Alan Riding. //Essential Shakespeare Handbook//. New York, New York: DK Publishing, 2004. 25-31. Print.

2. Mabillard, Amanda. "Shakespeare's Theatres." //Shakespeare Online//. Shakespeare Online, 1/21/10. Web. http://www.shakespeare-online.com/theatre/.

3. Mowat, Barbara, and Paul Werstine. "Inside the Theatres." //Folger Education//. Folger Shakespeare Library, 2005. Web. http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=962.

4.Simkin, John. "Elizabethan Theatre." //Spartacus Educational//. Spartacus Eduacational, n.d. Web. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/TUDtheatre.htm.

5. "The Blackfriars Theatre." //William Shakespeare Info//. William Shakespeare Info, 2005. Web. http://www.william-shakespeare.info/the-blackfriars-theatre-picture.htm.