The Elizabethan Theatre - History And Conventions

It is all about the kind of theatre that existed in England from 1562 to 1642 (during the 16th and into the 17th century). The theatrical performance in Elizabethan era aimed at utmost entertainment. Three genre (Comedies, Histories and Tragedies) mainly flourished during the time. Although loved by queen, the dramatic performance had no wide acceptance since the church and the puritans defied this kind of sensual indulgence on account that it is not a safe entertainment to pursue. Acting troupes had to obtain a license from queen in order to go on with their theatres and performances dodging the non-compliance of law and puritans.

Since it was inexpensive going to theatres, there has been a great attendance from common men. It was during this time, transition from streets to building like playhouses happened and acting became a profession. Previously it took place anywhere especially on streets – temporary acting spaces. Mystery and Morality plays were held at church, town squares, and moving wagons while Interludes at court and manor houses. Ensuring easy access for common men, the theatres were not supposed to stay away from the downtown of London; hence being the center of amusement for London people.

All theatres in England at the Elizabethan time had either of the two physical structures below!

1) Open to the sky with a central courtyard

2) Enclosed playhouses as wee see in contemporary time.

The Theatre was the first theater built in England in 1576 by the Earl of Leicester’s Players led by James Burbage (later pulled down and rebuilt as The Globe (1599). It is assumed that Shakespeare started his career with James Burbage. Globe was very crucial to the his dramatic career.

Three Types of Theatres

1) Inn Yards – They were built adjacent to inn and taverns, on their yards with elaborate structure and make-shift arrangement. Common men really loved them. Since inns and taverns had association with unruly people, the law was not in favor of this sort of theatre in most instances. It could afford 500 people at a time. As for structure, these theatres had a wooden scaffold on a yard with green room just behind. Onlookers always stood before while noble men had seats in the gallery.

Eg: Red Bull, Cross Keys, Bell Savage, The Red Lion

2. Open-Air Amphi Theatres – This is described as the common form of Elizabethan theater. It had a great structure encircled by a three-story gallery. Such theatres could house 1500 to 3000 people at a time. The scaffold was of a diameter of 10 meters with a trap door (from which ghost characters could enter). The roofed scaffold had wardrobe and tiring room behind. In the front, there was pit where common people (especially boisterous groundlings) stood and sit. Groundlings were an essential part of this kind of theatre; they made this active and lively.

Eg: The Theatre, The Globe, The Swan (they were put up in the outskirts of the downtown to evade laws.) Globe is the most famous of this kind. It used wooden furnishing with a polygonal structure. The unroofed central yard had a roofed dais surrounded by tiers of covered galleries. In the pit sat the groundlings. In the gallery there were distinct seats for different classes of people. payment also differed.

3. Play Houses - Private hence expensive! Noble men mainly preferred this performance because groundlings never attended here. Since enclosed, plays went on under all circumstances and in bad weather as well. They could house up to 500 people. 27 playhouses were there in Elizabethan England at the time.

Some General Features of Elizabethan Theatres

• Shows were advertised by hoisting flags; white for comedy, red for history and black for tragedy.
• Plays were only conducted in daytime. Because the light arrangement would be expensive.
• No curtain and a few stage props were used (for that reason, many acts of utmost climax could end quietly sometimes).
• Scene changes were conveyed verbally.
• There had been no elaborate stage arrangements.
• Gaudy attire and costumes with no consideration of time and place were used.
• Stage was so intimate (Thrust Stage) that the soliloquy scenes were enhanced due to this nearness to the onlookers.
• The stage and gallery were noisy with groundling.
• Women neither acted nor went to the theatres; sometimes they went wearing masks. Women going to theatres were teased as prostitutes.
• There was little physical intimacy such as no kissing scenes for fear of both onlookers and the law.
• Actors were the shareholders of the theatre and made profit; not playwright.
• Spectators had to leave a penny in the box placed at the theatre.
• Acting emerged as a profession (initially it was carried out by clergy, later guild men).  By the end of the 16^th century, art in general developed as a profession getting patronage from noble men.