Theatres, actors and acting 4

WEEK 4 - 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? 

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

websites used to help- http://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-theater

Acting was not a highly paid or highly respected profession.Actors were seen as   troublemakers who promoted hard living and sin.                                           In the 16th century, actors travelled from town to town on a cart, looking for audiences to pay to watch them perform.  Playhouses were not constructed in London until 1576.                              Due to the fact acting was not a respected profession, women were not allowed to act until after 1660.Teenage boys who hadn't gone through puberty would play the roles of women.                               Poor people were called ground-lings,Groundings would frequently talk, yell, and even throw  thing'during the play. If the audience liked or did not like the play or the actors, the ground-lings  would let everyone in the theatre know it. Rich people would even sit on stage and make  comments to the audience during the play. The most expensive seats in a theatre were the in the top row of the theatre, farthest from the audience.  The cheap seats were directly in front of the stage. Rich people would want  to have the most segregated and exclusive seats in the theatre, away from the rowdy,  poor people.People expected to see a new play everyday in theatres.This meant many actors and  playwrights were employed to meet the demands of audiences.                                                                          Theatres were open arenas or playhouses that had room for up to three thousand people. They were structures made mainly of wood. There was no heating and actors got wet when it rained. The stage was higher and there was an open pit in front of it where most of the  people could stand in. Richer people and noblemen sat in the gallery. There was almost  no scenery because the dialogue was the most important part of the play. Colourful and  well-designed costumes were very important and told the people about the status of a  character. Women never performed in plays, so young boys played female characters.  The performances took place in the afternoon because it was too dark at night. There was no stage crew as there is today. Actors had to do everything themselves -  from making costumes to setting the stage. Plays were organised by acting companies. They performed about 6 different plays  each week because they needed money to survive. They had almost no time for rehearsals. The companies in Shakespeare’s time had a hierarchical system. The company belonged to shareholders and mangers. They were responsible for  everything and got most of the money when the company was successful. Sometimes they even owned there own buildings. Actors worked for the managers and after some time became a permanent member of the company. Apprentices were young boys were allowed to act in menial roles. They also played females characters in plays. Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the Admiral’s Men were the two most important companies in London at that time. Among the most famous theatres during were the Globe, the Swan and the Fortune.