How were Shakespeare's plays performed in the olden times?

Answer 1

It is not exactly known, although, as a member of the theatrical company housed at the Globe Theater, he must have been in many of the plays written around that time. There is a record of him performing in Ben Jonson's Every Man In His Humour and Sejanus.

Answer 2

Live performances by actors on stages.

Shakespeare's plays were performed outside in the Theatre, Curtain, Rose, Globe, and Newington Butts theatres. Men and boys were the only actors. They did not have big elaborate set pieces or lighting. If it was "night" someone would come out on stage and declare "It's night" or something of the sort. There were some special effects that were used, that actually caused the globe to catch fire on June 29, 1613. There were trapdoors in the floor and fly space up above, and a balcony that was used in many instances. Everyone came to see Shakespeare's plays, even the poor people. They were called the groundlings, and they paid one penny to see Shakespeare's shows. They would stand in the area around the stage. Many of Shakespeare's plays open with jokes of a sexual nature, and this is to attract the attention of the groundlings, who often found those jokes hilarious. Often times, if the plays were not liked, people would bring food and throw it at the performers.

Shakespeare's plays were also performed indoors at the indoor theatre the Blackfriars, and in private performances for royalty and others. Twelfth Night was performed in the Hall of the Inner Temple (law school). For indoor performances candlelight was used to light the stage.

Style of performance has changed constantly in the 400 years since Shakespeare's plays were written, although the scripts gives some clear indications as to how to perform them. I recommend that in order to see how they are performed, you buy a ticket to a Shakespeare play at a theatre near you. Modern performances are probably closer to performances in Shakespeare's day than performances in 1890 were.

Answer 3

Although many people think that all of Shakespeare's plays were performed at the Globe theater, this in not actually the case. Shakespeare started writing plays in about 1590, but the Globe was not built until almost ten years later. During that time, his plays were performed in a number of playhouses, but between 1594 and 1599 only at the Theatre and the Curtain. After 1608, they were performed at the indoor Blackfriars as well. A large number of Shakespeare's plays were performed at court, particularly after 1603 when the King became the patron of the company. They were also performed privately in people's homes and in rented halls: Twelfth Night was performed at the hall of the Middle Temple in the Inns of Court (the Law School). One of the more interesting venues was on board a ship anchored off the African coast.

It is also true that we have very little early performance history for some of Shakespeare's plays, which may have been performed only once before the Commonwealth, and then perhaps not at a public theatre. It is by no means certain that every one of Shakespeare's plays was performed on the public stage before the theatres were closed in 1642.

So the plays were performed in theatres mostly, but also in people's houses, public halls, innyards, in the royal palace and even on board a ship (the play was Richard II, the ship was The Red Dragon, and the date was September 30, 1607). The theatres which we know saw performances of Shakespeare's plays in his lifetime were the Theatre, The Curtain, The Rose, Newington Butts, The Globe and the Blackfriars.

Answer 4

This is a difficult question - because it is so vague. Obviously, there are many differences from modern day performance. Shakespeare's plays were performed in many different theatres, the most famous of which is the Globe Theatre. It was the most successful theatre in Elizabethan England although the Fortune Theatre was bigger. Outdoor theatres used natural daylight for lighting and indoor theatres used candlelight. The set was the back wall of the thrust stage containing two doors, a recessed space called a "concealment space" and a balcony. The audience was invited to use their imaginations to visualize the balcony as a balcony (in Romeo and Juliet) or city walls (in Henry V) or the crows nest of a ship (The Tempest). The stage was large and square and covered with a heavy roof supported by two large pillars at the corners of the stage (which could also be imagined as trees or used by actors to hide behind). "Hell" was a secret passage underneath the stage for effective grand entrances (such as the witches in Macbeth) or to represent a hole in the ground (Hamlet, Henry V) "Heaven" was a trapdoor in the roof out of which actors could be lowered on trapezes (Cymbeline). The actors were ALL men- no women allowed (They felt that the idea of women being on stage was indecent). Men had to dress up as women but the younger women's parts were played by teenage boys because of their high voices, small body shape etc. Stage props were designed for function, because there were no wings to store unnecessary props.

Answer 5

During Shakespeare's lifetime, his plays were performed:

1. In large, open-air theatres such as the Rose, the Theatre, the Globe, the Curtain, and Newington Butts.

2. In indoor theatres, like the Blackfriars.

3. At court.

4. At people's private houses.

5. At large halls like the hall of the Middle Temple in the Inns of Court. (Law school)

6. In innyards converted into theatres.

7. Once, that we know of, on board a ship.

Answer 6

During his lifetime there are recorded performances of Shakespeare's plays in various theatres, including the Rose, Globe, Newington Butts and Blackfriars, in private homes, in royal palaces, in law school auditoriums, and even on board a ship anchored off the coast of Guinea.

Answer 7

The "olden times" for many people means before the year 2000. Styles of performance have changed enormously in the 400 years since these plays were first performed. It is probably fair to say that Shakespearean productions of today are more like those of Shakespeare's day than those of the 1890's, at which point the plays got as far from Elizabethan theatre as they could. Here are some areas of change:

Actor gender: Only males up to 1660; after that actresses took the female parts; by the 19th century actresses were playing the male parts, but males never played the female parts; nowadays, anything goes.

Actor race: All parts were played by white actors until the 19th century; non-white actors became more common in all roles after 1940; nowadays the only roles restricted by race are roles like Othello which white people may not play, especially in the United States.

Stage Shape: Thrust stages at first, replaced late in the 17th century by proscenium stages, but new theatres are now being built with thrust stages again.

Costume: Contemporary at first; 18th century costume became standard until the 19th century; in the 19th century designers attempted "historically accurate" costuming; modern costuming wavers between "historical", "Elizabethan", and contemporary.

Sets: Minimal in Shakespeare's day, growing more and more elaborate until they were overwhelming in the 19th century; modern sets tend to be minimal and symbolic rather than representational.

Lights: Natural light was common in Shakespeare's day, as well as candles. Candlelight continued to be standard until the invention of limelight in the early 19th century, and then electric lights at the end of that century.

Voice and Diction: We only have recordings of performers going back to the end of the 19th century. Due to poor acoustics and audience noise, performers before the twentieth century were obliged to adopt an artificial speaking style which would enable them to be heard at a distance. Better acoustics, more intimate venues and in some cases electronic amplification have allowed a more natural speaking style in modern actors. Film has had a similar effect.

Answer 8

At court, to entertain the king or queen and their families. Court performances of plays were common around Christmas time.