Elizabethan Drama

1. Audience:The crowd was large and enthusiastic. There were people called groundlings,commoners, who paid one penny to sit in front. They actually had the best seats unless it rained. The audience would paritcipate by cheering, hissing, or throwing rotten vegetables. A flag announced performances daily.

2. Actors:All female parts were played by males (young men before voices changed). Actors had to have a good memory, strong voices, abiltiy to fence, dance, sing, and do slight of hand.

3. Costumes:The costumes were elaborate but not historically authentic.

4. Special effects: Death scenes were realistically gory. A pig bladder would be filled with blood under white costumes. Disemboweling scenes used animal organs. Putting an eye out would be portrayed by a grape falling to the floor.

5. Levels of the stage: The lowest level used trap doors for devils, ghosts, graves, and ditches. The second level was the main stage for the most important scenes. The third level was the balcony used for anything from a mountain to a city wall. The fourth level was just under the roof where a series of pullys could send down angels or thunderbolts or birds etc. The highest level was a room aloft for the musicians.

   Click Here to Go to the Greek Drama Home Page