Elizabethan Theatre

Elizabethan Theatre

1. Costumes

   • Elizabethan contempary fashion
     • not realistic
     • colour representation
       • black = dark, evil, mourning
       • white = purity
       • yellow = represents lovers
   • young boys cross dressed as women
     • make up was lead based and highly poisonous
   • costumes were given to the actors by upper class or royalty
     • or purchased by company
   • women
     • under
       • Petticoat, Kirtle, Corset or bodice
     • over
       • cloak or ruff
   • men
     • under
       • corset, shirt
     • over
       • doublet, cloak
   • only in 1660 were women allowed to perform

2. Set and props

   • **Sets were not important at this time**
   • described the scenery either with title cards or speech
   • curtain closing = scene change
   • props
     • company owned lots of props cos lack of scenery
       • chairs, tables and drinking cups symbolized tavern to the audience
         • *** Tavern = an inn or public house. ****
       • a light fog in room + blacksmiths workshop
       • white drapes hanging from ceiling = clouds
     • drums or cannonball rolling = thunder
     • dried peas = rain / stormshail
   • heaven and hell represented on stage
     • heaven painted at the top of playhouse
       • hell was the trap door
   • performances in daylight only cos no lights

3. Performance factors and acting style

4. Company ethos and style

   • ownership of a play was vested to the company not the playwright.
   • Lord Chamberlains Men
     • shakespeares company
   • Lord Admirals Men
     • acted like banker

5. Audience and Actor relationship

   • playwright based plays on stories and experinces of real people
   • Paid a penny for the stalls/standing pit area
     • two pennies for the upper rows
       • rich people paid more for the galleries, the luxury seats
   • Food and drink passed out during performance