Theaters
The first Elizabethan Theatre was built by James Burbage with his brother-in-law John Brayne. "The Theatre" was heavily influenced by Greek and Roman architecture because the architecture of the Roman Amphitheater was greatly admired by the Elizabethans. It had astounding seating capacity between 1,500 and 3,000 people. The theatre was octangular and consisted of between 8 and 24 sides and 100 feet in diameter. It had a very large open area (as seen in the picture above) and a cobbled yard instead of the bare earth. This open area was known as "the pit" or "the yard," and even if it was raining, the show would still go on. It was surrounded by balconies on three tiers of roofed galleries that looked down on the stage (had to pay extra couple of pennies because these were better seats). However, the best seats were located in balconies called, "The lord's rooms" (used for Juliet's famous balcony scene) and "The gentlemen's rooms" for rich patrons. Stalls were located in the pit, where merchandise and refreshments were sold.
Classical Greek Architectural elements that were incorporated were the two great columns that framed the entrance of the theatre. These columns were called "Herculean" columns or pillars, and they were intricately painted to resemble marble. The roof area was called "The heavens," which created an area hidden from the audience for the actors to hide. Ropes and riggings were located there to allow for special entrances such as flying.
Classical Greek Architectural elements that were incorporated were the two great columns that framed the entrance of the theatre. These columns were called "Herculean" columns or pillars, and they were intricately painted to resemble marble. The roof area was called "The heavens," which created an area hidden from the audience for the actors to hide. Ropes and riggings were located there to allow for special entrances such as flying.
"The Theatre"
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The Globe Theatre: Opened in 1599 and was the principle playhouse of the Lord' Chamberlain's Men. The majority of Shakespeare's plays after 1599 were staged here, including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello.
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The Swan Theatre: Built between 1594 and 1596 in in Southwark, London. Used the first half of William Shakespeare's career. It was the fourth in the series of large public playhouses of London, after James Burbage's The Theatre (1576) and Curtain (1577), and Philip Henslowe's Rose (1587-8).
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