Theatre Designs

Theatres in Shakespeare's time were designed very differently from the theatres we have today. The Globe had a hexagonal structure with an inner court that was about 55 feet across. It was 3 stories high with no roof and it had an open courtyard with three semi-circle galleries. The stage itself had two parts. The first part was the outer stage which was a rectangular platform projecting into the courtyard, from the back wall. Above it was a thatched roof and hangings, but it didn't have front or side curtains. The second part was the inner stage which was the recess between the two wings at the very back of the outer stage. Below the stage was a cellar that was called "hell" and it was accessed by trapdoors. This cellar was used in scenes when a character came up from below or in a scene with ghosts, witches, etc. There was also a tiring house which was the three story part of the building that held dressing rooms. The tiring house had three levels; the first level was the inner stage and was only used if needed. A curtain could be drawn back to reveal what was happening here. This section was used when a scene was used as a backdrop for another scene, such as a game of chess. The second level was a balcony which was used when plays required a balcony. Romeo and Juliet was the most famous play that involved balcony scenes. The third level was the music loft and dressing rooms. The dressing rooms were concealed by curtains and had doors to the stage. In the audience section there were also two parts. The first part was a big open area where people stood and watched the play. These people paid a great deal less than the people who sat up above in balconies. The balconies were usually reserved for rich people.
Sets were also very different from today. There were no sets because they could not be changed in between scenes due to the lack of curtains. Also props were set on stage at the beginning and left there, sometimes even once they were no longer needed. Plays during Shakespeare's time often relied heavily on the audience's imagination, but were a fun and entertaining event for all involved.

Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare's Globe. Shakespeare Online. 2000. (10/23/07). <>