How did the playhouses in Elizabethan times differ from present day theatres?

Answer 1

The main difference between 21st century and 16th century theatres is electronics. Our new theatres have many powerful electric lights, controlled by computer, so a variety of effects are possible. Although there were indoor theatres like the Blackfriars which lit the actors by candlelight, most Elizabethan stages were lit by the afternoon sun. Also, we have the ability to amplify voices electronically and add sound effects and music which are played through speakers. In the 16th century, actors had to project their voices (this is still a necessary skill), and sound effects and music had to be created right there in the theatre. It was a sound effect, a cannon (which was, of course, a real cannon) which started the fire which burned down the first Globe Theatre.

In other ways, our modern theatres resemble those of Shakespeare's day more strongly than those of the eighteenth or nineteenth century. Many modern theatres have thrust stages just like the Elizabethan ones, whereas all theatres build in the 18th and 19th century, and well into the 20th, have proscenium arches. The 19th century had a fondness for complex, realistic, and sometimes grandiose sets which were difficult to change. Like Elizabethan theatre, many modern plays and productions make use of minimal sets. 18th and 19th century productions all opened with curtains covering the stage being drawn back. Elizabethan and most modern productions do not have curtains.

However, it is true that issues of makeup, costume and design generally are more carefully considered and more creatively solved than in the 16th century. In part, this is due to our having greater resources, but also because Elizabethans did not consider such issues as being as important as we now do.

Oh, and of course, there were no acresses in Elizabethan England. Only males appeared on stage.