How was going to the theater different in Shakespeare's day compared to going to a modern theater nowadays?

Answer 1

Some differences include:

Lighting, actors and the theatres themselves.

LIGHTING:

It is different because there were no lighting effects back in Shakespeare's time. The daylight was the only lighting that they had back then. With today's technology, we can achieve all kinds of different fancy lighting effects.

ACTORS

Now a day, female actresses can perform on stage. Back in Shakespeare's time, only men were allowed to act. But what if there were female roles, I can hear you asking. Well, men would also play these roles. It was said that it was immoral and wrong for women.

THEATRES

In Shakespeare's time the theatres were 'open - air' constructions. For the lower class people they could stand on the floor right in front of the stage. For more wealthy people they could buy 'gallery seats' or could sit on the stage. Today, our theatres are enclosed and seats are in front of the stage and no one is allowed to sit on the stage, nor just stand in front of it.

Hope this helps guys! :P

Answer 2

Modern theater has luxuries that Elizabethan theater did not. Today theater goers have chairs, drinks and an enclosed temperature controlled building. During the Elizabethan era theater goers would all stand in close quarters in an open theater. They would all be cramped together and it would have been difficult for some to see the stage.

Answer 3

The differences can be seen in how theatres are designed. Looking at the globe you see that you would enter into a large pit without seats. Those that had seats had a poor view and paid extra. Today the most expensive place to sit is on the sides of the theatre, close to the stage, and on the first floor. So, in Shakespeare's time the general public would stand in the center, eat food, talk, gamble, and solicit prostitution. It was very rowdy and extremely loud. Those who paid for seats often went to conduct more official business. You also must consider that they didn't have electric lights at the time and so the house and stage was lit with sunlight preventing any separation between actors and audience. Actors at the time had to be just as good at improv as acting, if not better, due to heckling. Today you go into a theatre and are expected to remain very quiet for hours on end, never standing and always in darkness. In contrast, theatre of today seems very drab compared to theatre that Shakespeare would have seen.

Answer 4

The people at the plays could act like they would at a modern day concert
The plays were normally held in a theater without a roof
Also no women actors were allowed and boys would play girls roles

Answer 5

Women were not allowed to act. Teenage boys played the part of a girl. Also, Shakespeare made up some of the words & sayings he used in his plays. These words & sayings, such as "as dead as a doornail", "in a pickle", and "dare" are now used daily in America.

Answer 6

One way is the behaviour of the audiences. In Shakespeare's time people would talk throughout the performance and might even throw things at the actors on stage if they weren't any good. Nowadays audiences are a bit more polite - they will listen and if they don't like the performance they will remain silent or even clap in the appropriate places out of politeness!

Answer 7

it was very smelly the only way of going to the toilet was a bucket being passed around that everyone would be able to see imagine that in a love scene! people called ground lings would have to stand in a pit at the front of the stage if they didn't like the performance they would throw food and empty beer bottles. To tell people the play was about to start instead of it just a cannon would fire from a window in a room above the stage. also the theatre was made of wooden beams and it was thatched

Answer 8

Shakespeare's theater is very different from theaters that are around today. Plays are able to be enjoyed by anyone in today's society, and there are also seats for people to sit in.