Globe Theatre Stage
Interesting information about
the Globe Theatre Stage during the life and times of William Shakespeare and the Globe
Theatre of Elizabethan London, England
Globe Theatre Stage
The Globe Theatre Stage
dimensions were believed to be as follows:
-
Height of the
stage - 5 feet
-
Width of Stage - approx 45 foot wide
-
Length
of the stage - approx 30 feet long
The above picture
of the New Globe Theatre stage illustrates some of the
different elements of the original Globe Theatre stage.
Globe Theatre a Stage of two
parts
The original Globe Theatre Stage
had two main parts - the outer stage and the inner stage:
-
The outer stage projected from the
back stage wall called the ' Frons Scenae
'
into the the central yard or pit. There were no side or
front curtains - from this are of the stage everything was
visible
-
The inner stage - was a recess at the back of the outer stage. This
back part of the stage was
used by actors who were not directly involved in the
immediate action of the play, and it was also used when a scene took
place in an inner room. Many of the plays by William Shakespeare
featured a scene within a scene, such as Miranda and
Ferdinand playing chess as a backdrop to the main scene in
'The Tempest'
Globe Theatre Stage the
Trapdoors and 'Hell'
Trap doors were built into
the stage allowing dramatic entrances during the performances of plays.
The height of the stage was five feet - so the area beneath the stage
was easily big enough to hold actors. This area underneath the stage was
given the title "Hell". This was taken from the term 'hell mouth'
which was used to refer to any trap-door in the bottom of a stage
(called the cellerage). The Globe theatre stage was believed to have had
two trap doors on the outer stage and one trap door on the inner stage
called the "grave trap"
Actors would hide in "Hell" waiting to make their entrance or
to create other special effects. Unusual special effects could be made
from 'Hell' including different sounds using different musical
instruments such as the trumpet, or drums. Actors skilled in imitating
the baying of hounds and crowing of roosters or the wailing of ghostly
sounds would also be waiting in 'Hell'.
Globe Theatre Interior
Replica
Globe Theatre Stage Description
The overall Globe Theatre Stage
description is as follows:
-
The Globe stage structure projected halfway into the ' yard '
where the commoners (groundlings) paid 1 penny to stand to
watch the play
-
The
stage wall structure contained at least two doors
which lead to a leading to small
structure, back stage, called the '
Tiring House '. The stage wall was
covered by a curtain. The actors used
this area to change their attire
-
Above the stage
wall was the stage gallery known as ' the Lord's rooms that
were used by actors, musicians and rich patrons
-
Above
the ' Tiring House ' was a small
house-like structure called the 'hut'
complete with a roof. Used as covered
storage space for the troupe
-
Two large,
ornate pillars supported a roof
over the stage which was called the ' Heavens '. The
'Herculean' pillars were made of huge, single tree trunks
which were drilled through the centre to eliminate warping
of the wood. They were painted to give a marble appearance
emulating the Roman and Greek classic styles
-
Behind the pillars was the stage wall called the ' Frons Scenae
' (taken from the name given by Imperial Rome to the stage
walls of their amphitheatres)
-
The stage had a doorway to
the left and right and a curtained central doorway from which the actors
made their entrances.
Globe Theatre Stage
Interesting Facts and information
about the Globe Theatre Stage.
Additional details, facts and information about the
Globe Theatre can be accessed via the Globe Theatre Sitemap.
|
