William Shakespeare:1564 -- 1616

Stratford-upon-Avon

Will in London: c 1591 – c 1612

The Globe Theater1599 - 1642

The New Globe

Rebuilt in the late 1980s200 yds from original site

The Stage: The attic

The attic contains a huge room that is used both for storage of props and costumes and as a rehearsal and audition space.

The Stage: The Heavens

The Heavens, or stage ceiling, was usually painted with images of gods or a zodiac. It included trap doors from which special effects were dropped. Rich patrons sat in the balcony behind it.

The Stage: the Pentice

The stage roof is made of three parts: the Heavens, a thatched roof, and a small pentice that was added in order to cover the whole of the stage when the pillars were moved backward.

The Stage: the Balcony

The balcony runs across the whole of the Frons Scenae, and is divided into three sections - however there are no inner partitions at the New Globe, although some scholars believe there should be. The central section is usually used by the musicianss, while  members of the audience sit in the side sections. In the Renaissance, the aristocracy favoured these seats because they could be seen (and heard) as well as see the actors from very close. That is why they were called the Lords' Rooms.

Balcony as ObservatoryIn this scene from the Opening Season's production of Henry V (summer 1997), three members of the English court stood in the balcony for a short while.

Balcony as Musical Stage

The balcony is first and foremost the musicians' room, offering the best acoustics and a good view for cueing.

The Stage Proper

The Stage: Rushes

In the Renaissance, the surface of the stage would have been strewn with rushes, which acted as an insulant, and were also used in London homes.

The Stage: the Pillars

The two stage pillars are necessary to hold up the Heavens.

The Galleries

In the original Globe, you could sit  on the wooden benches of one of three galleries when it rained or if you could afford to pay twopence rather than the one penny groundlings paid to stand in the yard. Your padded clothes would have provided some comfort, but as there was no limit on the number of people, it probably got rather cramped.

The Galleries

The Gentlemen’s Rooms

Richer patrons sat in the Gentlemen's Rooms, the part of the middle gallery closest to the stage.

The Yard and Groundlings

London

London Bridge

The Theater District