Show I r c Y wu 1 In Shakespeare's time the fort of the theatres was derived from those buildings which experience experience had proven to ho bo well adapted to the purpose of the droma Like the yard courtyard of an inn three sides were occupied p pied ed b by balconies Properly divided divided these were printed to the reception of different classes of rom corn pany The fourth side form form- formed ed the stage The central area was known as the pit To this vr very ry day in London theatres tickets are lUe sold in the pit And in our own country we refer to the area where when the orchestra plays as the pit An upper balcony OVEr the stage was for the orchestra The pit was entirely des des- destitute of benches There is where the common people stool stood to watch the show That is why they were call call- called ed groundlings by scare SEare A fellow playwright Ben Johnson refers to them themas themas as the understanding gen gen gen- gentlemen of the ground Between this class of spectators and the occupiers of the upper balconies the gallery gods of arch ium-arch theatres there was no distinction of rank or price Both were of the lowest description The lower balconies on all three sides were known as rooms the boxes of our time where here the people of rank and fashion had hael their laces la lah The Lords rooms s laW which W h were e often particularly men m e n t ion i o flail e d seem to have been immedi next to the stage It is known that some an- an dent English theatres in in addition to these regular rooms also boasted private private vate boxes Just exactly where these were has never ben been precisely determined They hat had their r own locks and keys Occasionally also the public rooms were ap- ap appropriated to individuals individual who were given the security of lock and kEY The stage was d from the audience part cart of the thEatre by a poling paling It was concealed b by bya II a curtain in the middle which could be drawn from the center to the sides Accord fug ing to the grandeur of oC the house the materials of the curtain varied from wool to silk ho houses Like the in e 1 the floors eor eori eora Elizabethan of i a private U Age the stage was usually strewn with rushes b Innumerable num- num numerable erable references to this custom are met with in the theold theold old English plays In Dutch homes across the Channel sand was strewn on the floors at that same time At the back of the stage there thero was a balcony or upper stage on which those characters entered who were required to appear in in elevated situations the most famous and memorable be ing Juliet on her balcony When not in use for the purpose of the scant the stage balcony was hidden by a curtain When a play within a play was required the balcony was made use of either for the scenic audio audi audience ence or as a stage for the performance of the cry play Shakespeare fur fur- furnishes furnishes us with nn an instance of each of these practices Sly sits in the balcony to watch the performance of the Taming of the Shrew In hamlet abl ti the he play pre pre- seated b e f fo o r e hamlets hamlet's mother and uncle was un- un acted on the up- up upper per pcr stage |