"God has given you one face and you make yourself another"
-William Shakespeare
Actors, Costumes, Props
Actors were not as well respected in Elizabethan times as they are now. In fact, they were not trusted. Actors performed practically every day of the week. As there was a fast switch between performances, little time was left for rehearsals, meaning the actors needed good memories. Cue-acting was usually required. This is when a person stands in the wings and whispers the lines to the actor before they are to be spoken. Exaggerated movement and voice projection were required, as the entire audience needed to know what was occurring in the scene.
Female Roles
In the Elizabethan era, women were forbidden from acting in plays. Instead, young boys played the women. These boys were chosen because their muscles were not fully developed and their voices had not yet broken, so were high enough to act the female roles. These were the worst-paid actors and only got paid around three shillings a day.
Costumes and Makeup
The costumes worn by these actors were highly expensive and often made in coloured fabrics such as satin, calico and cotton. Those who played the women often wore elaborate layered dresses and wigs. Unfortunately the makeup of the time was often lead-based and therefore toxic to the human skin.
Props
Towards the beginning of the Globe Theatre, small portable props were used. Such items included:
-daggers
-candles
-blankets
-crowns
-animal furs
-books
However, as the the Theatre progressed bigger props were introduced, such as:
-beds
-thrones
-tables
-caves
These props would stay on stage for the duration of the play.
Similarities and Differences to the 21st Century
Unlike the actors of the Elizabethan era, actors nowadays are well respected and highly paid. Theatre actors generally spend months rehearsing a play then perform twice a day for a number of weeks. Many women are actors and are often paid quite large amounts of money, unlike the young boys who played females in Shakespearean times. Costumes are highly elaborate and made of many different fabrics. Makeup is still used commonly, however these cosmetics are not toxic.
Portable/ handheld props are still used, but in terms of larger props, new mechanisms can easily transport large items off stage with ease.
Many things have changed in theatre since Shakespeare, however some things have remained consistent in the 21st Century from Shakespeare's vision.
Female Roles
In the Elizabethan era, women were forbidden from acting in plays. Instead, young boys played the women. These boys were chosen because their muscles were not fully developed and their voices had not yet broken, so were high enough to act the female roles. These were the worst-paid actors and only got paid around three shillings a day.
Costumes and Makeup
The costumes worn by these actors were highly expensive and often made in coloured fabrics such as satin, calico and cotton. Those who played the women often wore elaborate layered dresses and wigs. Unfortunately the makeup of the time was often lead-based and therefore toxic to the human skin.
Props
Towards the beginning of the Globe Theatre, small portable props were used. Such items included:
-daggers
-candles
-blankets
-crowns
-animal furs
-books
However, as the the Theatre progressed bigger props were introduced, such as:
-beds
-thrones
-tables
-caves
These props would stay on stage for the duration of the play.
Similarities and Differences to the 21st Century
Unlike the actors of the Elizabethan era, actors nowadays are well respected and highly paid. Theatre actors generally spend months rehearsing a play then perform twice a day for a number of weeks. Many women are actors and are often paid quite large amounts of money, unlike the young boys who played females in Shakespearean times. Costumes are highly elaborate and made of many different fabrics. Makeup is still used commonly, however these cosmetics are not toxic.
Portable/ handheld props are still used, but in terms of larger props, new mechanisms can easily transport large items off stage with ease.
Many things have changed in theatre since Shakespeare, however some things have remained consistent in the 21st Century from Shakespeare's vision.