Ancient Shakespearean Theatre

Within theatrical history there have been many different space and staging methods, each one seeming to occur with a change in theatrical style. The creation of theatre staging has consistently evolved, and through these changes we see the impact of different spaces on theatre making. It is also important to recognise that due to the ephemeral nature of theatre, it is still unknown exactly what occurred during these performance, so the documentation of theatre staging provides valuable insight into how performances were made.

The period of Ancient Greek Theatre is one of the first times where a dedicated space for theatre making was created. During this time, theatre was performed in huge outdoor amphitheatres, which consisted of the stage with a Skene, which was a building behind the stage with a set, the Orchestra, which was a space for the chorus, and the Theatron, which was a huge raked seating bank for the audience to sit in. These spaces were …show more content…
They are often described as being indoor and outdoor or private and public. The public theatres were for the general population, whereas the private were for the aristocracy. Overall there was still not a large amount of physical separation between the actors and the audience. Although there were some buildings, many of them were still open to the elements, and mostly consisted of elevated platforms with some seating areas, however buildings did provide theatre makers with greater access to staging, costuming and lighting. For example, Shakespeare 's “The Tempest” was originally written and designed to be performed at Blackfriars Theatre, which was an indoor theatre, therefore the theatre makers had more control over creating artificial lighting, costume changes, and more elaborate set. This highlights the different aspects of theatre that were influenced depending on the building in which the play was being