# data[].attributes.headline
GROUP  ??? - Write here your names. NO SURNAMES!!!!

# data[].attributes.subject
GROUP  ??? - Write here your names. NO SURNAMES!!!!

# data[].attributes.body
WRITE HERE THE QUESTION YOU ARE ANSWERING TO

Copy the agreed version of your reply.

Attach a picture, but beware of copyright!!!!!

# data[].attributes.body
What were the people with the cheapest tickets called? why?

The people with the cheapest tickets were called "groundlings" or "stinkards" because they smelled strongly and because they had to stand to watch the play paying just 1 penny.

Who sat in the galleries?

The spectators sitting in the galleries were often wealthier than the groundlings. Sometimes lords and ladies would sit in the galleries to watch plays. Also citizens who wanted to sit down or escape the crowds in the yard and that could afford the extra penny would go there. They paid two or three pence or six pence to sit in the lords' room. They wore perfume to protect themselves from strong smells.

Were actors part of high society? What did people think of them ?

The actors were tramps, so they were not part of high society. They had not studied at university and often they were not even able to read. Some actors became famous and rich, like for example Shakespeare.

What was a "cutpurse" and what might happen to them at the theatre?

A "cutpurse" was a thief. Men and women used to carry their money in purses that they tied to their belts outside the clothes, so thieves would cut the belt straps and take off with the money. They became known as "cutpurses".

# data[].attributes.body
GROUP A

Some of the plays of William Shakespeare required the entrance of live animals, such as a dog or a bear. There are no records confirming that such animals were actually used but it seems logical that any such special effects using live animals would have been at least tried.

The Puritans were a religious faction who wanted to completely change the Church of England and go against the old habits of English people and society. In fact they wanted also to abolish theaters because they believed that theatres could distract people. This is the reason why Puritans and city authorities saw plays and theatre as immoral.

The solliloquy is a kind of speech which is often used in a dramatic situation. The character refers to the thoughts and feelings of himself or speaks in front of an audience without talking with one of the other characters. It is often used when the actor is alone or when he just thinks that he is alone on the stage. It differs from a monologue, during which the actor is actually alone.

The firing of a canon signalled that the play was going to begin.

If the audience didn't like a play they made their feelings clear. For example, the audience damaged the chairs and stools, or curtains and walls, too. Since it was so involved in the performance of a play, the audience was vital to its success.

The plays were advertised on sheets of paper called " playbills " which were put in the streets around the theatre. People went to the theatre already knowing what the plot was going to be about.

# data[].attributes.body
1- The poorer members of the audience, who were called the groundlings, stood in the yard open to the sky. The yard was surrounded by covered galleries that only rich people could afford. The groundlings were shopkeepers, butchers, bakers, shoemakers. Many of them were illiterate. 2 - At the theatre the atmosphere was similar to a concert of today. The people walked around the theatre, spoke and ate. If the audience didn't like the play on stage they would insult the actors and even throw things on the stage. Somethimes it happened that people fought for the best view. 3 - The sound of birds was created by blowing through a pipe in a pot of water. Other sounds were produced under the stage. In Shakespeare's time also fireworks and cannons were used to create special sounds.

4 - All actors in Shakespeare's time were men, so every female character would be performed by boys because women were forbidden to act in theatres. 5 -The Patron was a nobleman or a lady who would give money and prestige to the companies to create a show. The Patron would stand up if somebody in the company got into troubles. In return of this the company acted for the Patron in some special events at his palace. 6 - Sometimes it was possible that the Queen/King was present at a play and the people hailed her/him. For example in 1632, Captain Essex with his stepmother Queen Elizabeth went to the Blackfriars Theatre, but a young man, Lord Thurles, stood in front of them and began an uproar and the play was delayed.

# data[].attributes.body
1. How were pickpockets treated if they got caught?

If pickpockets were got caught, they would be tied to posts at the side of the stage for people to jeer at and pelt them with food

2. How did the Globe catch fire?
During a performance of Henry V cannons were fired when the actors entered on-stage. Unfortunately, cannons set light to the thatched roof and suddenly the theatre went up in a mass of flames.
P eople tried to escape through the small exits. The theatre was completely consumed to the ground.

3. What were satirical comedies about?

Satirical comedies were about religion and government policy, and at times playwrights became openly more critical of another's styles.

4. Where did the players get their best costumes from?

Players got their best costumes second-hand from companies which had bought the clothes from the aristocrats. Aristocrats acted as patrons to the companies and then would sell on their old clothes at cheap price.

5. Could you leave the theatre if the play had not finished?

Yes, you could. People could leave the theatre even if the play had not finished.

6. What are props- and what sort of props would Shakespeare's theatre have had?

Props are objects and materials that can be used during a performance. They were property of the company and were therefore called also the "properties". Shakespeare's theatre had a lot of useful props for a wide variety of plays. They might be small, and portable objects.

# data[].attributes.body
-WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE WENT TO THE GLOBE THEATRE? All social classes went to the Globe Theatre: old and young, rich and poor, masters and servants, papists and puritans, because it was a nice form of entertainment for everybody. The poorer members of the audience stood in the 'groundlings pit': they had to stand during performances, in all weathers. Here the ticket price was of just one penny, while galleries upstairs would cost more than the yard.

-WHAT SORT OF SCENERY DID SHAKESPEARE'S THEATRE HAVE? Stage scenery was minimal, perhaps consisting solely of painted panels placed upstage. Elizabethan theatres were makeshift, dirty and loud. Set designers, or anyone for them, would set the scene through costumes, language and sounds.

-WHAT IS DOUBLING? Character doubling is a theatrical term used for an actor who plays two parts in one play. This actor, or actress, in fact, is doubling his, or her, presence on stage. -IN SHAKESPEARE TIMES, ACTORS WERE EXPECTED TO PLAY MORE THAN ONE ROLE ON STAGE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY? Actors played more than one role on stage because there were few actors. In this period, all the actors had to be all-around, too. For example, young boys played also female roles, because for women it was forbidden to act in theatres. Anyway, this would give the actors also the possibility to show all their skills and abilities.   -SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS WERE PERFORMED ON A BARE STAGE, WITH VERY LITTLE SCENERY. HOW WOULD THE AUDIENCE GUESS WHERE THE ACTORS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE?i In Shakespeare's plays special effects were used. For instance, gory visual effects were achieved by using animal blood and intestines. In order to re-create the sounds of a battle field or to represent a lightning there was a metal shut or rolling canon ball. Music was essential to make the right atmosphere.

# data[].attributes.body
What could a specific costume or colour tell the public about the character on stage?

Some colours were used to tell the public about the characters' personality. For example black was associated to death, yellow to lovers and white to purity. Costumes would also tell the audience about the social status of the characters on stage.

How many toilets were there at the Globe in Shakespeare's days?

The Globe had no toilets. Some people used the river Thames but it was several streets away. Most people just passed around buckets and urinated in full view of the rest of the crowd. It could be very enbarassing during a love scene!

How did Shakespeare's company light their plays?

The Globe was an open air amphitheatre. Shakespeare's company used the sunlight to produce their plays. If a scene took place in the dark, the audience had to guess what was about to happen because it was nearly impossible to recreate darkness.

What did the area under the stage symbolize when actors shouted from underneath it?

Under the stage there was a sizeable space. This area was used to represent ghosts, hell, purgatory or other supernatural realm. There was a trap door through which actors could come up and down.

In Elizabethan England dress codes played an important role. Would it have been possible for a middleclass woman to wear a velvet dress?

For a middleclass woman it was illegal to wear a velvet dress. They had to wear wear different dress materials like cotton. Only people of the up per classes could wear velvet.

What time of the day did plays usually take place? How would this affect the plays?

Plays usually took place from 2 p.m. to 4-5 p.m. in order for people to miss part of the working day. However people skipped church to go to the theatre and they disturbed the services. For this reason Puritans and city authorities saw plays and theatres as immoral.