Shakespeare's Plays

Comedies
All’s Well that Ends Well
As you like it
Comedy of Errors
Measure for measure
Midummer Night’s Dream
Taming of the Shrew
Much ado about Nothing
Twelfth Night
Merchant of Venice

Tragedies
Julius Caesar
Hamlet
Macbeth
Othelio
Romeo and Juliet
King Lear

​Histories
King Henry V
King John
Richard II
Richard III

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 Actors + Skills

The Globe theatre actors and even Shakespeare were expected to do their own stunts. Their skills consisted of sword fighting and being able to fall convincingly. Their voices had to be very well projected so that the plot was clear to the audience. They also had to ‘over-act’ making exaggerated gestures with their arms and hands. 
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Costumes

Costumes in Shakespeare’s plays were gorgeous, made with grand materials, vivid colours and were very expensive. The actors usually wore dresses in their modern time and though, some were made specifically for certain actors and the rich donated some. The women’s costumes worn by boy actors were made with many layers of clothing. 

Female Roles

​In Shakespeare’s time, women were forbidden by the law to perform in plays, therefore there were no actresses in the Globe Theatre. The female parts of plays were then played by young boys usually aged between 13 and 19 years when their voices were still high and muscles weren’t developed. The boy actors who took the female roles were also paid the least of all actors.

Makeup

​The makeup used in the Elizabethan period mostly consisted of white makeup. The white makeup they used was made by lead and therefore it was highly poisonous. The boys were then very unhealthy with very nasty facial skin diseases and numerous of the boy actors actually died due to the lead poisoning. 

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Atmosphere in the Globe Theatre

​Theatres these days would have a quiet atmosphere – clapping or laughing – when needed whereas in the plays before, the audience would throw such things if they didn’t like the plays. The audience would even eat, drink and talk throughout the performance. The theatre was open-air and used natural light and they were usually performed in the afternoon or daylight. 

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Special Effects

​Globe Theatre special effects were used to improve the dramatic and visual effects of the plays performed. The theatre was designed to involve some special effects. In the floor and the ceiling of the stage, trapdoors were built which were called Hell – the floor – and the Heavens – ceiling. Actors could simply then appear and disappear through the trap doors. Through the Heavens trap doors, actors attached by a harness with wires or ropes could then make flying entrances and props could be lowered to the stage.

Props
The Globe Theatre props would have been easily movable objects 

​-Swords and daggers
-Glasses and plates
-Chairs and stools
-Candles and torches
-Blood soaked handkerchiefs
-Writing materials
-Blankets
-Manuscripts
-False jewels
-Crowns
-Armour
 etc.

As time went by, larger objects were used as Globe Theatre props;
-Benches
-Beds
-Thrones
-Cave
-Barrels
-Tables
-Canons
Large Globe Theatre props would have been put into place at the start of the performance and once it becomes unnecessary, it would be left on the stage throughout the play.

Plays today

​Plays today entail a silent audience with respect to the performers and theatres were closed up, dark and only showing light to the stage. Performances would have advanced sound effects with blaring speakers so that it projects well with the theatre. The props and setting of plays are organised long before and so were costumes so they didn’t have any delays. Style of acting would be well rehearsed whereas before, they barely had the time and of course females now have playwrights. 

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