Taking its name from the group of lower class audience members who stood on the ground in front of the stage to watch plays in Shakespeare’s day , “The Groundlings” was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization.
Why are groundlings called groundlings?
The groundlings were commoners who were also referred to as stinkards or penny-stinkers. The name ‘groundlings’ came about after Hamlet referenced them as such when the play was first performed around 1600 . ... They would watch the plays from the cramped pits with sometimes over 500 people standing there.
What are groundlings and how did they get their name?
It is thought that Shakespeare coined the word ‘groundlings’, which became the nickname for those audience members who stood at the theatre. ... The word ‘groundlings’ was actually the name of a small fish with a large, gaping mouth . The area where they stood was known as ‘the pit’ or ‘the yard.
What does the word groundlings refer to?
groundling • GROUND-ling • noun. 1 a : a spectator who stood in the pit of an Elizabethan theater b : a person of unsophisticated taste 2 : one that lives or works on or near the ground.
Where did the Groundlings stand?
Elizabethan general public or people who were not nobility were referred to as groundlings. They would pay one penny to stand in the Pit of the Globe Theater (Howard 75). The upper class spectators would pay to sit in the galleries often using cushions for comfort.
What was life like for Groundlings?
Young people especially enjoyed the bustling atmosphere , which invariably provoked grumbling that apprentices were avoiding work to go to the Globe. Above the theatre was a flag pole that would often employ color-coded advertising; a black flag would denote tragedy, a white one meant comedy and a red one, a history.
How much did the Groundlings pay to see a performance?
The lower middle class paid a penny for admittance to the yard (like the yard outside a school building), where they stood on the ground, with the stage more or less at eye level—these spectators were called groundlings. The rich paid two pennies for entrance to the galleries, covered seating at the sides.
Who started the Groundlings?
About Groundlings Founder Gary Austin
Since Gary had been grooming his theatrical (San Francisco State University) and improvisational crafts (Del Close and The Committee) for 15 years, he was fired up and ready to build something of his own.
What food did Groundlings eat?
The groundlings were very close to the action on stage. They could buy food and drink during the performance – pippins (apples), oranges, nuts, gingerbread and ale . But there were no toilets and the floor they stood on was probably just sand, ash or covered in nutshells.
What are Groundlings similar to?
They were too poor to pay to be able to sit on one of the three levels of the theatre. ... As a team they were also winners of the Impro League 2013/14 season. The Groundlings is similar to these stage productions: The Second City, Un-Cabaret, Commedus Interruptus and more.
What would Groundlings do if they did not enjoy a play or actor?
Groundlings would frequently talk, yell, and even throw things (think rotten produce, etc.) during the play. If the audience liked or did not like the play or the actors, the groundlings would let everyone in the theater know it .
What jobs did Groundlings have?
Groundlings and Shakespeare
A penny was about a days work for the Groundlings who were typically blacksmiths and farmers . Groundlings liked Shakespeare’s plays because included “bawdy humor” to specifically amuse the Groundlings.
What means handbill?
: a small printed sheet to be distributed (as for advertising) by hand.
At what age may a boy and girl marry and at what age is marriage for non noble families common?
A boy may marry at age 14 and girls at 12, however it was recommended that boys not marry until they were 22 and girls not until they were 18. In a non-noble family it is common to marry at age 25-26 for men and 23 for women .
Why were there no female actors on the stages of Elizabethan Theatres?
Directors were forced to comply with somewhat radical values and even their casting of roles was affected. Female actors did not appear on stage until the mid 1600’s because acting was not deemed a credible profession .
Why were Groundlings called Stinkards in the summer?
The members of the audience who stood in the pit were often referred to as ‘Groundlings’. However, due to the hot summer days they were also referred to as ‘Stinkards’ – for obvious reasons. ... The Groundlings would have watched the plays from the cramped conditions of the ‘Yard’ or ‘Pit’ which held up to 500 people .
