There are many things that were done very differently back then. If you were watching a play during Shakespeare’s time it was very unique. During this time, there were ways in which they used to let the public know what was going on. Flags were hung prior to the play to let the people what type of play was going to take place later on. White flags were raised if the play was light in nature and black flags were raised if it was serious in nature. The trap door was used for disappearing or appearing acts. It was also used to represent Hell. The hut was above the main and upper stages and was used for storage and was also where the stagehands made the sound effects from. Stagehands simulated thunder by striking a sheet of metal or pounding a drum. There was also a canopy that was above the stage, usually painted like the sky with golden stars, was lowered when gods and heavenly messengers were on the stage. Tiring rooms were the actor's quarters and dressing rooms. The pit or yard is where groundlings stood, the poor common folk. The upper stage section was used for balcony scenes, such as in Romeo and Juliet. Unlike today’s shows, anyone who attended a Shakespeare play in the Elizabethan era really had to use their imagination. No backdrops or props, no hidden microphones in an awful acoustical design. Actors would have to overstress their actions and yell their lines to try and make it easier for all to hear. There was also no ambiance or spot lighting, so plays usually took place in the early afternoon, typically starting around 1 p.m. or so and ending up about 5 p.m. Sometimes they would set off fireworks or fire cannons during battle scenes and use lit torches during night scenes.
