Theater Stage

Origins
English Renaissance theatre derived from several medieval theatre traditions, such as The mystery plays that formed as part of religious festivals in Europe during the Middle Ages, the morality plays that evolved out of the mysteries, and the "University drama" that attempted to recreate Greek tragedy.

Stage characteristics
The crucial initiating development was the building of the theater by James Burbage, in 1576. The Theatre was rapidly followed by the Curtain Theatre (1577) The Rose (1587) the Swan (1595) theGlobe (1599) the Fortune (1600) Red Bull (1604).

Public theatres
Three stories high, built around an open space at the center polygonal in plan to give an overall rounded effect three levels of inward-facing galleries overlooked the open center a platform surrounded on three sides by the audience.

With no curtain between the audience and the stage, the setting was far more intimate than the larger theatres of today despite The fact that 2,000 to 3,000 patrons could attend a production at one time.

References:
http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/theatre.ht m#setdesign http://www.lacanadaplayhouse.org/ELIZA BETHAN_Lecture.pdf