An Ex-Theater Girl’s Guide to The Globe

Photo credit: Shakespeare's Globe

How a magical night at Shakespeare's Globe reignited a love for the playhouse.  ♦

The Globe Theatre felt alive with conversation as I stood a few feet from the stage, ready for the show. The play that night was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and as I looked around the venue, watching everyone get settled in their seats or shuffle to where they would stand, I had no idea what to expect from the performance. I had never even been in a theater without a roof, let alone stood for an entire show. Suddenly, a flourish of music and color erupted from the stage. In awe, the audience quickly quieted and watched wide-eyed at the actors filed in, dancing in their elaborate costumes. I didn’t even want to blink. From that moment on, everything—the audience, the actors, the air—was electric.

For seven years, my life revolved completely around the theater. Whether it was watching touring performances, acting in local shows, hanging with my castmates, or being my high school’s Drama Club President, up until college the theater was one of the biggest influences on my life. So, it comes as no surprise that I have experienced many different types of theater performances, from black box theater to theater-in-the-round to professional shows on Broadway. I truly thought I had experienced everything that theater had to offer. But, the Globe Theatre was like nothing I had ever seen before.

First built in 1599, the Globe was opened by and served as home for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. For fourteen years many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed there, but during a performance of Henry VIII in 1613, the theater was devastatingly burned to the ground. It wasn’t until 1997, over three hundred years later, that the theater was commissioned to be rebuilt. So, the Globe Theatre that is performed in and toured today— the one I saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream in—is actually a replica.

Although the theater itself was only built twenty years ago, everything

everything about it still feels completely authentic to Shakespeare’s time. For one, the audience has the same levels of seating that Shakespeare’s audience would have had. First, there are the “penny-stinkers,” or the people who would stand during the performance. Not only are the tickets cheap, but they also give the best and most personal view. Then, there are those sitting at different various levels surrounding the theater. Depending on the seat, these could give you a nice view or a very obstructed one. Finally, there are the upper balcony seats near the stage that, in Shakespeare’s time, were used for royalty and nobility; only the most important and famous people were allowed to sit there. Even though I had originally been given a seat for the performance, I opted to stand for the entire show. I will admit that my back did begin to hurt after two hours of standing, but it was completely worth it. I had an amazing view of the performers—as I was very close to the stage—and felt completely immersed in the show. I felt like sitting with an obstructed view would have been doing an injustice to the play.

The building itself is also as authentic as it could possibly get. There is no actual ceiling to the Theatre, so both the audience and the actors are subjected to all the influences of the outside world. From drizzling rain to continuous planes flying overhead, if the outside world is noisy and wet, so is the inside of the Globe. Although this may seem like an inconvenience to some, to me it was exciting to see theater performed in such a different type of venue. It was intriguing to see how the actors were going to react to the various distractions that were brought in from beyond its walls. While some actors directed their lines angrily at the planes that loudly flew overhead, others simply ignored them. It added a whole new dimension to the show.

The aspect of the Globe that I loved the most, and was the most excited to see imitated from Shakespeare’s time, was the actors' interactions with the audience. Constantly, the actors would talk directly to the standing audience, as if they were part of the conversation. They also encouraged the audience to cheer, clap, or simply make noise during the performance. One of the actors even joined the audience during a part of the show, making small talk with those that stood around them at the corner of the stage. I loved how interactive that aspect of the show was, and how it meant that the performance was going to be different every time. I couldn’t get enough of it.

As I listened to the thunderous applause at the end of the show, I couldn’t help but think about my own life. Ever since I started college, my interaction with theater in my life had slowly diminished. I still have a deep appreciation for theater, but I’d stopped watching and performing in shows, letting my busy college life take hold of me. Being in the Globe Theatre though, with its bold live music, standing room, open roof, and interactive actors, had not only reignited my love for theater but brought it to a whole new level. It reminded me of why I had loved theater in the first place, the way your heart pumps with anticipation as the opening number begins. The way your cheeks hurt from how hard you’re smiling as the words take hold of you. The way that the audience’s applause lasts so long that it starts to have a beat. The electric energy in the Globe Theatre, brought by all of its unique aspects, reminded me of all of that.

As I walked out of the theater, I was already planning my next trip to the Globe. I knew I had to experience it again before I left London. Once I got home, I immediately booked my 5-pound standing ticket to see A Comedy of Errors the following weekend. I was so inspired by my revived love of theater that I even started looking at West End tickets, and that same night I also bought seats for The Book of Mormon. I had finally caught the theater bug again, and while I was in London with its incredible theater scene, I wasn’t going to let it go.

In the end, all the shows I saw in London were amazing, and with each minute my love for theater regrew. I've even started thinking about shows that I can see when I get back home to Chicago for the rest of the summer. The fact is, theater is all around, and while I was lucky enough to experience it in a completely new way at the Globe, that doesn’t mean my love for theater has to end in London. There is so much more left to explore, and the Globe is simply a step in my journey back to something that had made me happy for so long. It is something I will never forget, and wherever life takes me next, I hope that it will always be as exciting and filled with joy as the moment I was first in The Globe as it buzzed with anticipation, waiting for the show to begin.

About the Author

Jessica Miller is a third-year English Education major and Creative Writing minor at Miami University of Ohio. She is working toward being a high school English teacher and potentially publishing a book in verse in the future.