A Visit to Shakespeare’s Globe
When visiting London over spring break, Steffie and I decided to visit the Globe Theater. We were so excited to check this item off of our bucket lists. We left the hotel at 8:30am, excited to learn more about the theater’s rich history.
Once inside the Globe Theater, I was immediately struck by its beauty. The ornately painted stage, the thick, wooden beams of oak holding up the structure, and the dark green thatch roof seemed to transport Steffie and I back in time. There we were, standing where the groundlings would have watched Shakespeare’s plays hundreds of years ago. Although the current Globe Theater is not the original, it’s rendition of the original was impressive enough for me.
One of the neatest things about the current theater is that it carries on traditions from the original theater. To see a play while standing in front of the stage, it costs five pounds. Taking into consideration modern inflation, this fee is the equivalent of the one penny admission cost that the original theater’s audiences would have paid to see plays in Shakespeare’s time.
Actors performing in the Globe today have the unique experience of seeing their audience during the performance as clearly as the audience can see them. Coupling that with the fact that the actors almost never use microphones but instead use their natural voices, attending a play at the Globe Theater sounds like a special experience reminiscent of the old days.
If I ever get the chance to return to London, I plan to watch a play at the Globe Theater. But, even without watching a play, simply visiting the building is an experience I would highly recommend to anyone.
-Katie Zelechowski
When visiting London over spring break, Steffie and I decided to visit the Globe Theater. We were so excited to check this item off of our bucket lists. We left the hotel at 8:30am, excited to learn more about the theater’s rich history.
Once inside the Globe Theater, I was immediately struck by its beauty. The ornately painted stage, the thick, wooden beams of oak holding up the structure, and the dark green thatch roof seemed to transport Steffie and I back in time. There we were, standing where the groundlings would have watched Shakespeare’s plays hundreds of years ago. Although the current Globe Theater is not the original, it’s rendition of the original was impressive enough for me.
One of the neatest things about the current theater is that it carries on traditions from the original theater. To see a play while standing in front of the stage, it costs five pounds. Taking into consideration modern inflation, this fee is the equivalent of the one penny admission cost that the original theater’s audiences would have paid to see plays in Shakespeare’s time.
Actors performing in the Globe today have the unique experience of seeing their audience during the performance as clearly as the audience can see them. Coupling that with the fact that the actors almost never use microphones but instead use their natural voices, attending a play at the Globe Theater sounds like a special experience reminiscent of the old days.
If I ever get the chance to return to London, I plan to watch a play at the Globe Theater. But, even without watching a play, simply visiting the building is an experience I would highly recommend to anyone.
-Katie Zelechowski