Men in Tights!

The life of an actor has changed drastically since Shakespeare’s time. Acting had a bad reputation. Actors were seen as unruly and a threat to society. During this time acting was only open to boys and men. Since it was illegal for women to act in plays, the men played the female leads. Women were very limited; they were denied education, land, rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to hold office. In a play women were required to read aloud but doing so goes against their duty to be quite and lady-like. 

Actors were normally lower class people performing for upper class people. Considering the fact that Shakespeare was a high school dropout, I think that social-class did not have an effect on your acting career. Because acting was similar to a part-time job you’re background did not matter.

Many theaters operated a shareholder system, where shares in the company earned more than the workers. Actors were paid depending on their position and where they played. Boy actors were paid three shillings a week. The main actors were paid at least two shillings per day. Part-time actresses were paid one shilling per day.  And if you played a female role you were paid less. Shakespeare was a sharer of a group called, The Chamberlain’s Men, who later  became the King’s Men in honor of James I. James loved theatre and was so intrigued by Shakespeare’s acting group that he gave him a sponsorship (Globe Education Actors).

The benefits of being an actor back then were that you’d potentially become a writer or get famous. The Disadvantages were the stage conditions. Actors had to improvise most of the time. Most of them couldn’t fit on the stage all at once. They didn’t have scenery to create scenes. Whenever they switched scenes they’d use signals, since there was no curtain (Staging and Performance).

In contrast acting today is completely different! Gender does not matter, you don’t have to be apart of a company and there’s a variety of sceneries. Theater is more popular and entertaining. Today, Acting is all about references and experience. The more acts and plays the better. Actors are still paid based on their position and how many plays they play in. In order to become an actor or become an actress, you must insure your financial stability.  Most actors aren't able to have a long-term job. But don't worry,there's always the next big gig or audition.

 

People today do acting for a variety of reasons. It could be to try something new, to meet new people, to boost confidence or self-esteem, or just simply for the pleasure.  If you were an actor what time period would you like to act in and why? Which century do you think was more lenient and beneficial? What is the difference between modern acting and acting in Shakespeare's time? Is it a good change or bad change?