theatre: shakespearean tragedy

[kdjellybean]

If the stage was draped in black to show the play being performed was a tragedy, what was done for the comedies etc?

[geeneeous]

Shakespeare was always thought of as a playwright without much actual language ability. His inability to express himself would leave the crowd confused. Hence, the black drapes you speak of that at least give the crowd a clue as to at least the mood of the entire play. As he began to lose hearing in his ears, Shakespeare continued composing but this involved using more drapes rather than speech to get his message across. [http://www.angelfire.com/hi/romeoetjuliet/rjessay.
html press ctrl-F and type in 'drapes' less quotations] So for comedies, which noone at that time found funny as they were still amused by puppets and what not, William would have to employ gregarious young boys, 12-14 years old, to rouse the crowd into an appropriate convivial spirit. They would drape each other in colourful wet scarves and the like, so my friends have told me. Boys were employed because in those days, girls weren't allowed to act.