Groundling
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A groundling is a person who paid a penny to stand and watch plays during Shakespeare’s time. They stood in an area called the yard.
The yard was crowded, dirty and uncovered. If it rained; the groundlings got wet!
To sit in the covered seats, audience members had to pay another penny. And, if theatre-goers want a cushioned seat it was another penny.
While this might not seem very expensive, during Shakespeare’s time a penny was how much money a person would make for working a whole day!
Today, if you visit Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London you can still stand. It costs about $8 to see a performance as a groundling.
Copyright © ProjectExplorer 2003-2009
Text: Kristina DeSantis
Photo: Jenny M. Buccos