Scott Hatler, age 16, of Utica, N.Y., for his question:

HOW WERE SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS FIRST STAGED?

The Elizabethean theater, evolved during William Shakespeare's time, and most of his plays were put on here. A typical public theater enclosed a courtyard that was open at the top. About 2,500 people could attend a performance. Private theaters were smaller, roofed structures.

A public theater could be round, square or many sided. Most had three levels of galleries and probably stood about 32 feet high. The courtyard, called the pit, measured about 55 feet in diameter.

A stage occupied one end of the pit and faced the galleries. Theatergoers sat on benches in the galleries or stood in the pit. The poorer spectators, who couldn't afford the extra price of seats, were called groundlings.

The stage projected into the pit. This allowed members of the audience to watch the actors from both the front and sides as they almost surrounded the stage.

An area hanging over the back of the main stage served as an upper stage. It could be used as a balcony or the top of a castle wall. This upper stage allowed Shakespeare and other Elizabethan dramatists to give their plays vertical action in addition to the usual horizontal.

Atop the roof was a but that contained machinery to produce sound effects and various special effects, such as the lowering of an actor playing a god. The but was sometimes called the heavens. Two pillars supported the structure, and the underside was richly painted.

The main stage had a large trap door. Actors playing the parts of ghosts and spirits could rise and disappear through the door. The trap door, when opened, also could serve as a grave.

At the back of the main stage was an area called the discovery space. This area was covered with a curtain and provided a place for characters in the play to hide or eavesdrop on conversations. Players came out onto the stage through this area or through side doors.

Behind the discovery space were dressing rooms, called tiring rooms, plus wardrobe and storage areas.

Public theaters offered performances only during daylight hours because they had no artificial lights. Private theaters were smaller, roofed structures and gave evening performances by candlelight.

Private theaters charged far higher prices for admission than public theaters. Most of Shakespear's theaters were written for public theater presentation.

Acting companies were made up of only men and boys. Women did not perform on the Elizabethan stage. A typical acting company had eight to 12 sharers, a number of salaried workers and apprentices. The sharers were the company's leading actors as well as its stockholders. They had charge of the company's business and bought the plays and costumes.

Profits from the theater were split by the sharers.

The salaried workers, who were called hirelings, took minor roles in the plays, performed the music, served as prompters and did various jobs. The apprentices were boys who played the roles of women and children.

Acting companies operated under the sponsorship of either a member of the royal family or an important nobleman. Most sponsorships were in name only and did not include financial support.